WhatsApp Is Moving Beyond Phone Numbers in 2026: What It Means for your Customer Data

WhatsApp introduced Business-Scoped User IDs (BSUID) in WhatsApp API webhooks on March 31, 2026, transitioning away from phone number-based user identification.

With usernames launching in June 2026, businesses must adapt to continue tracking customer identities.

This blog explains what's changing, its impact on your customer outreach, and what to do before June 2026 to maintain business continuity.

TLDR: Key facts at a glance

• BSUID live in WhatsApp API webhooks from March 31, 2026
• Usernames roll out in select regions from June 2026; users may hide numbers
• Phone numbers are no longer guaranteed; BSUID is the new primary identifier
• Authentication and OTP messages via WhatsApp remain unaffected
• Meta’s Contact Book feature will help capture existing user-number data pairs

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What’s Actually Changing: WhatsApp Usernames And BSUID Explained

WhatsApp has always been built around phone numbers. Your unique phone number is your identity on the platform. Starting June 2026, users will be able to create a WhatsApp username (for instance, @firstname_lastname) and choose to message businesses without revealing their phone number.

This is one of the most-requested features on WhatsApp, and it mirrors how identities work on other messaging apps like Telegram, Instagram, and Signal. Although WhatsApp usernames are optional, they offer users more privacy and control. 

For businesses, this means phone numbers may not always be visible for inbound messages. For such users, Meta is introducing a new field, Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID). So, how does BSUID ensure customer privacy while maintaining customer identities for businesses?

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WhatsApp Usernames Explained

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A Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) is a unique identifier that Meta assigns to each WhatsApp user, specifically for your business. This unique user–business pair tells your system who is messaging you, without exposing their personal number. 

Three important things to understand about BSUID before we dive in:

• It is unique per business, so individuals will have a different BSUID for every business they interact with on WhatsApp. 
• It appears in all message webhooks from March 31, 2026, whether or not the user has adopted a username
• It introduces a new "user_id" field in the webhook payload, representing the user-business interaction along with the phone number when available

The key distinction is that user_id will always be present, while the phone number may not be visible if a user adopts a username. This is what most businesses have missed. 

Moreover, brands can also adopt a business username on WhatsApp, allowing users to search for them directly. For brands with a username, phone numbers will still be visible on WhatsApp.

Note: Business usernames are unique, so @MyOperator would be associated with one phone number while @MyOperatorSupport would be tied to another phone number.

Coming back to customer usernames, here’s how the newly introduced BSUID field changes your WhatsApp data.

Before vs. After BSUID: What Changes With WhatsApp Usernames

One of the most common points of confusion with WhatsApp's introduction of usernames in 2026 is how it changes WhatsApp API data. Here's how the three identifiers differ:

Here’s how it might look in your WhatsApp webhook payload:

Current webhook (User without a username)

{

 "from": "919876543210",

 "wa_id": "919876543210",

 "user_id": "IN.a1b2c3d4e5f6",

 "type": "text",

 "text": { "body": "Hello" }

}

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After June 2026 (User with a username)

{

 "from": "IN.a1b2c3d4e5f6",

"wa_id": " ",

 "user_id": "IN.a1b2c3d4e5f6",

 "type": "text",

 "text": { "body": "Hello" }

}

For users with usernames, the "from" field will contain the BSUID instead of a phone number. For contacts who do not adopt a username, phone numbers will be shown first, followed by the unique business-user ID.

Note: Field names such as "wa_id" and "user_id" reflect Meta’s current webhook terminology, but exact payload structure may vary depending on your WhatsApp API provider.

Now, let's explore what has changed already and what's yet to come.

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‍The Updated Timeline: What's Already Live And What’s Coming In 2026

Meta first shared an official announcement on WhatsApp usernames in February 2026. Since then, it has updated the roadmap to include:

Key Takeaway: BSUID is already live. Username rollout begins in June 2026, after which some users may stop sharing phone numbers.

If your systems aren't updated by then, here’s what will break.

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What Breaks If You Don't Act Now

Here's the exact business impact of WhatsApp’s username update:

CRM And Contact Records

CRMs often use phone numbers to identify and match inbound WhatsApp messages to customer profiles. When a customer with a username reaches out, their phone number will be replaced with a user-business ID. Your CRM won't recognize them and create a new contact.

See how MyOperator's Business AI Operator unifies customer data →‍

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Chatbots And Automated Workflows

WhatsApp chatbots managing conversations based on phone numbers will lose track if users switch to usernames. Even for simple tasks, such as checking active orders or replying to support tickets, the lack of a phone number will break the chatbot’s flow.

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Lead Generation on WhatsApp

‍If your lead capture maps WhatsApp inquiries using phone numbers, username-adopting leads will fall through the gap. You will be unable to match them with your CRM contact data, affecting how you follow up with such leads.

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WhatsApp Campaigns And Broadcasts

‍If your WhatsApp campaigns rely on phone numbers, you need to handle BSUIDs for contacts that have adopted usernames. This affects retargeting, follow-up sequences, and re-engagement campaigns on the messaging platform.

See how to send bulk WhatsApp messages without getting banned →

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Multiple Business Numbers

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If you manage multiple business portfolios, you need a Meta-provided parent ID, as you cannot generate unique IDs for each WhatsApp Business Account. Only with a "parent_user_id" can you track the same user across all your business-linked portfolios.

‍Learn how top brands build trust with users across WhatsApp business portfolios →

With Meta removing daily messaging limits, you can now receive up to 100K messages across all WhatsApp numbers. So, while your business can execute high-volume campaigns, BSUID compliance becomes even more critical, as many WhatsApp customers might have usernames.

