Latest WhatsApp beta lets you set up a username so you don’t have to share your phone number

• WhatsApp now allows some users to create usernames
• So far, this feature is only available to a limited number of beta users.
• With it you can share your username rather than your phone number

We’ve been hearing that WhatsApp will be getting usernames for a while now, and they’re finally here – although so far they’re only in the latest beta versions of WhatsApp, and only for a “limited” number of users as part of a phased rollout, according to WABetaInfo.

In other words, you need to be running a beta version of WhatsApp to benefit from the new feature right now, and even then, you might not have access to it yet. But the very fact that usernames are in beta suggests that they will soon be rolled out more widely.

When you have access to the new feature, you will be able to go to Settings > Profile in the WhatsApp app, and from there you can create a username. The feature is available in the iOS and Android beta versions of WhatsApp, and rather than creating a new username, you can choose to use your Facebook or Instagram username instead, if you prefer.

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If you create one, there are various restrictions, including that it must be a username that is not currently used by anyone else on any of Meta’s platforms, it must be at least three characters long, and it must start with a letter – although it can also include numbers, periods, and underscores.