Reserve your WhatsApp username before it's too late

Meta is finally preparing to roll out usernames on WhatsApp so users no longer have to share their phone number on the app. And users can reserve their preferred username right now.

WhatsApp has been integrating usernames into the platform for more than a year now, after the feature was discovered in a beta version of the app.

Now, it seems Meta is finally ready to roll out the new feature as WhatsApp is now letting users reserve usernames. 

"It’s time to reserve your WhatsApp username," reads a blog post on WhatsApps' website.

To reserve your WhatsApp username, simply open up the WhatsApp mobile app, go to your account settings, and tap "Username" under the "Your account" section.

"Usernames are coming soon," reads the window that opens up. "Reserve yours today."

Users can then choose to create a new username or use their Instagram or Facebook username.

WhatsApp users should reserve their chosen username as soon as possible. However, it seems users who just want to use their Facebook or Instagram username have no need to rush. WhatsApp confirmed in a post that the company "knows that some people like creators, small businesses, and organizations may want to maintain a consistent presence online" and so "for them, we reserved an option to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp."

When I attempted to register my preferred username, it said it was unavailable, but I could log in to Instagram or Facebook and choose it if it was the same username I used on those platforms (it was). Once logged into my Instagram account via WhatsApp, my preferred WhatsApp username suddenly became available.

Usernames have long been requested on WhatsApp. Users are forced to use their phone number as their WhatsApp identity, which creates obvious problems if they want to keep their phone number separate from their WhatsApp presence.

With more than 3 billion users on the platform, WhatsApp usernames will likely go fast, so if you don't already have your preferred username reserved via Facebook or Instagram, you should probably go register it now.