In this guide · 7 sections
- 01What WhatsApp usernames are and when they arrive
- 02Why reserve your business username now
- 03How to reserve a username in the WhatsApp Business app
- 04WhatsApp Business API: claiming a username and BSUIDs
- 05Update your chat links, QR codes and marketing
- 06Do it yourself or get help?
- 07Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Since 29 June 2026 businesses can reserve a WhatsApp username. In the WhatsApp Business app, open your business profile, tap Username > Reserve username, enter the name and tap Reserve. API businesses use WhatsApp Manager, Meta Business Suite or the Username API. Your number stays visible.
What WhatsApp usernames are and when they arrive
WhatsApp announced usernames on its blog on 29 June 2026: people and businesses can reserve a username now, and WhatsApp will roll the feature out gradually and notify users in the app when it is available in their country. There is no searchable directory; someone must know your exact username to message you.
For businesses, WhatsApp's help page About usernames on WhatsApp Business says a username is an optional @handle that lets customers start a chat without needing your phone number. Your phone number still appears on your business profile, and customers who already have it can keep using it.
Why reserve your business username now
Usernames are first come, first served, and WhatsApp says some names are held for businesses, governments and public figures. Reserving early protects you from two problems: losing your brand name to another business, and someone using a near-identical @handle to impersonate you.
- Brand consistency: WhatsApp's reservation help page says you may be able to claim the same username you use on Instagram or Facebook, but only for a limited time and after linking the accounts.
- Impersonation risk: scammers already pose as businesses on WhatsApp. A verified-looking @handle that matches your shop name is harder to fake once you hold it.
- Nothing is public yet: a reserved username is invisible and cannot be used to contact you until it becomes active in your country.
- Meta Verified with a custom page address: WhatsApp says these businesses already have a username reserved matching that address.
How to reserve a username in the WhatsApp Business app
Reservation works on mobile only; WhatsApp says it is not available on WhatsApp Web. Update the app first.
Link Facebook or Instagram if you want the same handle
In the WhatsApp Business app go to Tools > Facebook and Instagram and follow the prompts. Do this first if your preferred name is already your Instagram or Page username.
Open your business profile
Under Username, tap Reserve username, then Reserve username again.
Enter the username and tap Reserve
If you see "This username is not available", it is taken or held. Try a variant such as adding your location or a period.
Tap Done and wait for the notification
WhatsApp Business will notify you when usernames are active in your country. Until then nobody can see or use your reserved name.
Add a username key if you want fewer cold messages
A username key is an optional code that new contacts need together with your username to message you first. Most shops leave it off; a consultant who only wants referrals might turn it on.
WhatsApp's reservation page lists the rules: 3 to 35 characters, lowercase letters (a to z), numbers, underscores and periods, not only numbers, and no restricted words. If you run several numbers (sales and support, for example), each needs its own username.
WhatsApp Business API: claiming a username and BSUIDs
If you send messages through the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API or a provider), Meta's business-scoped user IDs documentation covers the changes. Businesses could claim a reserved username from 29 June 2026 through WhatsApp Manager, Meta Business Suite or the Username API, and one username maps to exactly one business phone number.
| Change | What Meta's docs say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Business-scoped user ID (BSUID) | A new ID per customer, tied to your business portfolio, in webhooks since early April 2026 | Store it alongside the phone number in your CRM or helpdesk |
| Phone number may be missing | If a customer enables a username, their number may not appear in webhooks unless you have interacted before | Do not use phone number as the only customer key |
| Sending to a BSUID | Supported from July 2026; you can message by BSUID, phone number or both | Check your provider supports it |
| Request contact info button | A REQUEST_CONTACT_INFO button for utility and marketing templates, from early July 2026 | Use it when you need a number for delivery or support |
| Authentication templates | One-tap, zero-tap and copy-code OTP templates still require a phone number | Keep phone-based OTP flows as they are |
Meta says supporting BSUIDs is required for all partners, directly integrated businesses and click-to-WhatsApp advertisers. If a provider runs your WhatsApp, ask them in writing whether they handle BSUIDs and username webhooks. Our guide to WhatsApp Business API costs in Singapore explains the provider options.
Update your chat links, QR codes and marketing
Once usernames are active, WhatsApp says customers can reach you by typing your exact username, scanning a QR code or using a direct link. Your existing phone-number links (wa.me links and chat buttons) keep working, because your number does not change.
Username readiness checklist
Our guide to adding a WhatsApp chat button to your website covers the link formats. If you are worried about losing the account itself, see what to do when a WhatsApp business account is banned.
Do it yourself or get help?
Reserving a username in the WhatsApp Business app takes two minutes, and every business using WhatsApp should do it now. The API side needs more care if you have automated notifications, a CRM or a booking system linked to WhatsApp.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Our WhatsApp Notifications package (S$590) sets up the official WhatsApp Business API through an approved provider, with up to 3 message templates, triggers from your store, form or booking system, and PDPA opt-in handling. Message and provider fees are paid by you directly.
Frequently asked questions
WhatsApp opened username reservations on 29 June 2026 for both personal and business accounts. Meta's developer documentation confirms businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform could reserve and claim usernames from the same date. The feature itself is rolling out gradually by country, and WhatsApp notifies you in the app when your username becomes active.
No. WhatsApp states that adopting a business username does not hide your business phone number, which stays visible on your business profile. Customers who do not have your number saved will see your username in chats, but anyone can still find your number on the profile and contact you that way.
According to WhatsApp's reservation help page, a business username must be 3 to 35 characters long, use lowercase letters, numbers, underscores and periods, not consist only of numbers, be unique, and avoid restricted words. Each phone number can have one username, so a business with separate sales and support numbers needs two usernames.
Possibly. WhatsApp says businesses may be able to claim the username they use on Instagram or Facebook, but there is a limited window. You first need to link your WhatsApp Business account to your Instagram Business profile or Facebook Page under Tools in the app, then reserve the username.
Meta requires API businesses and partners to support business-scoped user IDs. Customers who enable a username may not share their phone number in webhooks, so your system should store the BSUID as an identifier, be able to message by BSUID, and use the request contact info button when a phone number is needed for delivery or support.