I joined BBC World Service’s Focus on Africa to discuss one of WhatsApp’s most important changes yet: allowing people to communicate without publicly disclosing their phone numbers.

On the 15th July 2026, I joined BBC World Service’s Focus on Africa for a timely conversation about WhatsApp’s forthcoming username feature.

The discussion was presented by Nkechi Onyinyechi Ogbonna, the Lead Presenter of Focus on Africa. Nkechi is a BBC correspondent whose journalism spans African politics, economics, technology, business, climate change and culture across radio, television, podcasts and digital platforms.

Also featured was Hon. Ahmed Osman Diiriye, Somalia’s State Minister of Communications and Technology, who explained why Somalia wants Meta to provide stronger assurances around digital traceability, financial fraud and the protection of the country’s mobile-money ecosystem.

The conversation explored a deceptively simple question:

Can WhatsApp protect our phone-number privacy without making fraud, impersonation and deception easier?

That question matters because WhatsApp is not merely another social-media application.

It is used by more than three billion people for private conversations, family communication, community groups, customer service, informal commerce, professional networking and business transactions. In many African markets, it also sits alongside mobile-money services as part of the infrastructure of everyday economic life.

Listen to the BBC Focus on Africa conversation

The complete discussion runs for approximately 11 minutes and examines Somalia’s concerns, Meta’s response, the privacy value of usernames and the safeguards users may need as the feature becomes available:

WhatsApp prepares to move beyond visible phone numbers

Nkechi opened the programme by asking listeners to remember how they selected their usernames on Instagram, TikTok and other social platforms.

WhatsApp users are now being asked to make a similar choice.

WhatsApp announced on the 29th June 2026 that users could begin reserving optional usernames. These usernames will eventually allow people to communicate without displaying their phone numbers to people who do not already have those numbers saved.

The feature is not yet fully active. What is currently being introduced is primarily the ability to reserve a username for future use. WhatsApp says active usernames will be rolled out gradually over the coming months, with users being notified when the feature becomes available in their countries.

This is important for the following reasons:

• Reserving a username means WhatsApp holds it for your account.
• Activating a username means people can use it to contact you.
• The two stages may not become available at the same time in every country.

Where the reservation option is available, users can find it by going to:

WhatsApp Settings → Account → Username

Reserving a username is optional. A person who does not want one can continue using WhatsApp through the existing phone-number-based model.

What exactly is a WhatsApp username?

A WhatsApp username is a unique identifier attached to an account.

It appears with an @ symbol, such as @MosesKemibaro, and is different from the display name currently shown on a WhatsApp profile.

A display name does not have to be unique. Hundreds of people can call themselves Maria, Moses or Ahmed.

A username must be unique because it becomes the identifier someone can use to contact that specific account.

WhatsApp’s current guidance says usernames can contain lowercase letters, numbers, periods and underscores. They must be between three and 35 characters and cannot consist entirely of numbers.

Creators, small businesses and organisations may also be able to claim the same username they already use on Instagram or Facebook by connecting WhatsApp to Meta’s Accounts Center, provided the name is available and they are eligible to claim it.

Somalia raises concerns about security and accountability

The first major contribution in the programme came from Hon. Ahmed Osman Diiriye.

He clarified that Somalia had not imposed a permanent ban on WhatsApp usernames. Instead, the government had raised concerns and requested consultations before the feature became active in the country.

He explained that Somalia’s concerns centred on two issues:

Security and accountability.

WhatsApp has historically used a telephone number as both the account credential and the visible identifier.

In countries with formal SIM-card registration requirements, that number is connected to an identity held by a telecommunications operator.

The Somali government is concerned that replacing the visible number with a username could make it harder to identify the person behind a suspicious account.

The minister also connected the issue to Somalia’s mobile-money ecosystem. A fraudster could use a convincing username to impersonate a family member, merchant, government representative, mobile-money agent or trusted business before requesting money or confidential information.

This is why the debate is particularly important in Africa.

WhatsApp conversations are frequently where business relationships begin, payment instructions are shared, customer questions are answered and informal transactions are negotiated.

A change to WhatsApp’s identity system can therefore affect much more than private messaging.

It can influence how people establish trust before sending money or sharing sensitive information.

Somalia confirms that discussions with Meta have begun

When Nkechi asked whether Somalia had communicated its concerns to Meta, the minister confirmed that consultations were already taking place.

Somalia’s position, as explained during the programme, was not that usernames must never be introduced.

