Phone numbers could go down in WhatsApp history, which is working on a new feature that will allow users to choose a username for their account. That identifier will be shown replacing the phone in the contact information, similar to other platforms such as Telegram, according to WaBetaInfo.
This change would be part of the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android 2.23.11.15, where the platform has begun to develop this feature, although it is not visible at the moment. In this way, it would no longer be necessary to show the phone number, an essential step to reinforce the privacy of your community.
The name currently being used has a different utility than the username. In the case of the new username feature, it serves to identify the account, while the name that is already used is the visible name for contacts on the platform.
WhatsApp does not invent anything new. This system is similar to the one used by other messaging platforms such as Telegram. The same thing happens in any social network, where you have to choose an initial user, who will act as identification and with whom they can find us.
Currently, the WhatsApp account is related to the phone number of the users, so that the profile is identified based on this data. This makes the number visible to all users with whom you interact on the instant messaging platform.
Although this feature is still in development, WaBetaInfo ensures that conversations carried out through usernames are still protected by end-to-end encryption.