WhatsApp has begun letting users reserve unique usernames ahead of a wider rollout planned later this year, allowing people to be found and contacted by a handle instead of a phone number. The Meta-owned app, used by more than three billion people, says the change adds a layer of privacy, but early testing has already turned up available usernames closely resembling celebrities, politicians, and public institutions, raising impersonation concerns.
The rollout has drawn scrutiny from regulators in India, WhatsApp’s largest market, who warned it could fuel phishing and impersonation scams. Security experts note the same land-grab dynamic seen when Twitter and Instagram first launched handles, when squatters and impersonators moved fastest. If you use WhatsApp, it’s worth reserving your username sooner rather than later.
