WhatsApp is preparing one of its most significant updates in recent years, with plans to introduce a username-based communication system that would allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers.
According to a media report, the feature would let users initiate text chats as well as audio and video calls through unique usernames instead of mobile numbers, marking a major shift in how the world’s most widely used messaging app is accessed and used.
If rolled out as expected, the change would strengthen user privacy by reducing the need to disclose personal phone numbers when contacting others — a long-standing limitation on WhatsApp compared with rival messaging platforms such as Telegram and Signal, which already offer similar identity-based communication tools.
Meta’s Instagram and Facebook platforms already support usernames.
According to the report, WhatsApp is targeting a global launch by mid-2026, with June set internally as a tentative milestone.
The publication described the feature as potentially the company’s biggest update of the year, one that could fundamentally alter the way users interact on the platform.
Earlier reports had indicated that the username system would likely be introduced as an optional privacy feature rather than a full replacement for phone-number-based accounts.
That means users would be able to choose whether to share a unique username for communication or continue relying on their mobile numbers, while people who already have a user’s number saved would likely still be able to reach them through the existing method.
The feature has reportedly been in development for an extended period, but this is the first time a possible launch window has surfaced publicly. Username availability is expected to depend on whether a chosen handle is already taken.
Alongside usernames, WhatsApp is also said to be testing a separate “guest chats” feature, which could allow users to communicate with people who do not have a WhatsApp account via a browser-based link.
According to WABetaInfo, the feature would initially be limited to one-to-one text conversations and may not support media sharing, calls or group chats.
