WhatsApp new features 2026: every update so far, and what it means for business

The biggest WhatsApp updates of 2026 so far are usernames (reservations opened on 29 June and the feature is rolling out country by country), guest calling for people who don't have WhatsApp (14 October), a full password for two-step verification and support for several passkeys (25 August), and, for businesses, per-message billing for service messages from 1 October, with the first 1,000 a month free on each number. Below is each update in date order, followed by what it changes if you run a business in Qatar or the wider GCC.

Meta rolls most features out gradually, so some of them may not have reached your phone or your country yet. We update this article as new releases are announced; every claim is linked to Meta's own announcement or documentation in the sources at the end.

WhatsApp's 2026 updates at a glance.

• Usernames (from 29 June 2026): an optional handle you can share instead of your phone number. Reserve it under Settings → Account → Username; it switches on when your country's rollout reaches you.
• Business usernames and business-scoped user IDs: businesses can reserve a username too, and the WhatsApp Business Platform identifies customers who hide their number with a business-scoped user ID (BSUID).
• Account security (25 August 2026): two-step verification moves from a six-digit PIN to a longer alphanumeric password, you can add more than one passkey, and Android shows more context about unknown callers.
• Guest calling (14 October 2026): invite anyone to a WhatsApp call with a link, even people without an account. Guests join from a computer browser and wait until the host admits them.
• Business app and API on one number: the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API can run on the same number ("coexistence"), so a team can keep the app and add automation.
• Service-message billing (1 October 2026): replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are now charged per message after 1,000 free each month per business number.

Usernames: chat without sharing your number.

WhatsApp opened username reservations on 29 June 2026. A username is optional and works like a handle: people can start a chat with you by typing it, without ever seeing your phone number. There is no public directory and no suggestion list, so someone needs your exact username to reach you for the first time. When the feature reaches your country you get a notice in the app.

For businesses this is the change that needs the most preparation. Reserve your brand's username early, before someone else takes the obvious one. If you use the WhatsApp Business Platform, customers who adopt usernames can message you without their phone number being shared, and the platform identifies them with a business-scoped user ID instead. Any system that matches WhatsApp chats to customer records by phone number (a CRM, an order system, a loyalty programme) needs to handle that ID. Ask your provider whether it already does.

Stronger account security.

On 25 August 2026 WhatsApp replaced the six-digit two-step verification PIN with a full password that can be longer and include letters and special characters. Accounts can now also hold more than one passkey, which helps anyone who uses both an Android phone and an iPhone, and on Android you see more about a caller who isn't in your contacts, such as the country code and any groups you share.

If your business runs WhatsApp on shared phones, this is a good moment to set a proper two-step password on every one of them and record who holds it. Taking over an account with a stolen verification code is a well-known WhatsApp scam, and a strong password is the main defence.

Guest calling: invite anyone to a call.

Since 14 October 2026 you can create a call link from the Calls tab and send it to anyone, including people who don't use WhatsApp. Guests type their name in a computer browser and wait in a waiting room until the host lets them in, and calls can hold up to 32 people. Guests can't see other participants' phone numbers, send messages or add anyone to the call.

In practice this makes WhatsApp usable for client meetings with people outside the Gulf, where not everyone has the app, without moving to a separate video-call tool.

Status ads, promoted channels and channel subscriptions.

WhatsApp's Updates tab, which holds Status and Channels, now carries three business features that Meta announced in June 2025 and has been rolling out market by market: ads in Status that open a chat with the advertiser, promoted channels in the channel directory, and paid channel subscriptions. Meta says ads stay in the Updates tab and personal chats remain ad-free and end-to-end encrypted.

Status ads are bought through Meta Ads Manager alongside Facebook and Instagram campaigns. For brands in Qatar and Saudi Arabia that already sell through WhatsApp conversations, an ad that opens a chat directly is worth testing, provided someone (or a well-designed bot) is ready to answer.

For businesses: what changed on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

• Service messages are billable from 1 October 2026. Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window used to cost nothing; now each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month and pays a per-message rate after that. Rates depend on the recipient's country, so check Meta's rate card for your markets.
• Calling on the Cloud API keeps growing: calls a customer starts are free, voicemail became generally available in June 2026 and call recording with transcription followed at the end of June.
• Marketing templates can be sent with a maximum price you set, a feature in beta that Meta is opening to all partners from October 2026.
• Business app users can connect the same number to the Cloud API through Meta's onboarding flow, and since May 2026 they can reconnect their API products after re-registering the app.
• The platform's messaging and calling APIs now accept business-scoped user IDs, so automation keeps working when a customer messages you by username.

What to do now if you sell in Qatar or the GCC.

• Reserve your business username in the WhatsApp Business app or through your API provider, using your brand name exactly as customers would type it.
• Check your message volume. If your team or bot sends thousands of replies a month, estimate the new service-message cost per number and decide whether every automated reply earns its place.
• Make sure your CRM or store integration can recognise customers by business-scoped user ID as well as by phone number before usernames reach your market.
• Set a two-step verification password on every phone that runs your business account.
• Test a Status ad that opens a chat, with clear opening hours and an auto-reply for out-of-hours messages.

The older features that still matter most.

New releases get the headlines, but most of the value for a GCC business still comes from features that have been around for a while: interactive templates with buttons and quick replies, so customers can confirm or reschedule with one tap; catalogs and product messages that show items inside the chat; automatic order, delivery and appointment notifications sent from your own systems; and a shared team inbox on the official Cloud API. If those aren't in place yet, start there before chasing the newest feature.

WASL, our WhatsApp platform, runs on the official Cloud API and brings templates, bots, broadcasts and a team inbox into one dashboard, so you don't have to track every release yourself. If you'd like to know how the October pricing change affects your message volume, or which of this year's features are worth switching on for your business, ask us for a free consultation.