Last updated: July 12, 2026
TL;DR
- WhatsApp usernames are now live. Users in the US can reserve a public handle instead of sharing their phone number, on the latest version of the app, with the rollout continuing in phases.
- For businesses, the key change is the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID). Update your WhatsApp API, CRM, and bots to handle it before it becomes required around mid-2026.
- Businesses that already have people’s phone number information from existing conversations will not lose it and will be able to continue using them to message their contacts.
- Businesses can continue to send messages to phone numbers they know, even if a user they try to reach set up a username.
- If a user did not adopt a username, there is no change to that user’s phone number visibility.
- Businesses can continue to send authentication messages to phone numbers only, as they do today.
Example of a WhatsApp user profile showing the new username feature, where the username is prominently displayed alongside the user's profile picture and name, enhancing identity visibility in chats.
What are WhatsApp usernames?
WhatsApp usernames let users choose a unique name displayed instead of their personal phone number in chats, both 1:1 conversations and groups. The feature began rolling out in phases in 2026, reaching accounts gradually rather than all at once. See the early rollout reporting on 9to5Google.
This feature enhances privacy by giving people control over how they share contact info on WhatsApp.
- For personal users: Usernames hide your phone number, displaying the username instead.
- For businesses: The business phone number still shows, but businesses get unique, searchable usernames to improve discoverability and branding.
The format rules are worth knowing before you reserve one: 3 to 35 characters, lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores only, at least one letter, and no "www" or domain endings like .com or .net. Handles that impersonate a person, business, or brand are blocked, and notable accounts are verified.
Is a WhatsApp display name the same as a username?
People mix these up. A display name is the name you type in your profile; it is not unique, and changing it is cosmetic. A username is a unique handle that belongs only to you and lets people find and message you while keeping your phone number private. A display name labels you; a username identifies you.
Learn more about customer usernames on chats at WhatsApp Official Help Center
How to find your WhatsApp username, and how to set or change it
WhatsApp usernames are now live and rolling out in phases, and users in the US have confirmed they can already reserve one. First, make sure your WhatsApp app is updated to the latest version. From there, finding and setting your username works much like managing your display name today, though the exact steps depend on whether the feature has reached your account yet.
To find or set your WhatsApp username:
- Open WhatsApp. On WhatsApp Business, go to Settings, then Account. On personal WhatsApp, tap your profile, the You section, then Account.
- Tap Username.
- If the feature has reached your account, you can reserve and set your username here.
- Choose a handle that follows the format rules above.
To change your WhatsApp username later, go back to the same place, Account then Username, and edit it. Changing it is similar to updating your display name, with one difference: a username has to stay unique across WhatsApp, so the app will tell you if the handle you want is already taken.
If you do not see a username option yet, make sure your WhatsApp app is updated to the latest version. The feature is still arriving gradually rather than all at once, so you may not see it even when others already do.
How to reserve your WhatsApp Business username, from Account to a reserved handle. WhatsApp usernames are live, update to the latest version of the app to get started.
For step-by-step help on Web, Android, and iOS, see WhatsApp's official guide to reserving a username.
WhatsApp username ideas and examples for businesses
A good business username is the one your customers would guess. The closer it is to your brand, the easier you are to find and the more trustworthy you look in search.
A few principles for picking one:
- Match your brand name. Mirror the handle you already use on Instagram or your website, the way Invent uses "useinvent". Consistency across channels makes you instantly recognizable.
- Keep it short and clean. Shorter handles are easier to remember, easier to type, and easier to share out loud.
- Skip the noise. Avoid extra numbers, dots, or underscores unless your exact brand name is taken. A cluttered handle is harder to find and looks less official.
- Reserve it early. Businesses on the WhatsApp Business API can claim usernames based on their existing Display Name, Official Business Account, Meta Verified name, or Facebook and Instagram handles, so lock in your brand before someone else does.
Clean business username patterns look like yourbrand, yourbrand.support, or yourbrandhq. The goal is a handle a customer could type from memory without checking your website first. Once your username is live, connect it to an AI assistant so every message gets answered fast: see how to build a WhatsApp AI chatbot, no code. And when you are ready to reach those customers at scale, our WhatsApp broadcast guide covers campaigns, segments, and follow-ups.
Why is WhatsApp introducing usernames?
Phone numbers have been WhatsApp's identifier since day one, and that made some people hesitant. Sharing your number with a stranger, a seller, or a group of 200 people is a bigger commitment than sharing a handle, and Telegram and Signal won users partly on that gap. Usernames close it by:
- Keeping phone numbers private. People can chat, join groups, and message businesses while their number stays hidden behind the handle.