It was that Meta should demonstrate that the feature contains sufficient safeguards before it becomes active.

This matters because the conversation should not be reduced to a simple contest between innovation and regulation.

WhatsApp usernames could deliver genuine privacy improvements.

At the same time, regulators have a legitimate responsibility to ask how consumer protection, identity verification, financial security and lawful investigations will operate under the new system.

India has raised similar concerns. The Indian government directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout there while consultations continued, citing phishing, impersonation and online-fraud risks. India is WhatsApp’s largest national market, with more than 500 million users.

Nkechi asks whether there is evidence that usernames will increase fraud

One of the most important moments in the programme came when Nkechi challenged the Somali government to explain whether there was evidence that usernames would actually increase criminal activity.

That is exactly the right question.

Almost every communications technology can be misused.

Email addresses are used in phishing attacks. Telephone numbers are used by fraudsters. Social-media profiles are used for impersonation. Compromised WhatsApp accounts are already used to send false requests for money.

The possibility that a feature could be misused does not automatically mean it should not be introduced.

The more useful questions are:

• Does the feature create risks that did not exist before?
• Does it make existing fraud easier or more scalable?
• Are the proposed safeguards proportionate to those risks?
• Can suspicious users still be identified through appropriate legal processes?
• Will ordinary users be able to distinguish legitimate identities from impersonators?

The minister explained that Somalia already has mechanisms for tracing registered phone numbers connected to suspected crimes.

The government wants to know whether those mechanisms will remain effective when the number is hidden from public view and replaced by a username.

“We want proof of traceability”

Nkechi then pointed out that Meta says a telephone number will still be required to create and use a WhatsApp account.

Would that not resolve the traceability issue?

The minister’s response captured the core regulatory concern:

“We want proof of traceability.”

Somalia wants Meta to demonstrate that hiding a phone number from another WhatsApp user will not remove the private technical connection between the username, its underlying account and the telephone number used to register it.

Privacy is not the same as anonymity

This is one of the most important distinctions in the entire discussion.

A username can provide privacy between users because it prevents an unfamiliar person from automatically seeing your phone number.

That does not necessarily make the account holder anonymous to WhatsApp, the mobile operator or authorities conducting a legitimate investigation.

WhatsApp has confirmed that users will still require a phone number to register an account. The username changes what another user sees; it does not eliminate the underlying number from the account.

A more accurate way to describe the feature is therefore:

WhatsApp usernames provide pseudonymity between users rather than complete anonymity from the platform.

That is potentially a sensible compromise.

People should not have to disclose their phone numbers to everyone they communicate with. At the same time, an account involved in serious fraud should remain attributable through the appropriate legal processes.

The unresolved question is whether Meta’s systems can deliver both outcomes consistently.

Meta outlines the safeguards built into usernames

After the minister’s contribution, Nkechi shared Meta’s response to the concerns raised by Somalia.

Meta said users would continue to require telephone numbers and that it had built several protections into the username system.

These include:

• Requiring someone to know the complete and exact username.
• Providing no public username directory or suggestions.
• Limiting how many new people an account can contact.
• Blocking repeated attempts to guess a username key.
• Detecting activity associated with impersonation and abuse.
• Reserving some prominent names for their legitimate owners.

These are useful protections, but understanding them requires looking more closely at how contact through usernames will work.

There will be no public username directory

WhatsApp says users will not be able to browse a directory of usernames or receive suggestions of accounts to contact.

Someone will need to know your complete username before they can find you.

This makes WhatsApp usernames fundamentally different from public social-media profiles, where people can usually search by name, location, mutual connections or suggested accounts.

The lack of a public directory should reduce unsolicited discovery, although usernames could still become public when placed on websites, social-media profiles, business cards or promotional material.

What is a username key?

A username key is an optional WhatsApp-generated code that adds another layer of control over who can initiate contact.

Where a user enables a key, someone contacting them by username for the first time may need both:

1. The exact username.
2. The correct username key.

The account holder cannot manually choose the code. WhatsApp generates it, and the user can request a different one.

The key is not required in every situation.

People who already have your telephone number saved, people with whom you have previously communicated, people who share a WhatsApp group with you and people who have scanned your QR code may not need to enter the key.

This means the username key is designed mainly to control new contact by an unfamiliar person, not to operate as a password for every WhatsApp conversation.

I explain WhatsApp’s move towards a separate digital identity

Nkechi then brought me into the discussion to explain the reasoning behind WhatsApp usernames.

