WhatsApp is rolling out usernames, a feature that lets people contact a business without sharing their phone number. Futuria CRM has already built in support for it, so you capture these contacts automatically as soon as the feature becomes available in your area.
There is nothing to change in your current set-up. This only affects new incoming messages from customers who have activated a WhatsApp username, and Futuria CRM is already prepared to handle them.
Table of contents
- What's new
- Contact capture for people using a username
- What stays the same
- How to enable the feature
- Availability
- Frequently asked questions
- Why it matters for your business
- Resources
What's new
Contact capture for people using a username
- Capturing new customers: when a WhatsApp user who has activated a username contacts your business for the first time, Futuria CRM automatically creates a new contact using their username and a business-specific user ID (BSUID). We have shipped this feature ahead of time so you are ready from day one.
What stays the same
- Messaging by phone number works exactly as before. Every conversation based on a phone number carries on unchanged.
- Contact imports are unaffected. You can keep importing contacts by phone number just as you always have.
- Your existing contacts are unaffected. Their data and conversation history stay intact, with no interruption to running automations.
- The only difference: when you receive the first message from a customer using a username, you will not see their phone number. Futuria CRM captures the contact through the username and BSUID, so you lose neither the conversation nor the prospective customer.
How to enable the feature
There is nothing to do. Creating contacts from usernames is enabled automatically. Messaging, imports and your existing contacts will keep working as always.
Availability
This feature is currently in beta with Meta, which is releasing it gradually across different regions. The first markets involved are:
- Algeria, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Libya, Nepal
- Colombia, Dominican Republic, Singapore, Malaysia, Peru
Other regions will follow as Meta expands the testing phase.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to change anything?
No. The feature is automatic. Your current set-up, contacts, imports and automations carry on working exactly as before.
Does messaging by phone number still work?
Yes, with no changes at all. Every conversation where you have the customer's phone number behaves exactly as it does today.
Do contact imports change?
No. Importing contacts by phone number works as always.
So what actually changes in practice?
Just one thing. When a customer who has activated a WhatsApp username writes to you for the first time, WhatsApp does not share their phone number. Rather than losing that contact, Futuria CRM creates it using their username and their BSUID.
Can I message a customer using only their username?
No. A username is a label, not an address.
WhatsApp does not allow you to search for a customer by username and only routes messages by phone number or BSUID. You therefore cannot start a new conversation with someone whose username is all you know.
Can I reply to a customer who contacted me through a username?
Yes. Once they have written to you first, Futuria CRM captures their BSUID and you can reply and continue the conversation, following the same WhatsApp rules (session window and templates) that apply to every conversation.
Can I proactively contact a lead when I only have their username?
No. Because a username cannot be matched to a phone number or a BSUID, you cannot start an outbound message to a customer whose username is all you know. You can only write to them after they have contacted you first, at which point their BSUID becomes available.
What is a BSUID?
It is a Business-Scoped User ID. It is a unique identifier that WhatsApp assigns to each customer specifically for your business, and it lets you keep writing to them even when their phone number is hidden. It is limited to your account, so it is not a phone number and it is not shared with other businesses.
Will I still receive phone numbers from customers who use a username?
Often, yes. If you already have a relationship with the customer (for example, you have exchanged messages recently or they are already in your Meta contact list), WhatsApp will continue to share their phone number. The number is mainly hidden in the case of a completely new customer who adopts a username and contacts you for the first time.
Does this affect billing, templates or my automations?
No. There are no changes to WhatsApp billing, template approval or your existing workflows and automations.
Is a username permanent?
No. Customers can change their username at any time, which is precisely why it is not used as an identifier. The BSUID stays stable for your business, keeping conversation history and automations reliable.
Why it matters for your business
Usernames give WhatsApp users privacy over their phone number. Adopting the feature is the customer's choice, so it is not something you can control. Futuria CRM added support early, so when the feature reaches your market every new username contact is captured automatically, with no risk of losing it.
- Ready ahead of Meta's release, so contacts using a username are captured from the moment the feature reaches your market.
- No lost leads as customers move towards greater privacy over their phone number.
- No configuration required and no changes to phone-number messaging, imports or existing contacts, removing any operational cost or migration risk.
All you need to do is keep WhatsApp active: you are already covered for when usernames become available in your market.
