The headline is about WhatsApp's @username handles launching but wa.me/username deep links not working yet.

Short summary

WhatsApp's @username handles launched as a user-facing feature, but deep links using wa.me/username don't actually resolve yet—the server returns a 'not found' error even for real, currently-reserved usernames. Phone number deep links (wa.me/phonenumber) remain the only working integration method without requiring manual steps. For @username-based sharing, use text with explicit lookup instructions, QR codes, or the author's free whatsusernames.link tool that generates both formats and marks which method currently works.

• •wa.me/username deep links don't resolve even for valid, reserved usernames
• •Phone number links (wa.me/phonenumber) remain the only working integration method
• •Alternative: share @username as text or QR code with explicit user instructions

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