PARIS: 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 &quot;designed to protect the privacy of your phone number,&quot; 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 group chat or messaging person or business for the first time, the company added. What&#39;s more &quot;there&#39;s no directory to browse and no suggestions, so people need to know your exact username to contact you,&quot; Meta said. As with other social media services, the sheer number of people Meta claims over three billion using WhatsApp means many may not get their first choice of handle. The company said it would gradually roll out username reservations worldwide &quot;over the coming months&quot;, notifying users in each country when they open there. Meanwhile &quot;creators, small businesses and organizations&quot; will be allowed to claim WhatsApp usernames that they already use on fellow Meta products Facebook or Instagram.

Artificial Intelligence

WhatsApp introduces unique usernames, allowing users to connect without sharing phone numbers. The update enhances privacy, has no searchable directory, and rolls out globally over the coming months, while creators and businesses can reserve existing Meta usernames.

WhatsApp messenger to begin offering usernames

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Meta-owned WhatsApp has unveiled a suite of new features designed to make chats more manageable, expressive, and seamless across devices, as the platform evolves into a more intelligent and utility-driven messaging service. According to a statement via Media Matter, the PR agency representing Meta in Pakistan on Thursday, the update introduces tools focused on storage control, multi-device flexibility, and AI-powered enhancements. &ldquo;Over time, WhatsApp chats become a record of the moments that matter,&rdquo; the statement said, highlighting how conversations, media, and shared experiences accumulate into users&rsquo; digital histories. &ldquo;To help them make the most of all of it, WhatsApp is rolling out new ways to make it even easier to use.&rdquo; A key addition is improved storage management. Users can now identify and delete large files directly within individual chats without clearing entire conversations.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/6418d688-351e-4ee9-941b-c12dd73b5b34-Chat-AI-Feature.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-New-Feature" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Photo: Handout/Media Matter</figcaption></figure>&ldquo;Users can choose to clear just media files&hellip; keeping the chat history intact,&rdquo; the statement noted, addressing a long-standing pain point for heavy users. The platform has also expanded its cross-platform capabilities, enabling chat transfers from iOS to Android. &ldquo;Changing phones shouldn&rsquo;t be complicated,&rdquo; the statement said, adding that conversations, photos, and videos can now be moved &ldquo;with just a couple taps.&rdquo; In a move aimed at professionals and multi-device users, WhatsApp now supports two accounts on a single iPhone, bringing iOS in line with Android. Users can switch between accounts easily, with profile indicators ensuring clarity between personal and work identities. On the creative front, WhatsApp is enhancing user expression through smarter sticker suggestions. As users type emojis, relevant stickers will be recommended, allowing for quicker and more dynamic responses. Artificial intelligence is also playing a growing role. Meta has introduced photo editing tools powered by Meta AI, enabling users to refine images directly within chats. Additionally, an upgraded Writing Help feature can draft suggested replies based on conversation context, while maintaining privacy. These updates, now rolling out globally, signal WhatsApp&rsquo;s shift toward becoming not just a messaging app, but a more intelligent communication platform blending convenience, personalization, and AI-driven assistance.

WhatsApp has rolled out new features including AI-powered writing and photo tools, dual accounts on iOS, cross-platform chat transfer, and improved storage management, aiming to make messaging more seamless, personalized, and efficient for users worldwide.

Could WhatsApp’s latest update change how we use chats?

BRUSSELS: WhatsApp is set to face greater EU scrutiny after the European Commission on Monday added the platform to its list of digital firms big enough to face <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russia-threatens-total-ban-on-whatsapp" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">stricter</a> content rules.&nbsp;The Meta-owned service joined Facebook, TikTok, X and others in a list of 26 &quot;very large online platforms&quot; after its &quot;channels&quot; feature passed 45 million monthly active users in the European Union.&nbsp;The channels feature will face tougher obligations under the bloc&#39;s Digital Services Act (DSA) because it is considered a broadcasting feature distinct from its core messaging service.&nbsp;&quot;These obligations include duly assessing and mitigating any systemic risks, such as violations of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression, electoral manipulation, the dissemination of illegal content and privacy concerns,&quot; said a commission statement.&nbsp;WhatsApp will have until late May to comply with the &nbsp;content law, which has been labelled as &quot;censorship&quot; and discriminatory by US President Donald Trump&#39;s government.&nbsp;The platform said in its latest DSA transparency report published last year that its channels had around 51.7 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU.&nbsp;WhatsApp is already in the EU&#39;s crosshairs over its AI features, with an antitrust probe opened in December to determine if the way Meta is rolling out the tool breaches the bloc&#39;s competition rules.&nbsp;US angerThe EU has stepped up regulatory enforcement against the world&#39;s biggest digital platforms, including many American platforms, despite strong US pushback and threats of retaliation.&nbsp;Last month, it imposed its first-ever DSA fine, hitting Elon Musk&#39;s X with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) penalty for violating transparency rules -- and on Monday it opened a new probe into the generation of sexualised deepfake images by X&#39;s AI tool Grok.&nbsp;Meta&#39;s other platforms already face the risk of heavy fines under DSA.&nbsp;In October 2025, the EU accused Facebook and Instagram of failing to grant researchers sufficient access to public data and not providing user-friendly ways to flag illegal content or challenge content-moderation decisions.&nbsp;Brussels is also investigating Facebook and Instagram over fears they are not doing enough to combat the addictive nature of the platforms for children.&nbsp;And under the DSA&#39;s sister competition law known as the Digital Markets Act, Brussels slapped a 200-million-euro fine on Meta, which has appealed.

