WhatsApp is Finally Getting Usernames to Help Keep Phone Numbers Private

Summary: WhatsApp announced global reservations of usernames on Monday, letting its more than three billion users create and reserve a username of three to 35 characters before the feature becomes generally available later this year. The optional feature is intended to let people connect through a username instead of sharing a phone number, and users can add a username key that others must know to make first contact.
Why it matters: Once usernames are enabled, other accounts can no longer view or access a user's phone number, and users can reset their username key at any time to cut off new inbound contact - a control that changes how first contact reaches three billion users.

Read the original at The Hacker News ↗