John Mwithimbu says he did not deliberately set up a WhatsApp username. He checked for updates on the messaging platform and then discovered a username on his account.
As a director at Elivebuyind Solutions, he says the change raises concerns about how prospective customers can reach him, particularly when they do not already have his telephone number.
“It is hard for us business people not to have your number for the new clients who would want to reach out,” he says.
Mwithimbu says some people have contacted him through WhatsApp, but he hasn't been able to get their numbers to call them outside the platform.
He is also concerned about verifying people’s identities when usernames replace phone numbers as the details displayed to unfamiliar contacts.
“At least with a number you are sure of authenticity. With usernames you cannot be sure, and one can have similar usernames,” he says.
For him, the limitations outweigh the benefits when using WhatsApp for business.
Gideon Karisa also shares concerns about the accessibility of contacts who use usernames. He recalls urgently needing to reach someone but being unable to obtain their phone number because the person was offline.
WhatsApp described the introduction of usernames as a privacy feature.
Photo credit: File
“I hate that WhatsApp username feature. I was urgently looking for someone's contact, and they'd done that nonsense, and they were offline. I nearly cried in anger because it was urgent things!” he says.
Social media giant Meta rolled out usernames on its messaging platform WhatsApp recently, which it says was a major privacy feature “major privacy feature” designed to help people stay connected without giving away phone numbers. However, critics say that the username feature may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims. Now Kenyan business people say the WhatsApp usernames are jeorpadising their online businesses.
Karisa says telephone numbers remain important for businesses that rely on direct communication with customers.
“I think Meta rushed. They never gave a second thought to businesses and SMEs, especially in this region where a phone number means a lot. Apart from being an identity, it's everything: business, transactions, availability,” he says.
Jeff Mwaniki also raises concerns about impersonation and the implications for people who use WhatsApp commercially.
“By the way, that thing was bad. People would impersonate you. If you are in business, people can't call you,” he says.
Mary Wanja similarly warns about the possibility of lookalike accounts misleading users. She also recounts losing access to her WhatsApp account in May before regaining it. However, her belief that setting a username contributed to the incident has not been independently verified.
What WhatsApp says about usernames
According to WhatsApp, usernames are an optional feature being rolled out gradually. They allow users to create unique identifiers and communicate without necessarily disclosing their telephone numbers to people who do not already have them saved.
When a user sets up a username, people who do not have their number saved will generally see the username instead. Those who already have the number saved will continue to see it.
WhatsApp says users can change or delete their usernames at any time. Deleting one allows other users to see the account holder's phone number again, subject to the platform's contact-display rules.
A telephone number is still required to maintain a WhatsApp account. The username provides an alternative way to initiate a conversation on the platform, rather than replacing the number associated with the account.
The feature also does not provide a searchable directory of usernames. Someone who wants to contact another user through a username needs to know the exact identifier or receive a link or QR code directing them to the account.
A person who knows only someone’s username may be able to start a WhatsApp conversation but will not necessarily have the telephone number required to call them through the conventional mobile network.
For businesses, the choice of whether to use a username depends partly on how customers find them and if the contacts are available on other platforms.