I described the feature as an attempt to separate a person’s visible WhatsApp identity from the phone number underlying the account.

Historically, WhatsApp has been phone-number-first.

The number has been used to register the account, find contacts and identify people inside conversations and groups.

Usernames introduce a new public identity layer similar to what already exists on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Telegram and other platforms.

In the interview, I explained that WhatsApp was moving towards:

“A singular or independent identity that sits on WhatsApp.”

The telephone number remains in the background, but the username becomes the identity visible to people who do not already have that number saved.

This is not the end of phone numbers on WhatsApp.

It is the beginning of a model in which the phone number no longer has to be publicly exposed during every new interaction.

What existing contacts will see

People who already have your number saved will continue to see the contact name they have assigned to you and may continue to see your number.

The significant change applies mainly to people who do not already have your number saved. They will see your username rather than automatically receiving access to your phone number.

This means usernames do not erase established contact relationships.

They create a different privacy model for new and unfamiliar connections.

How usernames could change the way people connect

Nkechi then asked how usernames would affect everyday WhatsApp communication.

The most obvious benefit is that users will have more choice over when they disclose their telephone numbers.

Consider some common scenarios:

• You meet someone at a conference but are not ready to share a private number.
• You join a school, residential, church, professional or community group containing people you do not know personally.
• You are selling an item online and need prospective buyers to contact you.
• You want to reach a small business without saving its number permanently.
• You are a creator, consultant or public figure who needs a public WhatsApp contact point.

In each of these situations, a username could enable communication without forcing the immediate disclosure of a telephone number linked to many other aspects of your life.

One-to-one chats

In a new individual conversation, the person receiving the message will see the sender’s username and display name rather than their phone number, unless that number is already saved.

This gives the recipient some identity information while preserving the sender’s telephone-number privacy.

Group chats

The feature may be particularly valuable in groups.

Under the traditional WhatsApp model, joining a group can expose a person’s telephone number to many participants they have never met.

With usernames, unfamiliar group participants could see the username instead.

This could significantly improve privacy in school groups, professional networks, event communities, residential associations and large public-interest groups.

Links and QR codes

Users will also be able to share username-based links or QR codes.

This could allow someone to place a WhatsApp contact link on a website, social-media profile, event badge or business card without publishing a personal mobile number.

People who scan an authorised QR code may also be able to begin a conversation without separately entering the username key.

What WhatsApp usernames mean for businesses

Usernames could be especially significant for small businesses, creators, customer-service teams and organizations.

A business could potentially maintain the same recognizable identity across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Instead of asking customers to save an unfamiliar telephone number, a company could advertise a branded username.

That could make WhatsApp easier to integrate into:

• Social-commerce journeys
• Customer service
• Sales enquiries
• Event registrations
• Business cards and receipts
• Click-to-chat links
• QR-code campaigns
• Customer-support documentation

WhatsApp Business guidance indicates that companies will also be able to create usernames and username keys. Customers who already have a business number saved will continue to recognize it, while new customers may see the business username instead.

However, the commercial opportunity introduces an equally significant responsibility.

Businesses will need to reserve their official usernames, communicate them consistently and prepare for lookalike accounts pretending to represent their brands.

Banks, insurers, telecommunications companies, government agencies and mobile-money providers will need particularly strong verification systems.

A professional-looking username should never, by itself, be treated as evidence that an account genuinely represents an institution.

Somalia and India raise concerns about fraud and impersonation

Nkechi then asked whether the security concerns raised by Somalia and India were valid.

My response was that the governments were justified in asking the questions.

The central risk is not the username itself.

It is the possibility that a username could be combined with other social-engineering techniques to create a highly convincing false identity.

A fraudster may use:

• A stolen profile photograph.
• A familiar display name.
• A lookalike username.
• A false claim of urgency.
• A story involving an emergency or financial difficulty.
• A link to a fraudulent payment or login page.
• Information collected from social media to make the request convincing.

A small change involving a period, underscore, number or extra letter may be difficult to notice quickly on a mobile phone.

This is especially concerning when someone claims to represent a bank, mobile-money service, employer, relative or senior executive.

Phone numbers are not perfect identity systems either

It would be misleading to suggest that visible telephone numbers automatically make WhatsApp safe.

Numbers can be recycled, compromised, fraudulently registered or attached to stolen accounts.

Most users cannot look at an unfamiliar number and determine the legal identity behind it.

A phone number does, however, form part of a regulated telecommunications system in many countries. This gives authorities a potential investigative trail where SIM cards are linked to verified identities.

