- WhatsApp will launch usernames to connect users without sharing phone numbers
- KnotDating CEO warns usernames may increase scams and reduce accountability
- Users on social media fear usernames could enable impersonation and fraud
WhatsApp is set to introduce usernames, a new privacy feature that will allow users to connect with others without sharing their phone numbers.
Reacting to the upcoming feature, KnotDating CEO Jasveer Singh said his first concern was not user privacy but the potential for increased scams. "WhatsApp just launched usernames. My first thought wasn't privacy - it was scams," he said.
The CEO pointed to Telegram, where users can contact others through usernames without knowing their phone numbers. According to him, this has made the platform a target for scammers and spam messages.
He also cited Telegram as an example, noting that the platform has frequently been linked to investigations involving investment fraud, impersonation and other cybercrimes. "WhatsApp is much bigger. At the scale of billions of users, even small design choices can have enormous public safety implications," he added.
Another user said that the username feature could become a serious problem in countries like India if WhatsApp does not introduce strong anti-abuse safeguards.
He said scammers could create usernames that closely resemble those of well-known public figures. He cited an example that instead of using his real name, Ankur Warikoo, fraudsters could use slight variations such as "awarikoo", "ankur_warikoo" or "ankurwarikooofficial" to trick people into believing they are speaking to the genuine person.
In a country such as India, this could be a disaster, if the right anti-abuse systems are not set up by WhatsApp.
— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) June 30, 2026
Imagine receiving a message from warikoo / awarikoo / ankurwarikooo / ankur_warikoo / a_warikoo / ankurwarikooofficial etc etc - soliciting money.
1. Most people… https://t.co/AaiH7F1szN
He said many users may not know how to identify verified accounts, making it easier for impersonators to deceive them.
He further said that he has personally experienced the problem, claiming that AI-generated advertisements using his image were used to lure people into fake investment WhatsApp groups. He added that he had fought a legal case against Meta over its alleged failure to remove such scam advertisements quickly.
Announcing the feature on X, WhatsApp said usernames are designed to give users more privacy by allowing them to connect with others without sharing their personal phone numbers. The company said users will be able to choose a unique username that others can use to find and message them instead of seeing their mobile number.
your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over. that's why we're introducing usernames for WhatsApp.
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) June 29, 2026
starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure…
WhatsApp also announced that users can start reserving their preferred usernames this week, ahead of the feature's wider rollout later this year. To reserve a username, users need to update WhatsApp to the latest version and go to Settings > Account > Username. The company said the process takes only a few seconds.
