Friends, the world’s most popular instant messaging app WhatsApp has recently rolled out a new feature for its more than 4 billion users, ‘username reservation’, through which users can reserve a unique username even before the feature is officially launched for everyone. The rollout has been mired in controversy after the central government temporarily halted its public launch and sought clarification from Meta within three days.
If you want to reserve a WhatsApp username, here are the answers to the most important questions about the reservation process and this new feature.
Some key points about WhatsApp usernames:
Every username must be unique.
This is different from your display name.
Your display name can be the same as someone else’s, but not your username.
This feature is designed to help users keep their phone numbers safe when connecting with new people.
How to reserve a WhatsApp username
Open WhatsApp app.
Go to Settings.
Tap on your profile.
Select the Username option, where you will see ‘Reserve Username’.
Enter your preferred username.
If it’s not available, tap ‘Suggest Username’ to get an alternative suggestion.
Once you have selected an available username, tap ‘Save’.
Can you change your reserved username?
According to WhatsApp, users can change or delete their reserved username at any time. However, once you leave or change your username, it may become available to another user.
Who can see your reserved username?
Your reserved username remains private until it is activated.
Once WhatsApp activates this feature, people who don’t have your phone number saved will be able to see your username instead of your mobile number.
Can someone contact you using a reserved username?
Until WhatsApp officially activates your reserved username, no one can search or contact you using it.
After activation:
You can share your username with others.
People can message or call you using your username.
Your phone number will be hidden from users who don’t already have it saved in their contacts. How do you know if your username has been activated?
WhatsApp will send you an in-app notification once your reserved username becomes active.
After receiving the notification:
You can start sharing your username with others.
New contacts can connect with you without knowing your phone number.
For those who do not already have your mobile number saved, your number will remain private.
special things
WhatsApp has started username reservation.
The government has temporarily halted its large-scale rollout while reviewing this feature.
Usernames start with ‘@’ and must be unique.
This feature allows users to connect without sharing their phone number.
Reserved usernames can be changed or deleted at any time.
Users will receive a notification when the username is activated.
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