Important nuance: Your WhatsApp account will still be tied to your cell phone number in the backend for registration, security, and account management. won't be visible to new contacts you connect with via username. Existing contacts who already have your number will still see it.
Multi-Account Support (Different Numbers on One Device): News from late 2023 (for Android) and early 2025 (for iOS beta) confirms that WhatsApp now supports multiple accounts on a single device.
What this means for your cell phone number: You can easily manage two different WhatsApp accounts, each tied to a different cell phone number, within the same WhatsApp app interface. So, while uruguay whatsapp number data each account still needs a cell phone number, you can now operate with multiple numbers on one device.
While the underlying link to your cell phone number remains, WhatsApp is innovating to give users more options. This is where the idea of "different ways" or "less reliance on" your actual number comes into play:
Usernames Are Coming (Big News!): This is the most significant development. News outlets (like Business Today, Android Headlines, and Lifehacker, reporting in late 2024 and early 2025) have extensively covered the upcoming rollout of usernames (e.g., yourchosenname).
What this means: You'll be able to share your username with people, and they can initiate a chat with you without needing to be given your actual cell phone number. This adds a crucial layer of privacy for new connections, professional contacts, or public interactions where you don't want to expose your personal number.
Important Note: Your WhatsApp account will still be tied to your cell phone number in the backend for registration and account management. The username is an alternative public identifier, not a replacement for the underlying phone number requirement.
Multi-Account Support (Different Active Numbers on One Device): News from late 2023 (for Android) and early 2025 (for iOS beta, as reported by The Times of India and MacRumors) confirms that WhatsApp now allows users to manage multiple accounts on a single device.