New Delhi, July 1 -- For years, WhatsApp has relied on phone numbers as the foundation of its identity system. While that made onboarding simple, it also meant users had to share their personal number with anyone they wanted to message. As concerns around digital privacy continue to grow, messaging platforms are increasingly looking for ways to separate identity from personal contact information.

Meta is now taking a significant step in that direction. WhatsApp has announced that it will begin allowing users to reserve usernames starting next week, ahead of a broader rollout of the feature later this year. The move introduces an additional identity layer that lets people connect without exposing their mobile numbers.

According to WhatsA...