Soon, WhatsApp users will be able to select a username and hide their phone number. This privacy feature from Meta is optional, but businesses must be ready to identify and communicate with users via a new identifier called the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID).
Where: This change applies to Enhanced WhatsApp channels. View supported editions.
When: As early as June 2026, businesses can send messages to a user’s BSUID if the user’s phone number isn't available. The rollout date varies by country, so see the WhatsApp documentation for details.
Why: With this new feature, WhatsApp end users can choose to display a username and interact with businesses without revealing their phone number. BSUIDs are business-specific, so Meta assigns the user a BSUID for each business they interact with. The BSUID becomes the user’s primary contact identifier for a business.
Changing a user’s username doesn’t affect their BSUIDs. If a user doesn’t adopt a username, their phone number remains available and they aren’t assigned any BSUIDs.
How: If you have automation in Salesforce that references the phone numbers of WhatsApp messaging users, you may need to update it when the BSUID changes occur.
Monitor the Salesforce release notes for updates about BSUID-related changes to our platform. All release notes are listed by month of publication.