WhatsApp on Monday officially announced the start of global reservations of usernames with an aim to protect the privacy of more than three billion users on the messaging platform.

The optional feature is designed to help users connect with someone on the service through usernames, as opposed to directly sharing their phone numbers. Username reservations will start rolling out starting today, enabling users to create and reserve a username before the feature becomes generally available later this year.

“You choose your own, and it doesn’t have to match your handle on any other app,” the Meta-owned messaging app said in a statement shared with The Hacker News ahead of publication.

“At its core, it’s a privacy feature, not a social media handle – there’s no directory to browse and no suggestions, so people need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time.”

As it goes without saying, choosing a username should be unique. WhatsApp said it will provide a username generator to assist users with picking one.

Users also have the option to set up a username key for an extra layer of protection, which requires someone to know it the first time when they attempt to contact them.

A Meta spokesperson told The Hacker News that username keys provide an extra layer of protection by letting users control who can reach them on WhatsApp with their username. “Others will need to know not only your exact username but also your key to message you for the first time with your username,” the spokesperson said. “You can reset your key at any time to cut off new inbound contact.”

Content creators, small businesses, and organizations that may want to maintain a consistent online presence across platforms can choose to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp.

The major benefit of this change is that once it’s enabled, other accounts can no longer view or access a user’s phone number. Users can reserve a username by navigating to: Settings > Account > Username.

“We’ll be rolling out usernames gradually over the coming months and will notify you in WhatsApp when they’re available in your country,” WhatsApp said.

The development comes more than two years after Signal announced a username feature in its messaging app as a way to shield phone numbers from others.