WhatsApp’s New Username Feature Hits a Roadblock in India
- Nishadil
- July 07, 2026
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Regulator Gives Meta Three Days to Respond, Delaying Rollout
India’s telecom watchdog has paused WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature, asking Meta for more details and granting a three‑day window to reply, pushing back the launch.
When Meta announced that WhatsApp would soon let users pick a custom username—think of it as a simple, phone‑number‑free handle—many Indians were excited. It promised a smoother way to connect without sharing personal digits.
But the enthusiasm ran into a snag. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) stepped in, flagging the feature as something that needed a closer look. In a brief notice, TRAI asked Meta to clarify how the usernames would be generated, stored, and protected under Indian law.
Meta wasn’t left hanging for long. The regulator handed the company a three‑day deadline to submit its responses. While three days might sound like a blink, in the tech world it’s enough to push a scheduled rollout back by weeks, if not months.
Why the caution? Indian officials are wary of any new identifier that could potentially bypass the country’s stringent data‑privacy rules. A username, after all, could become a de‑facto personal ID, especially if it’s linked back to a phone number or other personal data.
For now, WhatsApp users in India won’t see the new option in their apps. The company has said it’s cooperating fully with TRAI and hopes to resolve the queries quickly so the feature can eventually roll out.
In the meantime, the classic method—sharing your phone number—remains the default way to add contacts on the platform. Users can only hope the regulatory hurdle clears soon, letting them enjoy the convenience of usernames without compromising privacy.
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