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How to Hide Your Phone Number on WhatsApp: Usernames, the Username Key and the Coming "Nobody" Setting

By The Nadeemi team · Checked on

Part of: Is it encrypted? The app-by-app guide

Checked against WABetaInfo (7 Nov 2026), BleepingComputer (29 Jun 2026) and TechCrunch (6 Jul 2026). Features roll out gradually and can differ by country and app version.

For years, chatting on WhatsApp meant handing out your phone number: to the plumber, the school group, the seller on a marketplace. That is finally changing, in steps. On 7 November 2026 WABetaInfo spotted a new phone number privacy setting in the WhatsApp beta for Android (WABetaInfo), the next piece after usernames, which people have been able to reserve since June.

Short answer: today, reserve a username (Settings > Account > Username) and, if you like, turn on the username key so strangers need a 4-digit code to message you first. When usernames go live in your country, people who don't have your number see your username instead. A new setting in testing will let you choose who sees your number: Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except, or Nobody (Nobody is the planned default for people with a username). People who already saved your number still see it, and WhatsApp always has it: you still need a number to sign up.

Step 1: reserve a username (works now)

Go to Settings > Account > Username and tap Create username. If your first choice is taken, WhatsApp suggests alternatives. You can also claim a handle you already use on Facebook or Instagram by logging in to that service. Some names are held back for public figures, governments and businesses (TechCrunch, 6 Jul 2026).

There is no public directory or search: Meta says people "will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time" (BleepingComputer, 29 Jun 2026).

In the same menu, change who can contact you from Everyone to People who know my key. Anyone who knows your username must then also type a 4-digit key before their first message. You can generate a new key at any time. Turn it on if your username is easy to guess, for example the same as your Instagram handle.

Step 3: the coming phone number setting (in testing)

WABetaInfo found it in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.45.1, on the Privacy screen next to Last seen and Profile photo. It is in development and not yet available to beta testers, and WhatsApp has not given a date.

OptionWho sees your number
EveryoneAnyone you chat or call with
My contactsOnly people you saved
My contacts except...Your contacts minus the people you exclude
Nobody (planned default with a username)Only people who already have your number saved

One catch WABetaInfo noticed: changing the option shows a warning that your exceptions list is reset, so people you had excluded may see your number again. Check the list after every change.

What usernames do not hide

Still visibleWhy it matters
Your number to anyone who saved itOld contacts, past groups, anyone you gave it to
Your number to WhatsApp / MetaThe number is still your account and login
Numbers in old chats and forwardsA number shared in a message stays in that message
Your username itselfTreat it like a phone number: share it on purpose
Group membershipOther members see that you are in the group

Three settings worth changing today

  1. Who can add me to groups: Settings > Privacy > Groups > My contacts (or My contacts except). It stops strangers dropping you into groups where your number is shown. More in how to stop being added to group chats.
  2. Profile photo, About and Last seen: Settings > Privacy > set each to My contacts or Nobody, so a stranger who has your number learns less from it.
  3. Silence unknown callers: Settings > Privacy > Calls. Useful if your number already leaked.

Telegram has had similar controls for longer; see how to hide your phone number on Telegram.

How Nadeemi handles it

Nadeemi is the app we build, so weigh this section accordingly. Nadeemi never asks for a phone number: you sign up with an email and a password, your address book is never uploaded, and people find you by your @handle, an invite link or a QR code. There is no number to hide, leak or search for. There are no ads and no AI features. Private messages and group chats are encrypted on your device with MLS in the beta; we label them "end-to-end encryption coming" until an independent audit is published. Public posts are readable by our servers so we can show them.

FAQ

Can I use WhatsApp without a phone number? No. You still need a number to register. Usernames only hide it from people who don't already have it.

Will people in my groups see my number once I have a username? Once usernames are live for you, people who haven't saved your number should see your username instead. Anyone who already has your number keeps seeing it.

What is the WhatsApp username key? An optional 4-digit code. With "People who know my key" on, someone needs both your username and the key to message you the first time.

When will the "Nobody" phone number setting arrive? WhatsApp has not said. On 7 November 2026 it was still in development in the Android beta.

Does hiding my number hide it from WhatsApp? No. WhatsApp uses the number for your account and keeps it.

Sources (checked 7 November 2026)

Names of other apps are trademarks of their owners, used only for comparison. Nadeemi is not affiliated with any of them.

Drafted with AI help and checked by a person on the date above.

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