WhatsApp is rolling out usernames to keep phone numbers private.
The app said it will be rolling out usernames gradually, in a move meant to improve privacy.
WhatsApp says the feature is designed to give its three billion users a new layer of control over who can contact them.
WhatsApp, one of Hong Kong’s most popular messaging apps, will soon no longer require users to share their phone numbers before they start texting. Starting this week, users can reserve a unique username, which allows them to text without swapping numbers, for use later this year when the Meta-owned service launches the feature. Users will need to know a person’s exact username before they can text them for the first time. United States tech giant Meta said on Monday that the new move was a step...