WhatsApp is apparently developing a new feature that would allow users to exercise greater privacy when using WhatsApp Web. Users may soon no longer need to provide their phone numbers with others in order to communicate with them on the instant messaging app.
According to reports, the company is working on a feature that would allow users to search for others on the network using their usernames. The messaging app was previously rumored to be developing the feature for Android users. It is now being rumored that the capability will soon be available on WhatsApp Web.
According to WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is developing a feature for its Web client that would allow users to interact with others on the site by looking up their usernames.
People need to exchange phone numbers in order to communicate on WhatsApp. The purported feature will allow users to connect with individuals without forcing them to give their phone numbers to persons they do not wish to share them with.
The username-based search feature on WhatsApp is expected to improve privacy and enable more secure conversations without compromising any personal information. According to a screenshot of the work-in-progress feature published in the report, once it is live, users will be able to connect with anyone by searching for their name, phone number, or username.
Telegram, a competitive cloud-based instant messaging network, already has a comparable capability. WhatsApp’s Android version was previously believed to be working on the same username-based search feature. According to the recent report, this capability will be available to WhatsApp Web users in a future version as well.
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This news comes just one day after it was revealed that WhatsApp is also working on a feature that would allow users to generate usernames directly from the WhatsApp Web application. Notably, according to the earlier report, users will be able to alter their WhatsApp username at any moment.