WhatsApp has been added to the EU’s list of “very large online platforms,” joining Facebook, TikTok, and X, and will face stricter Digital Services Act rules, applying only to its broadcasting feature, not core messaging.

EU says WhatsApp to face stricter content rules

MOSCOW: Russia said Friday it was considering banning popular messaging service WhatsApp, accusing it of failing to prevent and suppress crime, as Moscow pushes Russians to switch to state-backed digital services.&nbsp;Russia had blocked users from making calls on the platform in August, part of a broader crackdown on Western-owned social media that critics say is designed to force Russians onto domestic platforms.&nbsp;In a statement, Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said WhatsApp was being used to &quot;organise and carry out terrorist acts in the country, to recruit perpetrators, and for fraud and other crimes against our citizens.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;If the messenger fails to comply with Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked,&quot; it said.&nbsp;US technology giant Meta, which owns the messaging service, did not immediately comment.&nbsp;WhatsApp is one of the two most popular messaging services in Russia, alongside Telegram.&nbsp;Moscow wants both messengers to provide access to data upon request from law enforcement, for fraud probes and for investigating activities that Russia describes as &quot;terrorist&quot;.&nbsp;Rights advocates fear that would extend Russia&#39;s surveillance state and could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine.

Europe

Russia is considering banning WhatsApp, accusing it of enabling crime and terrorism, as part of a push toward state-backed digital services. Rights advocates warn this could expand surveillance and target Kremlin critics and opponents.

Russia threatens total ban on WhatsApp

SAN FRANCISCO:&nbsp;A United States (US) judge on Friday granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users but slashed a $168 million damages award at trial to just $4 million. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO Group&#39;s behavior fell short of a &quot;particularly egregious&quot; standard needed to support the jury&#39;s calculations on a financial penalty. Snooping tactics&nbsp;But in the ruling, seen by AFP, she said the court &quot;concluded that defendants&#39; conduct causes irreparable harm, and there being no dispute that the conduct is ongoing,&quot; the judge granted WhatsApp owner Meta an injunction to stop NSO Group&#39;s snooping tactics at the messaging service. &quot;Today&#39;s ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again,&quot; WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart said in a statement. Reverse-engineering&quot;We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation to hold NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society.&quot; Evidence at trial showed that NSO Group reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install spyware targeting users, according to the ruling. The spyware was repeatedly redesigned to escape detection and bypass security fixes at WhatsApp, the court concluded. CyberespionageThe lawsuit, filed in late 2019, accused NSO Group of cyberespionage targeting journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and others using the encrypted messaging service. Hamilton ruled, however, that the $168 million damages verdict awarded to Meta earlier this year was excessive. &quot;There have simply not yet been enough cases involving unlawful electronic surveillance in the smartphone era for the court to be able to conclude that defendants&#39; conduct was &#39;particularly egregious&#39;,&quot; Hamilton wrote in the ruling, which was seen by AFP. &quot;As time goes on, more of a shared societal consensus may emerge about the acceptability of defendants&#39; conduct.&quot; <h2 style="line-height: 2;">A pocket spy</h2>Founded in 2010 by Israelis Shalev Hulio and Omri Lavie, NSO Group is based in the seaside high-tech hub of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv. Media website TechCrunch reported Friday that a US investment group has acquired controlling interest in NSO Group. The Israeli firm produces Pegasus, a highly invasive tool that can reportedly switch on a target&#39;s cell phone camera and microphone and access data on it, effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy. The suit filed in a California federal court contended that NSO tried to infect approximately 1,400 &quot;target devices&quot; with malicious software to steal valuable information. Malicious codeInfecting smartphones or other gadgets being used for WhatsApp messages meant the content of messages encrypted during transmission could be accessed after they were unscrambled. The complaint said the attackers &quot;developed a program to enable them to emulate legitimate WhatsApp network traffic in order to transmit malicious code&quot; to take over the devices. The software has been pinpointed by independent experts as being used by nation states, some of them with poor human rights records. NSO Group has maintained that it only licenses its software to governments for fighting crime and terrorism.

Viral

WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart said in a statement, "Today's ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again", adding, “We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation.”

Articles tagged with "WhatsApp"

WhatsApp messenger to begin offering usernames

Could WhatsApp’s latest update change how we use chats?

EU says WhatsApp to face stricter content rules

Russia threatens total ban on WhatsApp

US court bars Israeli firm from installing spyware on WhatsApp

WhatsApp messenger to begin offering usernames