WhatsApp has begun rolling out username reservations, a new privacy feature that will eventually allow users to connect with new contacts without sharing their phone numbers, the company announced on Monday.

Username reservations commenced this week, ahead of the full launch of the feature later this year, with users to be notified within the app once the option becomes available in their respective countries.

According to WhatsApp, the feature is designed to give users greater control over their privacy by allowing them to communicate with new contacts using a unique username instead of their personal phone number.

“Sharing a phone number can feel like a big step. That’s because a phone number is personal and it’s tied to so many parts of your life. Sometimes you just want to chat without handing over your digits,” WhatsApp said.
“That’s why we’re introducing usernames for WhatsApp,” the company added.
“Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch this feature. With over three billion people on WhatsApp, a lot of names overlap, which is why we’re opening reservations early so everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them,” the company said.
“For most people, choosing a WhatsApp username should be something unique that only people you want to contact you will know,” it added.