In today’s time, connecting with someone on WhatsApp means sharing your mobile number. But, many people wish that they do not need to share their number for this. Now this compulsion is also going to end soon. Every day one or the other update is seen in WhatsApp, but now for the first time WhatsApp is bringing such a feature, through which people will be able to connect with each other without telling the mobile number. From this week, the company has started giving users the opportunity to reserve their favorite username.
WhatsApp has brought a new update, in which people will be able to connect and talk to each other only through username without giving mobile number. Although, this feature has not been launched yet, but in the coming months it will be available for users around the world. The question is, what will change from this, who will benefit most and will the need for mobile number end after this? At the same time, this is also a question that how will this happen, so let us understand in simple language.
What is going to change in WhatsApp?
Till now WhatsApp has been a platform completely based on mobile number. If you want to chat with someone, it is important to save his/her number. But, after the introduction of the new feature, the user will be able to create a unique username. After this, other people will be able to search and talk to him with the same username. This means that now it will not be necessary to share your personal mobile number every time. However, for this people will have to update the new version of WhatsApp. WhatsApp has started Username Reservation for users this week.
How to reserve WhatsApp username
If you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed in your phone, then you can reserve your favorite username from now on. For this, first open WhatsApp, then go to Settings. After this tap on the Account option. Here you will see a new option of Username. Click on it and enter the username of your choice. If that username is available, you will be able to reserve it. However, at present this facility is only for reserving username. The feature to chat through username or hide number will be officially released for all users later.
How to reserve a username?
Why was this feature needed?
The biggest privacy issue on WhatsApp has always been the mobile number. If you want to talk to a shop, customer, cab driver, online seller or any new person, you have to give your number. Many times, after this, unwanted calls, messages or spam start. After getting the username, if the user wants, he will share only his username and the mobile number will remain private. This will provide some relief from getting scammed and receiving fake calls.
Who will benefit most?
This feature can be most useful for these people-
- online business people
- Content Creators and Influencers
- Journalist
- Freelancer
- students
- Women who don’t want to share numbers
- people associated with an online community
Will the mobile number be completely deleted?
No. Mobile number will still be required to create a WhatsApp account. That means the number will remain in the backend, but it will not be necessary to show it to other people. This new feature of WhatsApp can be like an app like Telegram, which already provides the facility of username. WhatsApp is now taking steps in the same direction, but its biggest strength is its more than 2 billion users. Therefore, this change can become the world’s largest username based messaging system.
What things need to be kept in mind while choosing a username?
WhatsApp has also set some rules for username. The username of every user will be completely unique, that is, no two people will be able to get the same name. The username will be reserved on the basis of ‘First Come, First Served’, so the one who first reserves his favorite name will be its owner. Additionally, WhatsApp will not allow usernames that are offensive, misleading or violate its rules. If a user wants to change his username later, he will also get this facility.
How big a change is this in terms of privacy?
This can be considered one of the biggest privacy updates in the history of WhatsApp. Till now your identity on WhatsApp was your mobile number. Now your digital identity can also be a username. This will give people the freedom to decide to whom they want to show their number and to whom they do not. Just as people are identified by their username on social media, now WhatsApp is also moving in the same direction. Although mobile numbers will not be completely eliminated, it will become easier than ever for common users to keep their personal information safe.
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