WhatsApp has launched one of its biggest ever changes, and will no longer work solely on phone numbers.
The new feature – usernames – means that people can choose a word rather than a number and then allow people to add them using it.
It is intended to ensure that people don’t have to hand over their phone numbers to people they might otherwise not want to have that information, for instance. It could also make it easier to swap details with someone, since a username will probably be more memorable and easy to share.
But it comes with a couple of important warnings to anyone who is thinking of using the new feature.
The first really important thing is that usernames are now available to be claimed, even though the feature will not actually be launched until later this year. That can be done by heading to the settings part of the WhatsApp – you may need to update if you can’t see it – and choosing the option, though there will also be prompts in the app.
Claiming a username is important because there will probably be a rush on names. As such, the sooner you sign up the more likely you are to get a particular name, especially if it is a common or valuable one.
The second is that it will be important to choose that username carefully. Doing so is important if you are keen on ensuring your privacy and making it more difficult for strangers to contact you.
It might be safest not to use the same username as on other social networks, or a straightforward version of your name. That will make it much harder for strangers to guess at your username and begin messaging you, if that is a concern.
WhatsApp is offering a feature to avoid this problem, in the form of a “key”. That is an opt-in setting that means that anyone who tries to add you for the first time will need your key as well as your username, and since the key will be much harder to guess, it will ensure your privacy.
Users can also choose not to engage with the username feature at all, and continue to use WhatsApp in the same way that it works now. WhatsApp will continue to work with phone numbers – and users will still be required to sign up with one when they start using the app.
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