- Removing the save-my-number step. Anyone can find and message @yourbrand directly, with no contact saving and no QR code.
- Adding an optional username key. Users can require a key before new contacts can message them, an extra filter against unwanted messages.
- Matching what Telegram and Signal already offer, so privacy-conscious users no longer need to leave WhatsApp to get it.
Key business impact and steps to take
BSUID WhatsApp integration
WhatsApp introduces a new identifier behind the scenes called the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID), this uniquely links users with businesses while keeping phone numbers confidential when usernames are in use.
The BSUID format is an ISO country code, a period, and up to 128 alphanumeric characters, for example US.13491208655302741918. It appears in the user_id field of your message webhooks whether or not the customer has set a username, so the identifiers are already flowing today.
- Businesses and partners must update their WhatsApp Business API integrations to support BSUID in webhooks and messaging fields.
- Systems like CRM and campaign tools need to handle BSUID alongside phone numbers, mapping conversations correctly.
- Messaging bots and workflows should adapt for cases where users do not share phone numbers.
Key clarifications on messaging amid username adoption: Businesses retain the ability to message known phone numbers regardless of usernames, users without usernames experience no change in phone number visibility, and authentication messages continue to be sent only to phone numbers.
When you'll still see a phone number
The BSUID is always in the webhook. The phone number is not. Once your customers start adopting usernames, a phone number (wa_id) only appears under specific conditions:
- The customer has not set a username. Their number comes through exactly as before.
- The customer is already in your business contact book. If the number was shared at the portfolio level, it keeps arriving.
- There has been an interaction in the last 30 days. WhatsApp sends the phone number for a rolling 30-day window after each message or call. If a username adopter goes quiet for more than 30 days, their next message can arrive with only a BSUID.
WhatsApp keeps sending the phone number only in these cases, including a rolling 30-day window after each interaction.
The practical rule: never assume wa_id is present. Parse for a missing phone number, and key your customer records on the BSUID, so a returning customer is recognized whether or not their number travels with the message.
It helps to know exactly what each webhook carries, because that drives your parsing logic:
- user_id, the BSUID, is always present, on both incoming messages and status webhooks (sent, delivered, read, failed).
- wa_id, the phone number, is conditional, and only arrives under the cases above.
- username appears on the delivered and read status webhooks once a customer has set one.
- parent_user_id and parent_recipient_id show up when parent BSUIDs are enabled, for businesses running multiple portfolios under one parent.
Your migration checklist
If you want a single view of the work, here is the migration in one place.
The full migration checklist with effort levels. Most steps are low effort, the planning and downstream propagation are where the time goes.
For the full field-level reference, see Meta's Business-Scoped User IDs documentation.
What usernames change for businesses
For customers, a username hides the phone number. For your business it works differently: your business number stays visible, and the username becomes a second, searchable way to reach you.
In practice, three things change:
- Customers can find you by handle. Someone who hears "message us at yourbrand on WhatsApp" can search that handle and start a chat without saving your number or scanning a QR code.
- Verification carries over. If your business is verified, the checkmark stays with your username, so customers know they found the real account and not a look-alike.
- You can recognize customers without their number. The BSUID arrives with every message, so your CRM, bots, and agents keep one history per customer even when someone never shares a phone number. On a platform like Invent, the AI assistant and your team see the same person across conversations and campaigns instead of a stream of anonymous chats.
There is a trust effect on the customer side too. People write more freely when the first message does not hand over their phone number, and fewer conversations abandoned at "please share your number" means more conversations that end in a sale or a solved problem.
How a WhatsApp username and its BSUID flow into a unified inbox, so your AI assistant replies with full context.
Invent is a Meta Business Partner. Meta Business Partners are companies Meta has vetted for their technical skills and services, and for their ability to help businesses grow.
FAQs
How can I find my username on WhatsApp?
Usernames are now rolling out, and users in the US can already set and find theirs. On WhatsApp Business, open Settings, then Account, then Username. On personal WhatsApp, open your profile (the You section), then Account, then Username.
Are WhatsApp usernames available yet?
Yes. They are now live for users in the US, who can reserve a username on the latest version of the app, and the rollout continues in phases by country. Availability still depends on your account and country, so update to the latest version of WhatsApp. Businesses can reserve usernames through the WhatsApp Business API as the rollout expands.
Is a WhatsApp member tag the same as a username?
No. A member tag is a short label, your role, title, or how you are known, that shows under your name inside one specific group, and only that group's members see it. A username is a unique, account-wide handle that lets people find and message you while keeping your phone number private. A tag describes you in a single group; a username identifies you across all of WhatsApp.
What are the best practices for choosing a WhatsApp username for business accounts?