The best approach is therefore not to choose between phone numbers and usernames as though one is entirely safe and the other entirely dangerous.

WhatsApp needs a layered model combining:

• Private phone-number registration.
• Public username privacy.
• Strong protection of official identities.
• Username keys and contact controls.
• Automated abuse detection.
• Rapid reporting and account removal.
• Lawful traceability.
• Clear user education.

Digital literacy becomes the final line of defence

In the final part of the conversation, Nkechi asked what safeguards users should put in place.

I explained that:

“It comes back to some of the fundamentals of digital literacy.”

The identifier shown on the screen may change, but the principles of fraud prevention remain largely the same.

A profile photograph is not proof of identity.

A familiar display name is not proof of identity.

A convincing username is not proof of identity.

Even a message coming from the genuine account of someone you know may not be trustworthy if that account has been compromised.

How to protect yourself

When WhatsApp usernames become active, users should apply the following precautions:

• Verify unusual requests through another channel: Call the person directly, initiate a video conversation or use a different communication channel.
• Treat urgent requests for money with suspicion: Fraudsters frequently create pressure so that victims act before thinking.
• Never share verification codes or passwords: WhatsApp, banks and mobile-money providers should not ask for security credentials through an ordinary chat.
• Examine usernames carefully: Look for additional letters, misleading numbers, misplaced periods or underscores.
• Do not trust a profile image on its own: Images can be copied from social-media accounts or existing WhatsApp profiles.
• Avoid unexpected links and files: A link that appears familiar may lead to a false website designed to steal login or payment details.
• Use a username key where appropriate: The key can reduce unsolicited first-time contact.
• Block and report suspicious accounts: Reporting gives WhatsApp information it can use to identify patterns of abuse.
• Keep WhatsApp updated: The latest application version is more likely to include current security controls and fraud warnings.

Meta must also do more

Digital literacy cannot become an excuse for placing the entire burden on users.

Meta should use behavioural and account-level signals to warn people when a conversation resembles a known scam.

For example, WhatsApp could provide stronger warnings when:

• A new account immediately requests money.
• An account contacts many unfamiliar users.
• A username closely resembles a protected business or public institution.
• A recently changed username begins sending financial instructions.
• A contact claims to represent a bank or mobile-money provider.
• An account repeatedly sends suspicious external links.

Warnings should be written in plain language, made available in local languages and presented before a user shares information or sends money.

What Meta needs to explain before the full rollout

The BBC conversation demonstrated that Meta still needs to communicate more clearly about several issues.

It should explain:

• How usernames remain technically connected to registered phone numbers.
• What regulators mean by traceability and how lawful requests will work.
• How public figures, governments and businesses will claim protected names.
• How closely related lookalike usernames will be handled.
• What happens when a username is changed or deleted.
• How a compromised username can be recovered.
• How quickly impersonating accounts will be investigated.
• What fraud-warning systems will be visible to users.
• Whether businesses will receive stronger forms of identity verification.
• How Meta will measure and publicly report username-related abuse.

Meta says its protections will include contact limits, username-key controls and systems designed to recognise impersonation patterns. Those safeguards now need to be demonstrated in real-world use.

My final assessment

The BBC’s Focus on Africa conversation revealed that WhatsApp usernames are neither simply a privacy breakthrough nor automatically a fraud disaster.

They are a significant redesign of how identity works on one of the world’s most important digital platforms.

The privacy case is compelling.

People should not be forced to expose a personal telephone number merely to participate in a group, speak to a prospective customer or communicate with someone they recently met.

But privacy must be supported by accountability.

Meta needs to ensure that usernames remain reliably connected to registered accounts, that legitimate organisations are protected against impersonation and that suspicious activity is detected before users suffer financial harm.

Governments, meanwhile, should require evidence that these protections work without treating privacy itself as the enemy.

The goal should not be to make every user’s telephone number publicly visible in the name of security.

It should be to build a system in which phone numbers can remain private while criminal accounts remain accountable.

The deepest vulnerability is ultimately not the username or the phone number.

It is the moment when someone receives a convincing message and does not have enough information, time or digital literacy to recognize that something may be wrong.

That is the trust gap WhatsApp must close.

Listen to the full BBC Focus on Africa conversation

Hear Hon. Ahmed Osman Diiriye explain Somalia’s concerns, Meta’s response to the regulatory questions and my assessment of the privacy benefits, fraud risks and user protections surrounding WhatsApp usernames: