We already know that WhatsApp is silently working on username, a feature that’s already been present in Telegram for years. This would allow users to set a unique username for their account, thereby preventing the need to share mobile numbers with strangers or new contacts. People who don’t have your numbers saved will see your username instead. And, while we don’t really know when the feature will actually land, the latest development suggests that WhatsApp may soon allow you to reserve a username before the functionality goes live.
WhatsApp may soon let you reserve a username
WhatsApp beta for Android with version number 2.25.29.14 include hints about the username reservation feature, as highlighted by WABetaInfo. This takes it one step closer to the rollout. The username reservation feature will appear in the profile tab under “Username” in the app. The goal here is to allow early users to secure their desired usernames before the feature becomes publicly available. There’s a description that reads, “Usernames are comign soon. Reserve yours today.”
The report notes that the feature will be available to a larger audience soon after the early reservation feature goes live.
No release timeline yet
The instant messaging app is imposing certain rules for the username feature, these include usernames can’t begin with “www.” They must contain at least one letter and it’ll only allow certain characters such as lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), periods, and underscores. Usernames can’t end with a domain like .com or .net. They cannot start or end with a period and lastly, the character length must be between 3 and 30.
Once a username is reserved, the user will have a guaranteed claim to it when the functionality goes live. The WhatsApp username feature, though doesn’t have a release timeline yet, will see a gradual release. This way the tech giant can monitor performance and “maintain stability.”
The post WhatsApp’s Long-Awaited Username Feature Is Almost Here appeared first on Android Headlines.
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