WhatsApp usernames arrive later this year, but the handle land grab starts now

WhatsApp's username support is ready for prime time.

We've known that WhatsApp has been working on username support since 2023 at the very least. We're halfway through 2026, and we know, as confirmed by the company itself, that WhatsApp usernames will be out before the year comes to a close.

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By  Rajesh Pandey

We're eagerly waiting for support to go live later in the year, but the 'land grabbing' is officially starting now. WhatsApp has announced that it's time to reserve your WhatsApp username.

It's worth noting that you'll still need a valid phone number when registering for WhatsApp for the first time. After that, you're free to share your phone number or your username with new contacts.

"Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch this feature," wrote the tech giant.

Grab your handle now

The logic here is that a lot of usernames will overlap. The tech giant wants to give users that are in the know about everything new with WhatsApp the opportunity to select and reserve the username that matters to them.

Considering that the app has over 3 billion users, finding a completely unique handle isn't going to be a very simple task. That's precisely why the tech giant wants to get some of the username selection out of the way now — well before the feature actually comes out.

For what it's worth, reserving a username is completely optional. To do so, ensure that you're running the latest WhatsApp build. Then, head to Settings > Account > Username. It's worth noting that username reservation is rolling out now, and will continue to roll out throughout the week, so you'll want to keep your app updated and keep checking.

I don't see the option to reserve an email just yet on Android and iOS, but I will be keeping an eye out over the week.