WhatsApp has been slowly inching toward that big, privacy-focused shift: letting people find and connect using usernames instead of phone numbers. The latest WhatsApp iOS beta update, version 25.34.10.70, shows some significant progress in that regard. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing the display of usernames when users search for unknown phone numbers.
Usernames will appear for unknown number searches.
Presently, when a WhatsApp user searches for an unknown number, the app shows only the number and a profile picture, if the privacy settings allow visibility. But the push name of a user remains concealed if there is no earlier interaction with them, which makes identification difficult in case of any unknown caller or sender.
The new system hopes to change all that. In case a phone number matches any existing account, WhatsApp will display the linked username along with permitted profile information of the contact, to help users recognise if the number truly belongs to someone legitimate.
Phone numbers will stay hidden for Username Searches.
WhatsApp is also working on strengthening privacy: when users search for contacts by username, the phone number will remain concealed. This way, it will protect the identity of the users and avoid unwanted number sharing.
The app still will display the phone number inside the chat info screen, but only once a conversation begins. This allows privacy at the level of discovery, yet still transparency in chats.
Rollout expected by next year
The feature to allow searching by username is still in development and is expected to be released next year. Meta has already told business accounts that they will need to support usernames along with business-scoped IDs in June 2026, which would indicate the rollout of consumer-level usernames could happen earlier.
The main reason behind the update
The transition from using phone numbers to usernames can significantly affect user experience in the following ways:
- To identify unknown contacts easily
- Reduce spam or unknown messages from being answered
- Offering better privacy controls
- Improving the safety of calls and chats
When will the feature roll out for the masses?
Although the feature is still under development, the company has signalled that this will be the biggest upgrade to WhatsApp since multi-device support.
