India, June 30 -- WhatsApp has begun rolling out the ability for users to reserve unique usernames, paving the way for one of the platform's most significant privacy updates since its introduction of end-to-end encryption.

The feature, which will become available globally later this year, will allow people to communicate using usernames instead of sharing their mobile numbers with new contacts. For now, WhatsApp is opening username reservations in phases, giving users an opportunity to secure their preferred handle before the full feature launches.

The update addresses a longstanding limitation of WhatsApp's account system, which has traditionally relied on phone numbers as the primary identifier. While users will still need a mobile nu...