Before reacting, keep in mind that core aspects of WhatsApp remain unchanged. Here’s what you don’t need to worry about.

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What Doesn't Change With BSUID Update

Existing Customer Data

‍Meta is launching a Contact Book feature in early May 2026 to automatically store user phone numbers and BSUID pairs from prior interactions. Once a user is in your contact book, their phone number will continue to appear in webhooks, even if they later adopt a username. 

Frequent Customer Data 

WhatsApp automatically captures a user's phone number for a rolling 30-day period after any interaction between your business and the user. So even after usernames roll out, frequent customers will continue to appear in your webhooks with their phone numbers.

Even after the transition window ends, new users can securely share their phone numbers via WhatsApp. In this case, phone numbers will be displayed as a secondary identifier after BSUID.

To summarize, here's what stays the same:

• Existing customers' phone numbers remain visible, and you can continue messaging them using the stored number even if they adopt a username later.
• Existing conversations are unaffected as WhatsApp preserves contact history.
• Data of users who don’t adopt usernames will remain unaffected, and you will be able to see their phone number and BSUID.
• Authentication and OTP messages will still go directly to phone numbers.
• Your business phone number on WhatsApp remains visible to users even if you adopt a username. 

The core customer experience on WhatsApp doesn't break.

However, when customers adopt usernames, their phone numbers may not be visible. If your WhatsApp system operates with phone numbers as the primary identifier, you must adapt now to ensure your system is BSUID-compliant.

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What You Can Do Today: 3 Simple Steps To Comply With WhatsApp Usernames

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Step 1: Audit And Test WhatsApp-Dependent Systems 

List all systems that use WhatsApp phone numbers: CRM, helpdesk, chatbot, campaigns, analytics, and lead flows. These must support user IDs (BSUID) before June 2026. 

Next, test webhook payloads for all possible scenarios:

• Users without a username: Webhook payload should include BSUID and phone number. This represents the default state for users before June 2026.
• User with a username (post-June): Webhook payloads will include the username and BSUID, but no phone number. This is where unaware businesses will see their WhatsApp flows break.
• Users in Contact Book (post-June): If your Meta contact book has captured a user’s phone number, webhook payloads must include username, BSUID, and phone number.

You can test webook payloads by navigating to App Dashboard > Use cases > Connect with customers through WhatsApp > Customize > Configuration panel > Test

Step 2: Add BSUID Field To Your CRM

One of the most critical gaps to fix is the lack of BSUID compatibility in current CRMs. With usernames, incoming messages may include a phone number, a BSUID, both, or neither.

Here’s how your CRM should behave:

1. Read All Available Identifiers from Webhook

‍From incoming webhook payloads, extract:

• from → may contain phone number OR be empty
• BSUID / user_id → always contains BSUID

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2. Normalize the Incoming Identity

‍Determine what identifiers are available:

• If from is present → use as phone number 
• If from is empty → rely on BSUID (BSUID / user_id)
• If both are present → treat them as the same user

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3. Contact Lookup Logic

Case A: Phone number available

• Search CRM using phone number
• If a match is found → attach BSUID to that contact
• If no match → create new contact with phone number & BSUID

Case B: Only BSUID available

• Search CRM using BSUID
• If a match is found → use the existing contact
• If no match → create new contact with BSUID as primary identifier 

Case C: Both phone and BSUID available

• Search CRM using phone number
• Store BSUID alongside it
• Maintain mapping for BSUID-only interactions in the future 

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4. Maintain Identifier Mapping (Critical)

For every contact, store phone number (if available) and BSUID (mandatory).

This ensures that users can be identified when they adopt usernames and phone numbers are not available. Meta supports this via 

• Contact Book feature (stores phone + BSUID pairs)
• Dual-field availability in WhatsApp webhooks (BSUID is always present)

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5. Update Messaging Logic

With WhatsApp usernames, phone numbers may not be available for all users. Ensure your system supports both identifiers for outbound messaging.

• If a user has a phone number → send using the phone number
• If a user is BSUID-only → send using BSUID

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6. Handle Edge Cases (What Most Teams Miss)

You must account for:

• from field being empty or null (username-adopting users)

• Phone number missing (from / wa_id not present)
• The same user with different BSUIDs across different business portfolios

Since BSUID (user_id) is always present, you should treat it as the primary identifier. Phone number availability is conditional and should not be relied on for long-term identity mapping

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Step 3: Claim Your Business Username on WhatsApp

Meta will soon allow businesses with WhatsApp Business Accounts to claim usernames based on their existing display names. Like any social media handle, brand usernames will be claimed on a first-come basis, so you should apply for one as early as the feature rolls out.

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How MyOperator Handles This For You

MyOperator is an official Meta Business Solution Provider, so platform-level WhatsApp updates are handled on our end, not yours.

If you are running WhatsApp on the MyOperator platform, including AI Chatbot, WhatsApp Business API, Multi-Agent Chat, or CTWA, we can help you ensure:

• Existing customer conversations stay intact
• New username-based contacts are captured 
• WhatsApp chatbots and AI agents work seamlessly 

Explore MyOperator's WhatsApp Marketing Suite →

The Bottom Line

WhatsApp is moving toward a privacy-first identity model. Phone numbers aren't disappearing completely, but they are guaranteed as the primary identifier.

With BSUID live as of March 31, 2026, and usernames rolling out in June, businesses that act in April and May will see zero disruption. The ones that don't risk losing contact records, breaking chatbot flows, and missing leads on WhatsApp.

If WhatsApp is part of your customer communication stack, start with the three steps outlined above today. We’re committed to sharing latest updates from Meta to help you stay ahead of the shift.