One of WhatsApp’s most in-demand features is finally coming out of beta. Later this year, the messaging app used by over 3 billion people plans to add usernames. It’s an additional (and more privacy-friendly) way for WhatsApp users to connect without sharing phone numbers.

But that means the race to grab the best WhatsApp usernames is about to begin. Hold on tight.

WhatsApp says username reservations open up this week on the platform, and you’ll see a notification in the app when it’s available. Check in the app by going to Settings and then Account. Here’s where you’ll find the Username tab if it’s enabled. Then, you’ll have the option to create a new username or port over your existing name from Instagram or Facebook. WhatsApp offers a username generator, but you can also just go with your gut (or really whatever you’re feeling at the moment).

“Usernames are designed to give you control over who gets to see your phone number in the first place,” says Alice Newton-Rex, vice president of Product at WhatsApp. “It’s an optional feature; you choose your own username, you can change it or remove it, and it doesn’t have to match your handle or account name on any other app.”

Newton-Rex stressed that this WhatsApp feature was designed around user privacy. There’s no public list of usernames for people to search through. Users can also add an extra layer of security by only allowing people who know a unique four-digit key, in addition to their username, to contact them.

Courtesy of WhatsApp

These usernames will remain fully optional, but Newton-Rex sees this new choice as a privacy measure many existing users have already expressed excitement about. “I do think that we’ll see a lot of adoption, but that’s going to be one of the things that we learn as we start rolling it out,” she says.

WhatsApp is not shy about this feature’s similarities to competitors. “Signal usernames are probably a good comparison,” Newton-Rex says. “This will work in a very similar way.” Signal rolled out usernames on its platform in 2024. Many messaging apps are still experimenting with different ways for users to connect without sharing numbers. For example, Germ DM allows its users to create “burner cards” so people can connect with multiple groups in different ways.