Too Long? Read This First A WhatsApp username is an optional, unique handle that people can use to contact you once it is active. Create or reserve yours from your profile on your primary phone when the username option is available. Reserving a handle holds it for you. Wait for WhatsApp’s activation notification before sharing it as a way to start chats. You still need a phone number to register, and people who already saved your number can still see it. Share your active handle, username link or QR code. A username key can restrict new contacts, with exceptions for some existing connections. |
Want to start a WhatsApp conversation without giving someone your phone number? An active WhatsApp username lets you share a unique handle, such as @yourname247, so someone new can find you.
Your account may let you reserve a username before you can use it for chats. Reservation holds the handle for you, and WhatsApp will notify you when it becomes active.
Here’s how to create or reserve a username in the personal WhatsApp app, share it with someone new and choose who can contact you. We’ll also explain when your phone number remains visible.
Using WhatsApp for your business? Our WhatsApp Business App username guide covers that setup separately. The instructions below are for a personal WhatsApp account.
What are WhatsApp usernames?
A WhatsApp username is an optional, unique handle for your account, such as @yourname247. Someone who knows the exact handle can use it to contact you without first asking for your phone number.
Your display name is the name on your profile, and other people can use the same one. Your username must be unique because it identifies your particular account, but you still need a phone number to register for WhatsApp.
For example, if you meet someone at an event, you could share your active username instead of reading out your number. Before starting the chat, they should check the profile to make sure they’ve found the right person.
WhatsApp explains the feature and its privacy conditions in its official guide to usernames.
Can you create a WhatsApp username now?
Last checked: 27 October 2026. Availability depends on the rollout for your account.
Update WhatsApp from your phone’s official app store, then open your profile to look for the username option. An app update alone doesn’t guarantee access.
You may see one of two stages:
- Reservation: you choose an available handle and hold it while you wait for activation.
- Active username: the handle can be used to contact you on WhatsApp.
Don’t send a reserved username to friends as your new contact method until WhatsApp confirms it’s ready to use.
Keep your existing way of staying in touch while you wait.
See WhatsApp’s reservation announcement for the original rollout explanation.
How to create or reserve a WhatsApp username
Use your primary mobile phone and follow the Android or iPhone steps below.
If the app shows Reserve username, you can hold a handle while you wait for activation.
On Android
- Open WhatsApp, tap the three-dot menu > Settings, then tap your profile.
- Tap Create username > Create username. If your account shows the reservation flow, tap Reserve username > Create username.
- Enter your preferred handle. WhatsApp will show whether it’s available and can suggest alternatives.
- Tap Save > Done to confirm.
On iPhone
- Open You in WhatsApp and tap your profile.
- Tap Create username and follow the Create username prompts. If your account shows Reserve username, select that option first.
- Enter your preferred handle and check the availability result.
- Tap Save > Done to confirm.
For the current app labels, see WhatsApp’s create and manage username instructions.
Choose a handle you’re comfortable sharing
Keep it easy for another person to type correctly.
If you want a separate identity for casual contacts, consider a handle you don’t already use publicly on every social network.
Reusing the same name can help people recognize you, but it can also make your public profiles easier to connect.
WhatsApp’s personal-app guide currently lists 3 to 35 characters, using lowercase English letters, numbers, periods or underscores.
A username can’t consist only of numbers.
Follow the validation shown in your app if a handle is rejected.
Examples in this guide are illustrative, so choose a variation the app accepts and avoid adding personal details such as your full date of birth.
To claim a handle you already use on Instagram or Facebook, open your WhatsApp profile, tap Create username, then choose Use Instagram username or Use Facebook username.
Follow the prompts to add the profiles to the same Meta Account, which some app versions still call Accounts Center.
Linking is optional and verifies that the handle belongs to you.
Later changes to your Instagram or Facebook username won’t automatically update WhatsApp; you’ll need to change it separately.
Does a WhatsApp username hide your phone number?
A personal username hides your phone number from people who haven’t saved it.
Contacts who already saved your number can continue seeing it and the contact details they saved.
People who haven’t saved your number will see your username in chats, calls and groups.
Creating a username also removes your number from existing conversations with people who haven’t saved it, while those conversations continue as usual.
Your profile photo, display name or a handle you use elsewhere may still identify you, even when your phone number is hidden.
Keep this distinction in mind if you use two apps: a WhatsApp Business username does not hide the business phone number on its business profile.
The personal and business privacy rules differ, as WhatsApp’s business username guide explains.
