For more privacy, WhatsApp will allow you to choose a nickname instead of exposing your phone number to everyone. And you will even have a search bar to find contacts more easily!
Fully encrypted, the famous WhatsApp messaging service is known for its security and already offers many options to guarantee the confidentiality of its users’ exchanges, such as ephemeral messages, the possibility of blocking screenshots for certain messages, sending ephemeral voice messages or even Chat Lock mode, which allows you to hide certain conversations and lock access to them.
But in some areas, WhatsApp lags behind its competitors. This is particularly the case in group discussions, where each participant is identifiable by the others thanks to their telephone number which is displayed in clear text. From then on, you can be contacted directly by complete strangers, which is obviously not desirable. A problem that Meta could soon remedy since the specialized site WABetaInfo spotted, in the latest version of the application on the web, a new function under development allowing to provide a username.
WhatsApp username: find your contacts in the blink of an eye
In May 2023, we learned that, for privacy reasons, you would soon be able to choose a unique nickname instead of displaying your phone number for everyone to see. A highly anticipated feature! This one is still under development, while Meta is gradually adding some improvements to it. For example, last December, a beta version of the application on Android was equipped with a search bar to find contacts who had adopted a nickname instead of their phone number. The search bar worked very simply: all you had to do was type in a name, nickname or phone number to find the desired contact, and thus start a discussion with them.
Last February, Meta further improved this option by adding, in a beta version on iOS, the possibility for users to connect to the messaging application using their username, and no longer using their phone number (see our article).
This time, it is in the web version that WABetaInfo has found traces of this function. Thus, users are invited to choose a username, which will be their public identifier on WhatsApp, and to check its availability during the configuration process. The function is still under development and should soon arrive on the different platforms of the instant messaging.
WhatsApp Username: An Option for More Privacy
The benefit is twofold with this new feature: your data will be more secure, since you will no longer need to share your number to chat with someone, and you will save precious time, since you will no longer have to scroll through your contact book for a long time to find the person you are looking for.
It will provide more anonymity and control over your personal information, while simplifying the process of connecting with friends, family members or anyone else, as you will no longer need to write down phone numbers – it is easier to remember a name than a number. Remember that setting up your nickname will be completely optional, you will not be forced to adopt one and, if you do, you can delete it at any time.