WhatsApp Now Lets You Reserve a Username

[Shanghaichica]

I had the option earlier and now it's gone

 

[Shanghaichica]

It's available in the UK

It popped up for me earlier and now it's gone🙃

 

[benface]

GOT IT! I got @benface 😎

 

[UliBaer]

Is it wise to post this openly in a forum? 😉

 

[adrianlondon]

Is it wise to post this openly in a forum? 😉

It's possible to set an option so that someone needs the username and a pin, which means you'd need to ask the person for it (using another method obviously, such as being face-to-face) before being able to contact them via WA.

 

[Yptcn]

Got it in France. I was able to get what I wanted. Same for my husband.

 

[benface]

Is it wise to post this openly in a forum? 😉

I'm @benface on everything. Who cares!

 

[trash eighty]

Finally got it, and was able to reserve my instagram* name (same as this account name here).

* never actually use instagram but it finally came in use!

 

[Ad47uk]

Oh, you! This is a blog not one of the big 5. But you know that. 😉

Also less data grabbing and you can hide on here.

 

[rbbloom99]

I just now got my chance to reserve my username. On the WhatsApp app fyi. Oh it’s 5:22 am July 1st. Bty

 

[Mercifull]

My option appeared this morning despite not updating the app so the A/B rollout as suggested by someone else is probably correct. Managed to get my primary username without having to put UK at the end, thankfully. I've been using it since 1999 and it still bugs me when I can't use it in certain places, especially if that person who sniped it is inactive on the account lol.

 

[AdmiralKirk]

I asked WhatsApp's FAQ;

"If my username corresponds with my real name, it is possible for someone to guess it and initiate a phone call to me (not a chat, but a phone call)?"

It responded:

"Yes, it is possible. A username allows someone to find you and start a chat without your phone number. Once a chat is initiated, the person can use the call button within that chat to start a voice or video call. If your username is easy to guess because it matches your real name, someone could potentially find you and initiate a call this way."

So, maybe best not to use your real name or its obvious variant.

It seems to me that, otherwise, the scam potential moves from information-free random phone numbers to a chunk of information that might reasonably be supposed to have some meaning for the person to be spammed, making credible scamming more likely, not less.

There is the option to require the other person to know your key code or something to call or message you (that you give out to people you want to call and message you from your username alone). So knowing your username isn't enough (although you can turn on that option, why would you for the reasons you set out?)

 

[BrandonEverett]

FYI, I just did it. If a Meta handle is taken, it won’t let you snag it. If you already own that handle, it works!

 

[rbbloom99]

I just confirmed my reserved username is not working yet. Fingers crossed