After years of relying solely on phone numbers to identify users, WhatsApp is introducing usernames, allowing people to connect without sharing their mobile numbers. While the feature has long been available on Telegram, its arrival on WhatsApp raises questions about why it is being introduced now—and why it could have a particularly significant impact in India, where phone numbers are deeply tied to an individual's digital identity.
Mukul Kumar, cybersecurity expert and managing partner at Claracon AI, believes the move goes beyond convenience.
"Your phone number is not just your WhatsApp identity. In India it's linked to your Aadhaar, your bank account, your UPI, your government records," Kumar told India Today Tech.
He added, "Every time you share it with a stranger, a new contact at a networking event, a seller in a housing society group, a colleague on day one, you're handing over something far more sensitive than most people realise."
Until now, sharing a phone number with a delivery agent, security guard or a new acquaintance also meant revealing a key piece of personal information. With usernames, users can instead share a unique identifier while keeping their phone numbers private.
"That's not a small thing," Kumar said.
A privacy boost for everyday conversations
According to WhatsApp, the new feature is designed to let users connect while adding an extra layer of privacy.
Vikram Raichura, founder and managing director of cloud communication platform Helo.ai, believes the feature will prove especially useful in situations where people want to remain accessible without disclosing their phone numbers.
"This feature will be most useful in situations where people want to stay reachable, but do not want to share their phone number too freely," Raichura told India Today Tech.
He said this would include first-time conversations, temporary groups, school or parent communities, neighbourhood groups and similar settings where users want to participate without exposing their personal contact details unnecessarily.
The feature could also benefit professionals seeking to separate work and personal communications, something many currently achieve by maintaining two phone numbers or separate WhatsApp accounts.
"Freelancers, small business owners, anyone who currently uses a separate SIM just to keep their personal number private from clients can now share usernames. That's a real and large category in India," Kumar explained.
Concerns over cybersecurity
The rollout has also sparked concerns that usernames could potentially make it easier for scammers to impersonate others or initiate fraudulent conversations.
According to sources, the Indian government is expected to examine WhatsApp's User ID feature either before or during its rollout. Officials are likely to assess whether sufficient safeguards are in place to prevent misuse by cybercriminals. If concerns are identified, Meta could reportedly be asked to explain the feature or introduce additional safeguards.
Raichura said such concerns are understandable.
"Whenever a platform makes identity more flexible, there is naturally some increased risk of spam, unwanted messages, impersonation, or misuse. So these concerns are valid and worth watching."
However, he noted that WhatsApp has already outlined several safeguards intended to minimise such risks.
"WhatsApp seems to have introduced usernames with clear constraints to reduce that risk. Officially, the company has said there will be no searchable directory, no username suggestions, and users will need to know the exact username to initiate contact. There is also an optional username key for added control," he said.
Could usernames help reduce cyber fraud?
Kumar believes the feature could indirectly help reduce certain forms of cybercrime, particularly SIM swap fraud.
"SIM swap fraud is one of the most damaging cybercrimes in India right now. It works by convincing a telecom operator to transfer someone's number to a new SIM, which then intercepts OTPs and gives the attacker access to bank accounts, UPI, everything tied to that number," he explained.
He added that such attacks depend heavily on the phone number serving as the central identifier for a person's digital identity.
"Usernames don't eliminate SIM swap risk—your number still exists and is still vulnerable. But if people start using usernames as their primary WhatsApp identity and sharing their number less freely, over time the phone number becomes a less attractive attack vector."
Adoption will determine success
Whether the feature succeeds will ultimately depend on how widely users adopt it.
"The question is whether people will actually use it," Kumar said.
Raichura believes adoption is likely to begin in situations where privacy concerns are most significant before expanding more broadly.
"I do not know if everybody will adapt to it immediately. It is more likely to be used first in situations where privacy plays a real and unavoidable role. Broader adoption will depend on how visible, simple, and useful the feature feels once it rolls out fully," he said.
