Dansday
WhatsApp is preparing one of its most requested privacy features by introducing usernames, allowing users to connect without sharing their personal phone numbers.
The feature, discovered in the latest WhatsApp beta builds on 17 June 2026, lets users create a unique username that can be shared instead of a mobile number. While phone numbers will still be linked to accounts internally, conversations started through usernames will no longer require users to reveal their contact details to strangers.
For years, WhatsApp has relied entirely on phone numbers as user identities. Although the system made account setup simple, it also created privacy concerns, especially when joining community groups, contacting businesses, or chatting with people for the first time.
The addition of usernames brings WhatsApp closer to platforms such as Telegram, Discord, Signal, and X, where users can interact through public handles instead of exposing personal information.
Meta has also designed safeguards to prevent impersonation and confusion. Usernames must follow specific formatting rules, and the app will notify participants whenever someone changes their username, similar to how profile updates are currently displayed.
Privacy remains one of WhatsApp's biggest selling points. The platform already provides end-to-end encryption for messages, calls, and media, and usernames represent another step toward giving users greater control over the information they share.
For businesses, creators, and community managers, usernames could simplify customer interactions by allowing accounts to be shared publicly without publishing a personal or business phone number. This may encourage broader adoption of WhatsApp for customer support and online communities.
Although the feature was first spotted in beta and is expected to roll out gradually, it signals Meta's continued effort to modernize WhatsApp while addressing long-standing user requests. As messaging apps compete on both convenience and privacy, usernames could become one of WhatsApp's most impactful updates in recent years.