Quick Take
- WhatsApp will let users hide phone numbers and chat using usernames, expected June 2026.
- Users and experts flag impersonation, privacy and data-sharing risks under India’s DPDP Act.
- The government may send WhatsApp a notice; the company says fears are overblown.
In This Article
The WhatsApp username feature lets users chat without sharing phone numbers, and it has raised fresh worries in India about impersonation, privacy and data sharing. The rollout is expected around June 2026.
Meta calls the shift a big change in how people talk on the app, which has more than three billion users worldwide. Users and cyber-security experts warn that fake accounts could copy real names. Meta says these fears are exaggerated, according to its statement to The Economic Times. The government is studying the feature and may act, per government sources cited by news reports.
StartupFeed Insight
The WhatsApp username feature copies a model already live on Signal and Telegram, so India’s concern is less about the tool and more about scale. With over 500 million Indian users (CCI), even a small abuse rate means millions of possible scam targets. Founders in fintech should watch closely, because impersonation of finance brands is already common. StartupFeed expects the government to seek verified mobile-number binding as a condition before a full India rollout, likely within the next two quarters of 2026. The real test is whether Meta ships anti-abuse tools before, not after, launch. By Avinash.
What Is the WhatsApp Username Feature?
The WhatsApp username feature is an option that lets a user pick a unique handle and chat without showing a phone number on first contact. Meta announced plans for username support in October 2024 and told partners a full rollout was expected in June 2026, according to news reports.
WhatsApp has opened early username reservations. Users can update the app, then open Settings, Account, and Username to book a handle, per the company. A built-in generator suggests available names.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Feature | Username-based chat | Phone number stays hidden on first contact |
| Owner | Meta Platforms | Parent of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook |
| Announced | October 2024 | Under development since 2023 |
| Expected rollout | June 2026 | Early reservations already open |
| India user base | 500 million+ | Largest WhatsApp market (CCI) |
The most striking detail is timing. The username feature arrives just after the government restricted Telegram in June 2026 over exam-paper leak fears, per news reports.
About Meta and WhatsApp
Meta Platforms, founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. WhatsApp is a free messaging app used by more than three billion people worldwide, with over 500 million monthly active users in India (CCI). Meta earns most of its revenue from advertising across its family of apps.
Why Are Users and Experts Worried?
Users worry that the WhatsApp username feature could make impersonation and scams easier by hiding real phone numbers. Cyber-security experts point to risks like name-squatting, lookalike handles and identity fraud, according to The Economic Times.
Not a good idea at all. Will lead to proliferation of fraud and impersonation, said MobiKwik co-founder Bipin Preet Singh, as reported by The Economic Times.
The concern is not just theory. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma was targeted by a scammer posing as him on WhatsApp in May 2025, an incident he shared publicly on X. Sharma has since backed verified usernames but flagged that lookalike names could still fool people, per his post cited by The Economic Times.
What Are the Data-Sharing Concerns?
Data sharing is a core worry because WhatsApp plans to let creators and businesses align usernames with Instagram and Facebook handles across Meta apps. Critics say this deep link with Meta’s ad system could widen data collection, according to The Economic Times.
India has a track record here. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Meta Rs 213.14 crore in November 2024 for its 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy, which forced users to accept data sharing with Meta companies (CCI order, PIB). The CCI barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta firms for advertising for five years.
The matter went higher. On February 3, 2026, the Supreme Court cautioned Meta and WhatsApp that privacy cannot be traded away in the name of data sharing, while hearing appeals over the CCI penalty, according to news reports. The DPDP Act (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023) also raises questions on whether username-based consent is truly free.
What Does This Mean for Indian Users?
For Indian users, the WhatsApp username feature offers real privacy gains but arrives with unresolved safety and legal questions. The government is considering a notice to WhatsApp over misuse risks like impersonation, scams and fraud, per government sources cited by news reports.
Indian telecom rules require messaging accounts to link to verified mobile numbers to fight digital fraud. Officials want WhatsApp to keep such accountability even after usernames go live, according to news reports. WhatsApp has told partners it will add anti-abuse controls, and it argues the feature protects the privacy of phone numbers, per the company. The balance between privacy and safety remains the open question.
What’s Next
Meta is expected to complete its WhatsApp username rollout around mid-2026, with early reservations already live. The Indian government’s next move, a formal notice or a request for mobile-number binding, will likely shape the India launch within the coming months. WhatsApp’s response on anti-abuse tools will decide how safely the feature lands. Will Meta build in fraud checks before switching usernames on for 500 million Indian users?
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Last updated: July 1, 2026 at 12:15 IST
Written by Avinash. Published: July 1, 2026. Updated: July 1, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