- Keep it simple and easy to remember.
- Avoid special characters or complex symbols that make it hard for users to find you.
- Make it straightforward and similar to your brand name, like Instagram handles "@useinvent" "@whatsapp"
This helps customers search for and identify your business quickly.
Can I use a username instead of a phone number to log into WhatsApp?
No. Your account is still registered to your phone number, and you still sign in with it. What changes is how people reach you: once usernames roll out in your country, someone can find and message you by your handle without ever seeing your number.
How should businesses adapt to WhatsApp usernames?
Businesses must adopt the new Business-Scoped User IDs (BSUIDs) to ensure messaging flows continue working smoothly with users who have usernames.
This involves updating your WhatsApp Business API integrations, CRM systems, and any connected automations or campaigns to handle BSUIDs alongside phone numbers.
You should also update messaging bots and customer journeys to account for users who may not share their phone number.
You can notify your Meta partner or provider to help with implementation tailored to your setup.
Even though usernames hide phone numbers, do businesses still need customer phone numbers?
In many cases, yes. Businesses might still want to ask users for their phone number for verification or follow-ups.
WhatsApp will help by providing a native sharing flow to minimize errors and typos when customers choose to share their number. The user will see a request and a CTA button on the chat "Send contact info", and the user will be able to select or unselect if want to share the phone number and/or the username with the Business. On the other side, the Business, by typing "/" and choosing "Request contact info", once received the contact info the Business can choose "Add new contact" or "Add to existing contact" and then "Save".
Businesses should update their messaging bots to handle this updated flow smoothly.
As a business, where can I choose my username?
Starting as early as June 2026, businesses using the WhatsApp Business API will be able to create and claim usernames.
Businesses can reserve usernames based on existing WhatsApp Display Names, Official Business Accounts, Meta Verified Names, or Facebook/Instagram Business handles, giving them early access to their brand username.
Where businesses create a username: WhatsApp Manager, then Phone numbers, then the Username section.
What is the roadmap for usernames rollout?
- Early 2026: Implement BSUID and update systems.
- May 2026: BSUID testing phase begins.
- June 2026: Usernames go live. Users in the US can now reserve a username on the latest version of the app, with rollout continuing by country.
- Rest of 2026: Global rollout and adoption for businesses and users.
See the roadmap image below for details. This timeline was shared with WhatsApp Business Partners on January 7th 2026.
This timeline outlines critical milestones and preparation steps for businesses directly or partner integrated with WhatsApp CTWA to adopt new identifiers like BSUID and business usernames, starting with notifications in late 2025, progressing through testing in mid-2026, and achieving global rollout later in the year. Key preparations include planning for privacy strategy and workflows, implementation, testing, and readiness to ensure smooth adoption.
Why is WhatsApp launching usernames?
WhatsApp usernames enhance privacy and user control. Usernames allow people to hide their phone numbers during chats while staying connected. This feature was highly requested and helps balance privacy with ease of communication.
Will phone numbers disappear from WhatsApp?
No, phone numbers will still be used, especially for existing conversations and prior interactions. Usernames are optional and will appear alongside or instead of phone numbers for those who adopt them.
How does WhatsApp handle impersonation risks with usernames?
WhatsApp has strict policies preventing impersonation or scams.
Usernames for notable people, businesses, and brands require verification and legitimacy checks. If impersonation is suspected, businesses or users can report it for quick resolution.
What are username keys?
Users who adopt a username can set an optional key for an extra layer of protection against unwanted messages. New contacts will need this key to message the user unless the user or business already saved each other’s contact. Businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform API do not need to handle username keys because the BSUID or phone number confirms the connection.
For more information please visit WhatsApp Business Platform
Do I only get a BSUID for customers who adopt a username?
No. WhatsApp sends a Business-Scoped User ID for every user, not just username adopters, and it has been flowing in webhooks since early April 2026. Even when you message a customer's phone number, their BSUID comes back in the status webhooks too.
When do businesses need to be ready for WhatsApp usernames?
As soon as usernames start reaching users, which begins in some countries around June 2026. Because BSUIDs are already in your webhooks now, the safe move is to update your parsing and storage today rather than waiting for the deadline.
Conclusion
WhatsApp usernames are a real move toward privacy-first messaging, and they give businesses a short, clear window to prepare. Adopt BSUIDs, update your API integrations and CRM, and get your bots and assistants ready for customers who never share a phone number. Prepare now and you are ready on day one. Wait, and you are doing the same work under deadline pressure.
If your chatbots and workflows already run on Invent, there is nothing for you to do. We handle the BSUID updates on our side, so your conversations keep working the moment usernames reach your customers.