How to find and message someone by username
Ask the person for their full, exact username.
WhatsApp doesn’t provide a public directory where you can browse everyone’s handles, and a similar-looking result may belong to someone else.
- Start a new chat and use the search field to enter the complete username.
- Select the matching account and check its profile.
- If WhatsApp asks for a username key, enter the key the person shared with you.
- Once you’ve confirmed the account, send your message.
WhatsApp documents the username-link format as wa.me/YourUsername.
Share the link or QR code for your active username; the other person can open the link or scan the code to start a chat.
If your key is enabled, someone contacting you by username for the first time may need it.
People who scan your QR code don’t need to enter the key.
Use the link or code provided by your account so you don’t accidentally share a phone-number-based contact link. See WhatsApp’s contact-by-username guide.
If you’re creating a phone-number-based entry point for a business, our WhatsApp QR code guide explains that separate approach.
A number-based QR code and a personal username aren’t interchangeable privacy tools.
What is a WhatsApp username key?
A username key is an optional code that some new contacts must enter before messaging you by username for the first time. It gives you more control over who can reach you.
WhatsApp generates the key for you.
On Android, the documented route is your profile, then Username → Contact me by username → People who know my key.
Review the generated key and save it. You can request a different generated key or remove the restriction later.
The key has exceptions. People you’ve already chatted with, people who saved your number and people in a shared group don’t need it.
WhatsApp also lists QR-code contacts and people you message first among the exceptions.
Share the key with someone you want to reach you, and check the setting if a new contact says your username isn’t working.
Follow WhatsApp’s username key guide for your device’s current controls.
How to change or delete your WhatsApp username
To change your username on Android, open the three-dot menu > Settings > your profile > Username > Edit > Change username.
Enter an available handle, then tap Save > Continue.
On iPhone, open You > your profile > Username > Edit > Change username, then tap Save > Done.
To delete your username, open your profile > Username > Edit > Delete username > Delete.
After deletion, you have 14 days to reclaim that username before it becomes available to other WhatsApp users.
People who previously saw your username may see your phone number again.
After changing your handle, update any links or places where you shared it.
Your previous username may become available to someone else. The steps and deletion reclaim window above follow WhatsApp’s username management instructions.
Why isn’t your WhatsApp username working?
The username option isn’t showing
Check that you’re using the latest official app on your primary phone. If the option is still missing, your account may not have access yet.
Avoid unofficial apps or tools that promise to unlock the feature.
“Username is taken”
Someone else has already claimed the handle.
Try a variation with numbers, underscores or another word, or tap Suggest a username for alternatives.
“This username is not available”
The handle may be held for its Instagram or Facebook owner.
If it belongs to you, follow the ownership-check flow through Meta Account.
An interrupted reservation can also make a handle temporarily unavailable; wait a few minutes or restart WhatsApp before trying again.
“Try again later”
Several attempts in a short time can trigger a temporary limit.
Wait a few minutes before your next attempt instead of repeatedly submitting the same request.
A friend can’t find you
Confirm that your username is active rather than only reserved.
Ask your friend to check the exact spelling, and share your current key if the chat requires it.
If you recently changed the handle, send the new one.
You’re trying to reserve it on a computer
WhatsApp says username reservation isn’t available on Web or Desktop.
Use your primary mobile device for that action.
Signing in on another screen doesn’t bypass rollout availability.
For account-specific errors, use WhatsApp’s username troubleshooting guidance rather than a third-party username finder.
Try your username with someone you know
Once WhatsApp confirms your username is active, try sharing it with someone you know.
They can test the spelling and any key requirement before you start using it with new contacts.
If your handle is only reserved, wait for the activation notification before sharing it as a way to reach you.
FAQs about WhatsApp usernames
No. A username is optional. You can continue using WhatsApp with your registered phone number, subject to the app’s normal settings and availability.
You still need a phone number to register your WhatsApp account. An active username gives people another way to contact you; it does not remove the registration requirement.
A username identifies one account, so you need an available handle. Your display name is separate and can be the same as another person’s.
Yes, if the handle is available to your eligible account. Choose Use Instagram username or Use Facebook username and follow the prompts to add the profiles to the same Meta Account, sometimes labelled Accounts Center. Linking is optional and verifies ownership. A later Instagram or Facebook username change won’t automatically update WhatsApp.
Existing conversations can continue after you create a username. People who already saved your number can still see the contact details they saved.
Check your profile in the primary mobile app and open the username setting. If you only reserved a handle, check its activation status before sharing it as a working way to contact you.