Whatsapp

NewsFeed WhatsApp is rolling out usernames to keep phone numbers private. The feature gets installed later this year, however, users are able to start reserving their usernames now. This change marks a new level of privacy for WhatsApp users who want to keep their numbers private while still chatting and joining groups with new people. Al Jazeera’s @emmawithrow examines why WhatsApp decided to add the new feature and how it will impact privacy for users going forward. Published On 30 Jun 2026

Vasin Lee/Shutterstock Usernames have been part of the everyday online experience for decades, but until this year, WhatsApp ignored them. You authenticate in the world's most popular chat app with your phone number, which also secures your account. But since Meta added email support to WhatsApp, the company is finally moving forward with a username initiative that some people may like. Meta will let you associate a username with your phone number this year, a feature that should improve privacy. Instead of sharing your number with strangers for new WhatsApp chats, you can give them your username. Before the feature rolls out, Meta is letting WhatsApp users reserve their desired username, a process that is available on both iOS and Android. Android and iPhone users can start securing their alias from a notification they may see in the app. The alternative is to open the app's settings and go through the username reservation process, which is identical on either smartphone operating system. Usernames are optional, and WhatsApp will continue to support phone numbers just like before. However, those who want to protect their mobile contact information and secure a specific username will want to act fast, as there will be significant competition over common names

Monday June 29, 2026 4:01 pm PDT by Juli Clover Popular messaging app WhatsApp is now allowing users to reserve usernames ahead of plans to launch username-based messaging. Right now, WhatsApp uses a person's phone number as an identifier, but usernames will allow people to interact without having to exchange personal information. Username reservations are rolling out starting this week, and not all users will have access to the reservation system right away. WhatsApp is sending a notification when a username can be reserved. Usernames are optional, and once access has been granted, a username can be selected by going to Settings > Account > Username. Usernames can be 3 to 35 characters in length. There are over three billion people on WhatsApp, and the company says it is opening up reservations early so "everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them." WhatsApp suggests users choose a unique name only contacts would know. Creators, small businesses, and organizations have the option to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp. Users who have a username on Instagram or Facebook can claim the same username on WhatsApp by choosing the Use Instagram username or Use Facebook

WhatsApp today announced a much-awaited feature: usernames, which will allow users to share their profiles without disclosing their phone number. However, WhatsApp will still require a phone number to create an account on the chat app. WhatsApp has been working on adding usernames for a few years, and it is finally ready to detail how they work. Starting today, the Meta-owned company will let users reserve usernames, which will officially roll out later this year. People can choose any username with 3 to 35 characters. The company said it’s reserving usernames for top celebrities, VIPs, and organizations. Besides that, there aren’t any restrictions on choosing a username, as long as it doesn’t violate the company’s policies. Meta said that if businesses and creators want to maintain uniformity, they can claim their Facebook or Instagram username as their WhatsApp username. Users will receive a notification once the username reservation option is available in their country. After that, they can go to Settings > Account > Username to choose their username. WhatsApp will also provide an option for users to set a username key that others will need to know to message them. Meta noted that the reason for the reservation process is

WhatsApp mobile-app development Full Course (beginner to Pro). Installing VS code and Node JS. Zenovation online courses. 4 views • 6 hours ago. 30: ...

WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has announced that he is leaving his role. Cathcart has overseen Meta's popular messaging platform for nearly seven ...

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WhatsApp is now testing the Liquid Glass redesign on iPad, bringing the same semi-transparent, glass-like interface elements that iPhone users have had access to since May. The update is in testing, and gives iPad users the same visual language introduced in iOS 26, though rollout remains limited to beta testers and select stable users for now. As noted by WABetaInfo, the redesign introduces several visual changes specific to iPadOS. The tab bar at the bottom of the screen now floats above the interface as a semi-transparent element rather than sitting flat against the edge, a hallmark of the Liquid Glass aesthetic. Buttons respond with fluid animations when tapped, and the navigation bar at the top responds to scrolling in the chat list by gradually becoming more transparent as users scroll down, making the content underneath visible. One notable difference from the iPhone version: iPad’s tab bar does not show text labels under the icons, relying instead on icons alone. This reflects the additional screen space available on tablet displays and the different interaction patterns users expect on larger screens. Image by WABetaInfo WhatsApp’s approach to rolling out Liquid Glass has been deliberately staged across devices. The redesign first appeared on

Following last month’s wider rollout of the Liquid Glass redesign on iPhone, WhatsApp is now testing the updated look on iPad, while a separate version remains in development for Mac. Here are the details. WhatsApp continues Liquid Glass development across all Apple platforms As most WhatsApp users are probably aware, Meta’s rollout of the Liquid Glass redesign has been a long time coming. WhatsApp’s Liquid Glass redesign on iOS began last October, and only recently, users started seeing a broader rollout. On the Mac, WhatsApp began testing the Liquid Glass and the overall macOS 26 redesign earlier this month, with a new sidebar with text labels beside each icon (something Apple is dropping in macOS 27 Golden Gate), an updated chat bar, a refreshed attachment menu, and a dedicated locked chats section. Now, as spotted by WABetaInfo , some users running the WhatsApp beta on iPadOS are gaining access to the redesigned interface, including a floating Chats sidebar and Liquid Glass-style tabs, buttons, and context menu. Image: WABetaInfo From WABetaInfo: The tab bar at the bottom of the screen is the easiest way to spot the new design on iPad. Instead of sitting flat against the edge, it now floats

Photo: Goffs A month or so after the Tattersalls Fairyhouse event, Goffs hosts Ireland’s second breeze of the year. Irish Derby weekend at The Curragh is complemented by a sale up the M7 in Kill, where, post-withdrawals, some 60 two-year-olds are to go under the hammer, having already breezed at Naas Racecourse on Monday.  Saturday evening’s trade includes the chance for purchasers lots by the likes of Sea The Stars, Camelot, Starman and Havana Grey. The sale also includes two lots by Palace Pier, not least the first lot through the ring, Lot 1, who’s a half-brother to last year’s Prix de Royallieu heroine Consent, while a lot of the calibre to garner attention towards the end of the sale is Lot 54, a Cracksman half-sister to the 2018 Melbourne Cup victor Cross Counter. Sea The Stars is responsible for such two-year-olds as Lot 35, a filly whose second dam won the Del Mar Oaks, while Camelot is behind Lot 52, a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Verimli (additionally, Lot 52’s third dam won the 1997 Prix de Diane). Starman is the sire of several offerings, including Lot 56, a filly out of a half-sister to the Prix Eclipse winner Souvenir Delondres (dam of the Group