News

WhatsApp Tests Unique Usernames To Hide Phone Numbers

The new feature lets users chat through handles, marking a shift in how Meta manages privacy.

Published

8 months ago

October 8, 2025

whatsapp tests unique usernames to hide phone numbers

WhatsApp is trialing a username system that lets people message without exposing their phone numbers — a bold move that could reshape privacy on the world’s largest messaging app.

Early versions for Android and iOS show users can set unique handles instead of numbers. WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp updates, says Meta is checking for duplicates before a wider release that’s expected soon. The test appears in Android beta version 2.25.28.12, where users can already “reserve” their chosen names ahead of launch.

The change fits Meta’s push to move away from phone-based identity and tighten control over personal data. Users will be able to start chats or join groups using only a username, keeping their number hidden from strangers and spammers. Reports suggest the platform will also let users display only their handle when joining new groups — a move likely to appeal to businesses and communities managing large public channels.

Reports from several media outlets say group participants may soon appear under usernames only. In addition, an unnamed source familiar with the rollout said the aim is to make “interactions between individuals and businesses safer and more controlled”.

Also Read: Microsoft Tightens Windows 11 Setup To Enforce Online Accounts

Registration will still require a phone number, but beta testers can already reserve usernames. Each handle must include at least one letter and can use lowercase characters, numbers, periods, or underscores.

For WhatsApp’s two billion users, it’s a clear signal of the platform’s new stance: privacy is being rebuilt around identity, not contact lists. The update also brings the messaging service closer to rivals such as Telegram, which have long supported handle-based communication — underscoring how Meta is adapting its messaging products to modern privacy expectations.

News

At I/O 2026, Sundar Pichai Concedes AI Must Deliver Real Value

Gemini 3.5, a personal agent called Spark, agentic shopping, and Android XR eyewear are all aimed at making AI feel useful, not just impressive.

Published

6 days ago

May 20, 2026

Nour Nasir

at io 2026 sundar pichai concedes ai must deliver real value

Google

Google’s annual I/O developer conference (I/O 2026) has recently become a status update on the same question: can the company turn its AI spending into products people use every day? This year, chief executive Sundar Pichai described Google as being in a phase of hyper progress, while conceding this is the part of the cycle where people want to see real value in the products they use on a day-to-day basis.

The strategy on display was to push agents — AI systems that act on a user’s behalf — into nearly every Google product at once. Search now has an “intelligent search box” that returns generated explainer videos alongside links. Gmail, Docs, YouTube and Maps are gaining their own agent layers, including a Docs Live feature that turns spoken instructions into drafted text with citations.

Two new models, Gemini 3.5 and a cheaper Gemini 3.5 Flash, arrived the same day. Google says 900 million people now use Gemini, and that more than 50 billion images have been generated with it. The pricing tier names are likely to confuse buyers: a new AI Ultra plan launches at $100 a month, while the older Gemini AI Ultra drops from $250 to $200.

The flashier announcements were Gemini Omni, a video generator pitched as a more realistic answer to OpenAI’s discontinued Sora 2, and Gemini Spark, a personal agent that handles recurring tasks across a user’s Google account. A new universal shopping cart lets agents complete purchases across multiple retailers from inside Google itself, placing the company between the merchant and the buyer, and also owning the checkout.

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Google also confirmed its Android XR eyewear, built with Samsung and frames from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Audio-only glasses ship this autumn; a display-equipped version, which would superimpose live translations into the wearer’s field of view, is still in development. Both sets translate, however only the display version shows you the result.

What Pichai did not resolve is the bargain underneath all this. An agent is only useful to the degree it knows your calendar, your inbox, your shopping history and your physical surroundings. Google has now confirmed that, in time, the same context may carry advertising.