WhatsApp is introducing usernames, giving people the option to message businesses without sharing their phone number.

Tekmatix is already prepared for this change.

As WhatsApp usernames become available in supported regions, Tekmatix can automatically capture new inbound contacts who message your business using a username, even when WhatsApp does not provide their phone number.

This means you can continue capturing new WhatsApp leads without needing to change your existing setup.

What’s New?

Automatic Contact Capture for WhatsApp Username Users

When a completely new WhatsApp user contacts your business for the first time using a WhatsApp username, their phone number may not be shared.

Instead, Tekmatix can create the contact using:

• Their WhatsApp username

• Their Business-Scoped User ID, or BSUID

The BSUID acts as the stable identifier Tekmatix can use to maintain the conversation with that customer.

The result is simple: even if the customer chooses to keep their phone number private, their enquiry can still be captured inside your Tekmatix CRM.

What Does Not Change?

The introduction of WhatsApp usernames does not require you to change the way you currently use WhatsApp inside Tekmatix.

Phone Number Messaging Continues as Normal

If you already communicate with customers using their phone numbers, those conversations continue to work as they do now.

There is no change to normal phone-number-based messaging.

Contact Imports Stay the Same

You can continue importing contacts using phone numbers exactly as you currently do.

Your existing contact import process is unaffected.

Existing Contacts Are Unaffected

Your existing WhatsApp contacts remain intact, including:

• Contact records

• Phone numbers

• Conversation histories

• Workflow activity

• Automations

There is no migration required and no disruption to your existing WhatsApp setup.

The main difference applies only when a brand-new customer using a WhatsApp username contacts your business for the first time and WhatsApp chooses not to share their phone number.

In that situation, Tekmatix can capture them using their username and BSUID instead.

How to Activate WhatsApp Username Contact Capture

There is nothing you need to activate.

Support for WhatsApp username contacts works automatically as the feature becomes available through WhatsApp.

Your phone-number messaging, imports, contacts and existing automations can continue operating as normal.

Availability

WhatsApp username functionality is currently being introduced gradually as part of Meta's rollout.

Initial rollout markets include:

• Algeria

• Azerbaijan

• Ghana

• Libya

• Nepal

• Colombia

• Dominican Republic

• Singapore

• Malaysia

• Peru

Additional regions are expected to follow as availability expands.

Common Questions About WhatsApp Usernames in Tekmatix

Do I Need to Change Anything?

No.

The functionality works automatically.

Your existing WhatsApp setup, contacts, phone-number messaging, imports and automations can continue as they currently operate.

Does Messaging by Phone Number Still Work?

Yes.

When you have a customer's phone number, WhatsApp conversations continue to work as normal.

Does Contact Import Change?

No.

You can continue importing contacts by phone number in the same way you do today.

What Actually Changes?

The main change occurs when a completely new customer who has enabled a WhatsApp username messages your business for the first time.

WhatsApp may choose not to provide their phone number.

Rather than losing that lead, Tekmatix can create their contact record using their WhatsApp username and BSUID.

This allows the conversation to remain connected to a contact record within your CRM.

Can I Message Someone Using Only Their WhatsApp Username?

No.

A WhatsApp username is primarily a customer-facing identity rather than an address businesses can use to initiate messages.

You cannot simply search for a customer's username and start a new WhatsApp conversation with them.

WhatsApp messaging is routed using identifiers such as a phone number or the customer's BSUID.

Can I Reply to Someone Who First Messaged Me Using a Username?

Yes.

Once the customer messages your business first, their BSUID becomes available and Tekmatix can associate that identifier with their contact record.

You can then reply and continue the conversation, subject to the normal WhatsApp messaging rules, including session windows and approved template requirements.

Can I Cold Message a Username-Only Lead?

No.

If all you know is someone's WhatsApp username, you cannot use that username to resolve their phone number or BSUID and initiate a new outbound conversation.

The customer must contact your business first.

Once they do, the BSUID can be captured and used to maintain the conversation.

What Is a BSUID?

BSUID stands for Business-Scoped User ID.

It is a unique identifier WhatsApp assigns to a customer specifically in relation to your business.

Think of it as a behind-the-scenes identifier that allows WhatsApp and Tekmatix to maintain the relationship with that customer even when their phone number is hidden.

A BSUID:

• Is not the customer's phone number

• Is specific to your business

• Is not shared as the same identifier across unrelated businesses

• Can remain stable even if the customer's username changes

This makes it more reliable for maintaining contact records, conversation history and automation activity.

Will I Still Receive Phone Numbers From Customers Who Use Usernames?

In many cases, yes.

WhatsApp may continue sharing a customer's phone number when there is already an established relationship with them.

For example, you may still receive the phone number when:

• The customer already exists in your contacts

• You have previously exchanged messages

• There is already an established WhatsApp relationship

Phone-number privacy is particularly relevant when a brand-new customer using a username contacts your business for the first time.

Does This Affect WhatsApp Billing, Templates or Automations?

No.

There is no change to:

• WhatsApp billing

• WhatsApp template approval

• Existing workflows

• Existing automations

• Phone-number messaging

Your existing processes can continue operating as normal.

Is a WhatsApp Username Permanent?

No.

Customers may be able to change their username.

This is one of the reasons the username itself is not relied upon as the permanent underlying customer identifier.

The BSUID provides the more stable business-specific identifier, helping Tekmatix maintain the connection between the customer, their conversations and their contact record.

Why WhatsApp Username Support Matters for Your Business

WhatsApp usernames are designed to give customers greater control over their phone-number privacy.

For businesses, however, that creates a potential CRM challenge.

If a customer can contact you without revealing their phone number, systems that depend entirely on phone numbers for contact identification may struggle to capture or manage that lead correctly.

Tekmatix's support for WhatsApp username contacts helps remove that gap.

When an eligible new customer contacts you using a username, Tekmatix can capture their contact information using the data WhatsApp does provide.

That means you can:

• Continue capturing new WhatsApp enquiries

• Reduce the risk of leads disappearing because a phone number is unavailable

• Maintain WhatsApp conversation history

• Keep contacts connected to your CRM

• Continue using workflows and automations

• Give customers greater privacy without sacrificing your lead-management process

And because the functionality is automatic, there is no complicated migration or new setup process required.

Stay Ready as WhatsApp Evolves

Messaging platforms are continuing to give customers more control over privacy and identity.

For businesses, that means your CRM and automation systems also need to evolve.

With WhatsApp username contact capture inside Tekmatix, your business can remain ready as this functionality reaches more markets.

Keep using WhatsApp through Tekmatix as normal, and eligible username-based inbound contacts can be captured automatically as the rollout reaches your region.

Want to Build Smarter Automations Inside Tekmatix?

If you want to learn how to turn features like WhatsApp messaging, CRM contacts, workflows, AI and automated follow-up into practical business systems, join Sarah Cordiner inside The Legends Lab.

Get access to step-by-step business, marketing, course creation and automation training designed to help you actually implement the technology, not just collect more tools.

Learn more here: https://SarahCordiner.com/Legends