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

12 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

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.