WhatsApp is preparing for the biggest change in its history: by the end of 2026, the long-awaited support for usernames will be introduced. This new privacy feature will allow users to make calls and send messages without revealing their phone number. Currently, the option is undergoing extended testing in beta versions of the app.

The transition to usernames is an additional privacy measure that WhatsApp first announced in 2024. Development took longer than expected, as engineers had to rebuild a significant part of the messenger’s infrastructure to ensure full compatibility, scalability and data encryption.

Although the announcement was initially aimed at the business API, the feature will also be rolled out to regular users as an additional method of identification.

Along with usernames, special business identifiers (BSUID) are being introduced:

• BSUID is a unique ID assigned by WhatsApp to each user.

• It will allow companies to send messages to customers even if the customer’s phone number is unknown.

• Companies will need to update their systems and integrations (CRM, analytics) to fully support usernames by June 2026.

The ability to search for users by username and call them is already available for testing in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android (build 2.25.33.2).

ORIENT