From Phone Numbers to Usernames: WhatsApp’s Next Shift for Business Messaging

Beginning June 2026, businesses can be found and contacted more easily by an official username.

WhatsApp is introducing usernames and many businesses are asking the same questions: Can I still message my customers? Will my leads still come through?

The short answer: yes, but how conversations are identified is changing.

Why this is good for growth

On one hand, customers may no longer share their phone numbers by default.

On the other, businesses can now be found and contacted more easily by an official username, instead of relying only on saved numbers or links. This makes it easier to connect with the right brand and reducing impersonation risks.

1

🔐 Why WhatsApp is doing this

People want more control over their personal information, especially phone numbers.

Usernames let users start conversations without immediately revealing their number, while still giving businesses a way to engage.

2

🔄 What’s changing

• Users can adopt a WhatsApp username

• For these users, phone numbers may be hidden by default

• Businesses will receive a new identifier instead:

  Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID)

In short: not every conversation will come with a phone number anymore. If a user doesn’t adopt a username, nothing changes.

3

✅ What’s NOT changing

• Phone numbers aren’t disappearing

• Existing numbers from past conversations stay usable

• Business-initiated and authentication messages continue to work

4

👥 Who should pay attention

• WhatsApp Business Platform (API) users

• Click-to-WhatsApp advertisers

• Teams using CRMs, chatbots, or automation flows

Timeline for WhatsApp Usernames

1

Mid-2026: Testing begins in selected countries.

2

June 2026: Businesses can start claiming their unique username.

3

Afterwards: Gradual global rollout for all users.

WhatsApp will begin testing its new username feature in select countries starting mid-2026, followed by a gradual global rollout.

At the same time, businesses can get a head start by claiming their unique username as early as June 2026. If you've ever battled a competitor for online visibility, now's the time to secure your spot on WhatsApp.

Business-scoped user IDsdevelopers.facebook.com

What this means for small businesses

• ✅ Customers can find and contact you more easily via your business username

• ✅ Existing phone number contact lists still work

• ⚠️ New conversations may not always include a phone number

Businesses will also be able to adopt a business username, and the business phone number will still be displayed in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business.

A business username is mapped to a single business phone number across all of WhatsApp. No two WhatsApp phone numbers can have the same username.

Business usernames must adhere to the following format

• may only contain english letters (a-z), digits (0-9), period (.) and underscore (_) characters

• must be between 3-35 characters in length

• must contain at least one English letter (a-z, A-Z)

• must not start or end with a period or have 2 consecutive periods

• must not start with www

• must not end with a domain (e.g., .com, .org, .net, .int, .edu, .gov, .mil, .us, .in, .html, etc.)

• case is ignored when comparing usernames, but period and underscore characters are not; for example, myID and myid are the same *username but myid, my.id and my_id are all distinct

Have a Blue-Tick Verified Business Manager? Claim Your Reserved Usernames!

Before the username feature is made available, you will have the option to claim a username that WhatsApp has reserved for you. Alternatively, you can adopt a different username that aligns with your branding requirements.

A reserved username can be claimed through WhatsApp Manager, in the Meta Business Suite. Claimed usernames that are approved will become active once the username feature is made available.

Final thought

This update reduces friction for users but adds complexity behind the scenes. The businesses that prepare early won’t just avoid breakage, they’ll earn more trust at first contact.

We’re helping our customers stay ahead of this transition.

If WhatsApp is a growth channel for you, now’s the time to review your setup.

Onboard iSlash AI and Start Building scalable, future-proof WhatsApp operations.

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