WhatsApp messenger to begin offering usernames

The hundreds of millions who use Meta-owned messenger WhatsApp to chat with family, friends or businesses will no longer need to share phone numbers under a coming update, the company said Monday.Instead, people will be able to pick unique usernames to share with others, in a move “designed to protect the privacy of your phone number,” WhatsApp said in a statement.Restricting access to phone numbers would mean they are not shared automatically in cases such as being added to a large