WhatsApp is experimenting with a significant enhancement that would enable connections among users without revealing phone numbers.

Users could instead generate distinct usernames—much like those on Instagram, Telegram, or X—representing a pivotal change in the platform’s approach to user privacy, based on recent reports.

Detected within WhatsApp’s beta trials, this capability would permit messaging and group participation via usernames in place of contact numbers.

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The goal is to enhance personal data protection and user autonomy, particularly in expansive groups or professional interactions where exchanging numbers might seem overly personal.

Screenshots from leaks display a fresh “Username” option in profile settings, enabling selection of custom identifiers and the choice to conceal phone details.

Although this could position WhatsApp closer to traditional social networks, it sparks worries over username hoarding and fake accounts.

Reports suggest WhatsApp plans to add authentication measures to curb potential abuse.

The username option remains under development in testing phases.

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Should it launch effectively, it might reshape interactions for WhatsApp’s more than two billion users, shifting the focus from phone-based links to identity-based ones.