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WhatsApp Username Feature Update: A big update has come for more than 80 crore users of India who use WhatsApp. There has been a new twist in the ongoing tussle between the government and WhatsApp regarding the new feature of chatting on WhatsApp only through 'username' without showing the phone number. Late in the evening of Thursday, July 9, 2026, WhatsApp has submitted its written reply to the Ministry of IT (MeitY) of the Government of India. Today on Friday, senior government officials are reviewing this reply closely. Let us know what is the whole matter, what problem does the government have with this new feature and whether now your phone numbers will be able to be hidden or not…

Why did the government send notice to WhatsApp?

The matter is of July 1, when the Government of India had given a strict notice to WhatsApp's parent company 'Meta'. The government had clearly said that for the time being, the rollout (launch) of this 'username' feature in India should be immediately stopped.

What is the government afraid of?

The government believes that if WhatsApp gets the freedom to hide the phone number and show only the username, then criminals will have fun in the country. The IT Ministry has expressed concern that with the introduction of this feature it will become difficult to identify those committing online fraud. This may increase digital arrest scams. Apart from this, identity theft (Impersonation Attacks) can happen i.e. anyone can defraud people by creating the username of another famous person. The government had given clear instructions that until the government is completely satisfied that this feature is safe, it will not be launched in India.

What assurance has WhatsApp given to the government?

Earlier the last date to reply to this notice was July 4, but WhatsApp had asked for some more time. The company had also given a written assurance to the government that until the negotiations with the government are completed, they will not start this feature in India under any circumstances. Now that WhatsApp has submitted its final written reply on Thursday night, all eyes are on the next step of the IT Ministry.

Not only WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal can also be affected.

The government has made it clear that according to the IT Act of India (IT Act 2000), any social media platform which has more than 50 lakh users in India will have to follow the strict rules of the government. WhatsApp has a huge base of more than 80 crore users in India alone. The IT Ministry has also sent a notice to Telegram, Signal and Arattai apps regarding this feature of hiding phone numbers. IT Secretary S. Krishnan said that 'Telegram and Signal still have some more time to respond. As soon as their reply comes, the government will consider them also.

Will your WhatsApp number be hidden or not?

Until the IT Ministry is completely satisfied with WhatsApp's response and sees strong security arrangements, the feature of running WhatsApp without a number cannot come in India. The government is giving priority to cyber security of common citizens of the country more than privacy.