The rollout of WhatsApp usernames was expected to mark one of the platform's biggest changes since it popularised phone number-based messaging. Instead of sharing a 10-digit mobile number, users would be able to connect through unique usernames, much like they do on Instagram or X. For consumers, the feature promises greater privacy and convenience. For businesses, it could remove a key barrier to customer conversations. Yet, even before its wider rollout, the feature has found itself at the centre of a debate in India.
Reports suggest that the launch has been put on hold following concerns raised by the government over impersonation, fraud and traceability. At a time when India continues to battle digital arrest scams and identity theft, regulators are wary that usernames resembling banks, government departments or trusted brands could make scammers harder to identify and easier to trust. The conversation, therefore, is no longer just about a new messaging feature. It is about who owns digital identity and whether convenience can coexist with accountability.
Yet, even as regulators examine the risks, for Meta, however, usernames also represent a much larger business opportunity. WhatsApp has already evolved into one of the world's largest customer engagement platforms, powering commerce and service interactions across industries. Usernames could make those conversations easier to initiate, turning WhatsApp from a destination customers are directed to into one they can discover on their own.
A New Avenue for Brands
For years, brands have had to bring consumers to WhatsApp rather than the other way around. Conversations have typically begun after someone clicked on a digital advertisement, scanned a QR code, filled out a lead generation form, completed a purchase, or manually saved a business's phone number. Usernames could change that equation by allowing consumers to simply search for a brand and start a conversation, much like they would on Instagram or X.
For Prashant Puri, Co-founder and CEO, AdLift, the introduction of usernames could make WhatsApp a far more discoverable platform for businesses. Memorable handles, he believes, could become as recognisable as website URLs or Instagram accounts, giving brands a single identity they can promote across campaigns. "Usernames remove that friction entirely. Suddenly WhatsApp works more like a search bar where you look a business up directly," he says.
Puri believes the bigger opportunity lies in what happens after discovery. If a person's WhatsApp handle connects back to their Instagram and Facebook touchpoints, he says, brands can finally ‘close the loop’, addressing the attribution gap that often exists between discovery and conversation.
For instance, for a technology brand, a single customer conversation can span multiple stages. From seeking buying guidance and comparing devices to tracking deliveries, raising service requests or resolving complaints. Instead of treating each interaction as a separate touchpoint, businesses could manage the entire customer journey within the same conversation. Aman Verma, COO and Co-founder, Primebook, says a single WhatsApp identity could connect interactions that have traditionally remained fragmented across marketing, sales and after-sales support. "The differentiator,” he says “will be recognising customer intent and delivering the right experience within the same conversation."
Mihir Mehta, Managing Partner, 0101.Today, a customer acquisition and MarTech consulting firm believes it's an interesting update, “But I don't see it being a game changer overnight. What it does reduce is friction. Instead of searching for a phone number or clicking a link, customers can simply find a business by its username," he says.
WhatsApp will continue to be primarily a CRM and customer engagement platform rather than an acquisition channel. He sees usernames as part of Meta's larger vision of building a connected identity layer across Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.
Making conversations easier to initiate is only one part of the equation. As WhatsApp positions itself as a more accessible touchpoint for businesses, the quality of those interactions will become just as important as how effortlessly they begin.
"Technology can simplify connections, but lasting consumer relationships will continue to be shaped by trust, authenticity and the value brands deliver," says Ankur Parmar, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Lifespace Developers. He believes greater ease of access must go hand in hand with a stronger emphasis on trust. As digital touchpoints evolve, brands, he says, will need to focus not only on building credible identities but also on enabling secure interactions and delivering consistent experiences across every customer journey.
For consumer-facing brands, however, the value of WhatsApp was never about commerce alone. At Suta, the platform has evolved into a space where customers seek styling advice, share photographs of themselves wearing the brand and recount stories associated with their purchases. "Technology can make the first hello easier, but empathy and consistency make people stay," say Sujata and Taniya Biswas, Founders, Suta. While easier discoverability could particularly benefit smaller brands that have built loyal online communities, the founders believe customers ultimately remember the quality of the interaction far more than the way they discovered the business.
The implications of WhatsApp usernames extend well beyond making brands easier to find. "A searchable brand handle, combined with catalogues, flows and payments, starts to look less like a messaging app and more like a storefront," says Saket Dandotia, Co-founder and CEO, Onetab.ai. He believes the feature gives WhatsApp something it has lacked until now—a true entry point for brands. “WhatsApp finally gets a front door,” he says.
That opportunity, however, also changes how businesses think about customer identity. If implemented as expected, brands could interact through Meta-issued identifiers rather than automatically receiving customer phone numbers. "Meta is giving with one hand and taking with the other: easier to be found, harder to know who found you," Dandotia states.
Opportunity Brings Responsibility
If discoverability is the opportunity, trust is the condition on which its success will depend.
Industry leaders agree that making businesses easier to find also creates fertile ground for impersonation, spam and fraudulent accounts. These concerns mirror the government's reservations around the feature's rollout in India.
Puri points out that the immediate challenge lies in protecting trusted identities, "Names that look like trusted institutions could still be claimed. The system isn't strong enough yet." Meta should introduce stronger safeguards to prevent bots from capturing multiple handles. He also urges brands to secure their official usernames early and make it easier for customers to verify that they are interacting with authentic accounts.
Mehta believes user confidence will ultimately determine whether the feature succeeds."Verification and clear authenticity indicators will become even more important," he says. If users become unsure whether they are interacting with the right business or begin to feel overwhelmed by spam, the feature's adoption could be impacted despite the convenience it promises.
While Meta has introduced measures such as reserved business identities and verification for notable accounts, Dandotia believes protecting globally recognised brands alone will not be enough. Mid-sized businesses and smaller brands are vulnerable to impersonation. He also cautions brands against treating discoverability as permission to communicate more aggressively. WhatsApp's commercial value rests on the fact that people still view it as a personal inbox.
As conversational journeys become more connected, brands will also need to ensure that convenience does not come at the cost of customer experience. Verma adds that businesses will require stronger governance and AI systems capable of understanding different customer contexts without compromising customer privacy, ensuring every interaction remains connected rather than fragmented.
The feature may still be on hold, but the conversation has already begun. The Central government's concerns have turned the spotlight on a much larger question–the future of digital identity. As messaging platforms evolve into commerce platforms, will usernames become the next gateway for brands, or the next challenge for regulators?
