2024-07-30 11:00:37
Username is one of the privacy features that many are waiting for, as it eliminates the need to give out a personal phone number and is a more convenient tool for many. This option was recently launched by Signal, one of the most used messaging platforms.
The app has made this new feature available in its trial version, which makes it increasingly closer to reaching all users who want to protect their privacy. A process that WhatsApp is also reportedly working on, as information about this development has been leaked, although for now nothing has been confirmed.
Although Signal, WhatsApp and other messaging apps use end-to-end encryption to keep chats private and have other features like hiding your profile picture or online time, Sharing your personal phone number still creates friction for some people, and the solution is usernames.
This is a feature that may be familiar to many, because it is the same concept used on social networks like Instagram or X, where a profile has a unique name and that is how others find it. This is what will happen in Signal.
Usernames must be two digits long. (Signal)
In the application, usernames will work as follows: They will be unique and must have two digits, in this way they guarantee that they are not repeated.spam will be reduced and user privacy will be improved.
At this time the platform does not have a name search engine, so The only way to talk to a contact will be having their exact username saved in your contacts or have a direct link or QR code that takes us to the chat.
To log in to Signal, you will still need to use your phone number, so your name will only be the way other contacts can find you. To prevent others from seeing this information, it will be possible to hide the number or select who can see it.
Along with this, it will still be possible to keep the phone number as a method for certain people to find us. This will limit the number of people who can write to us through the application and do not have our username.despite having our number.
For now this feature is only available in the beta version of the application, which is only enabled on Android and we can download it from Google Play StoreThere we can register the username to prevent other people from taking it and start testing this privacy tool.
![Usernames must be two digits long. (dpa)](https://www.infobae.com/new-resizer/mY9W1ZduP04DBcn6g8gnpMfIWMQ=/992x614/filters:format(webp):quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/NOW2J6QRMFDLNP2GVV7PCDPDXA.jpg 992w)
Usernames must be two digits long. (dpa)
In the Meta application there is no confirmation of the development of this function for now.but leaks have already emerged about what this option will be like to prevent others from seeing the phone number.
To create names, users can include numbers and some special characters (“-”, “_” or “.”) in the names they are going to use on WhatsApp, since they will all be unique, so if one is already being used by someone, it will no longer be available and a variant will have to be found.
On the other hand, to ensure user security, instead of displaying your phone number in different chat groups, what will be shared with the rest of the members will be your username, unless the account owner allows the display of more information about his or her account.
By: Infobae