The days of having to give out your phone number in order to be added as a contact on WhatsApp may soon be over. In the latest beta version of the app, WhatsApp is laying the groundwork on a new feature that may allow you to set a username instead, among other new features
The information comes to us from wabetainfo where it was discovered that the newest version of WhatsApp for those enrolled in the beta program included a username option. This feature is not yet live to users, even those in beta, but in development. The option will be available within the Settings menu under Profile for all platforms.
Currently, users can only change their profile picture and status, so having the ability to also set up a username will definitely make it easier for users to identify one another both in individual and in group chats. Additionally, this opens up the possibility that you may no longer need to reveal your phone number to contacts within WhatsApp, making this a much more secure way to communicate.
Image Source – WABetaInfo
Although not as popular in the U.S. as it is in other countries, WhatsApp is widely used in the U.S. to communicate with international users as well as within certain demographics that are already used to using the app rather than the built-in messaging app on their devices. The one caveat to this is that, just as with messaging, your username is your phone number, which you may or may not want to reveal to certain parties. However, with this promising feature, those days may soon be a thing of the past.
In addition to adding usernames, it was discovered in the latest WhatsApp Beta for Android, version 2.23.11.19, that the company is also testing a new feature that allows users to share their screen during voice and video calls. The feature is still in development and is not yet available to all beta users. The screen sharing feature is expected to be available for both one-on-one and group calls.
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