Last updated: 2026-05-12

Source: https://support.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/50000012642-upcoming-changes-to-whatsapp-identity-model

Upcoming changes to WhatsApp identity model

This article provides information about upcoming changes to WhatsApp, their impact on the Freshdesk and Freshchat products, and the actions required to ensure uninterrupted communication.

Introduction

Meta is introducing a significant update to WhatsApp that changes how users are identified during business interactions. This update affects how messages are received, processed, and converted into tickets across Freshdesk, Freshdesk Omni (2023 and 2025), Freshdesk Omnichannel (classic), and Freshchat.

Prerequisites:

Before reviewing the upcoming changes, understand the following WhatsApp concepts:

WhatsApp username A unique identifier (for example, @username) that allows users to message businesses without sharing their phone number. This is designed to give users more control over their privacy.

Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) A unique identifier provided by Meta in place of a phone number for username-based interactions. This identifier is mapped to your business account and is used to process messages when a phone number is not shared.

Phone Number (traditional Identifier) The customer’s mobile number, which is currently used as the primary identifier for WhatsApp interactions. This will continue to be used for users who do not adopt usernames.

For more details, refer to Meta’s developer documentation.

Rollout timeline

For all product offerings or cohorts, the rollout plan will be as follows:

June 1, 2026: Feature rollout begins in test countries.

July 1, 2026: General Availability begins globally.

Upcoming changes to the WhatsApp identity model

Starting June 2026, Meta will introduce WhatsApp usernames, allowing users to message businesses with a unique identifier (for example, @username) without sharing their phone number.

To support this change, Meta is introducing the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) and moving away from phone numbers as the primary identifier in their Cloud API.

With this update, WhatsApp is shifting from a phone number–based model to a hybrid identity model. This change introduces the following key differences in how user identity is shared and managed:

Phone numbers will no longer be available for all interactions.

Some users may choose to interact using a username. In such cases, only the BSUID will be shared with businesses

Impact across Freshdesk products

Currently, Freshdesk and related products use the customer's phone number to identify and route WhatsApp conversations. The phone number is included with every incoming message and is used to identify the user and create or update a ticket.

With this update, the behavior varies based on the Freshchat or Freshdesk product you have. In some cases, you need to take action to continue receiving and processing WhatsApp messages.

The following table summarizes the impact and required actions across Freshdesk offerings:


Product (SKU)	Current Behavior	Behavior after update	Action Required
Freshdesk (standalone)	Uses phone numbers to receive messages and create tickets for all WhatsApp interactions.	Messages from username-based users will not be delivered, and no tickets will be created.	Freshdesk does not support username-based messages, and tickets will not be created for them.<br>To ensure all messages are delivered, please migrate to Freshdesk Omni 2025.
Freshdesk Omnichannel (classic)	Uses phone numbers to receive messages, identify customers, and create tickets for WhatsApp interactions.	Automatically upgraded to support both phone numbers and usernames, with no disruption.	No action required.
Freshdesk Omni (2023 and 2025)	Supports modern omnichannel messaging.	Fully supports both phone number and username-based interactions with no impact.	No action required.
Freshchat	Processes WhatsApp messages using phone numbers.	Fully supports both phone number and username-based interactions with no disruption.	No action required.

Product-specific impact and actions

How does this impact message handling

The behavior changes based on how the customer initiates the conversation:

New customer using a username: The message will not be delivered, and no ticket will be created.

Existing customer switching to a username: Messages will continue to be sent temporarily while both the phone number and the username are shared. Once phone number sharing stops (typically within 30 days), messages will no longer be delivered.

Customer continuing to use a phone number: No change. Messages will continue to be processed as usual.

Click-to-WhatsApp conversations: Messages from users with usernames will not be received.

Note: Messages from username-based users will not be received or visible in Freshdesk.

Action required

Migrate to Freshdesk Omni 2025, which supports both phone numbers and BSUID. For assistance, contact your Account Manager or support@freshworks.com.

Review workflows, bots, and integrations that depend on phone numbers

Update systems to handle username-based identification

No action required: Your account will be automatically upgraded to the latest version before the rollout. However, we recommend you review bots, workflows, and integrations that rely on phone numbers and update them to support BSUID.

For users who adopt usernames, WhatsApp will provide a BSUID instead of a phone number. Freshdesk Omni (2023/2025) and Freshchat are fully equipped to support this change.

Both platforms will support phone-number and username-based interactions from day one, ensuring reliable message delivery and ticket creation.

No action required: No migration is needed, and message delivery will continue without disruption. However, review workflows, bots, and integrations that rely on phone numbers and update them to support BSUID.

Note: Users who do not adopt usernames will continue to be identified using phone numbers.

FAQs

1. When will this change take effect? The rollout begins on June 1, 2026, in select countries and expands globally from July 1, 2026.

2. Will I lose existing tickets or customer data?

No. Existing tickets and customer data remain unchanged. The impact applies only to how new messages are received.

3. Will all my WhatsApp messages stop? No. Only messages from users who choose to interact using usernames (without sharing phone numbers) will be affected.

4. What happens if only some customers use usernames? Your system will operate in a mixed mode. Customers who share phone numbers will continue to be supported, while username-based interactions will follow the updated behavior.

5. Can I still send messages using phone numbers?

Yes. Phone numbers will continue to work for outbound communication, including marketing and transactional messages.

6. Do I need to migrate immediately? Migration is required only for Freshdesk (standalone) users to avoid message loss. Customers using Freshdesk Omni or Freshchat do not need to migrate.