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WhatsApp, popular in Hong Kong, set to no longer require sharing numbers for texts

WhatsApp, popular in Hong Kong, set to no longer require sharing numbers for texts
South China Morning Post Tuesday 30 June 2026, 06:44 UTC By Theodora Yu 1 min read
Key Points

WhatsApp, one of Hong Kong’s most popular messaging apps, will soon no longer require users to share their phone numbers before they start texting. Starting this week, users can reserve a unique username, which allows them to text without swapping numbers, for use later this year when the Meta-owned service launches the feature. Users will need to know a person’s exact username before they can text them for the first time.

WhatsApp, one of Hong Kong’s most popular messaging apps, will soon no longer require users to share their phone numbers before they start texting. Starting this week, users can reserve a unique username, which allows them to text without swapping numbers, for use later this year when the Meta-owned service launches the feature. Users will need to know a person’s exact username before they can text them for the first time. United States tech giant Meta said on Monday that the new move was a step...
WhatsApp (ORG) Hong Kong (LOCATION) Hong Kong’s (LOCATION) Meta (ORG) United States (LOCATION)
Originally published by South China Morning Post Read original →

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