Afghanistan, June 30 -- WhatsApp is preparing one of the biggest changes in its history by introducing usernames, allowing people to start conversations without sharing their phone numbers.
The feature, announced on Monday, will let users reserve a unique username and share it with new contacts instead of exposing their phone number. WhatsApp said the change is designed to improve privacy, particularly when meeting new people or joining groups where users may not want strangers to see their number.
Unlike traditional social media platforms, WhatsApp said usernames will not be searchable through a public directory and the app will not suggest people to add. Users will have a single reserved username that can be shared privately, and new co...