WhatsApp has begun rolling out username reservations, a new privacy feature that will allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers.

The messaging platform announced on Monday that the reservation process began on June 29, ahead of the full launch of the feature later this year.

According to the company, users will receive in-app notifications once the feature becomes available on their accounts.

WhatsApp said the new system is designed to give users greater privacy by enabling communication through a unique username instead of a personal phone number.

The company added that there will be no public directory or username suggestions, meaning anyone wishing to contact a user for the first time must know the person’s exact username.

WhatsApp also introduced an optional “username key”, an additional security feature that requires first-time contacts to enter a unique key before sending a message, offering extra protection against unwanted messages.

“Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch this feature.

“With over three billion people on WhatsApp, many names overlap. That’s why we’re opening reservations early to give everyone an opportunity to secure the username that matters to them,” the company said.