Guide · Meta rules as of November 2026
WhatsApp coexistence: one number, two places to answer
Keep the WhatsApp Business app on your phone and connect the same number to the API, so your team can answer from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat or a shared inbox. Here is what syncs, what changes, who is eligible and how to set it up.
Meta Tech Provider · Official WhatsApp Business Platform
- No extra charge for coexistence
- 14 días de prueba gratuita
Place 1 · Your phone
Place 2 · Your team
Coexistence at a glance
Fixed throughput for numbers shared between the app and API[1]
Minimum WhatsApp Business app version[1]
Of one-to-one chat history you can choose to share with your provider[1]
Of primary-phone inactivity before Meta can remove the API connection[2]
Messages you send from the app stay free; API messages use Meta pricing[1]
What is WhatsApp coexistence?
For years, moving a number to the WhatsApp Business Platform meant giving up the app. You deleted your WhatsApp Business account, lost the chat history on the phone and registered the number on the API from scratch.[3] Plenty of small businesses never made the jump because of that.
WhatsApp Business app API coexistence removes the trade-off. Meta lets an approved provider connect your existing Business app number to the Cloud API through Embedded Signup while the app keeps working. Social Intents is a Meta Tech Provider, so the whole flow runs in Meta’s own signup popup. Meta’s developer documentation calls it “onboarding WhatsApp Business app users” and notes it is often called coexistence.[1] After onboarding, you can still send one-to-one messages from the app, your provider can send at higher volume through the API, and WhatsApp keeps the history in sync between them.
In practice that means the owner can keep answering regulars from their phone while the rest of the team shares the same number through a WhatsApp team inbox, with an AI chatbot, routing and broadcasts.
WhatsApp Business app API coexistence: what syncs and what changes
Most day-to-day chatting is unaffected, but a few app features change once the number is also on the API. This is Meta’s feature comparison in plain language.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| WhatsApp Business app feature | Estado | What happens[1] |
|---|---|---|
| One-to-one chats | Synced | Messages are mirrored between the app and the API. Message edit and revoke are supported. |
| Contactos | Synced | Contacts with a WhatsApp number can be synchronized to your provider. |
| Group chats | App only | Groups keep working in the app but are not synced to the API. |
| Broadcast lists | Read-only | You cannot create new broadcast lists, and existing ones become read-only. Send broadcasts through the API instead. |
| Disappearing messages | Turned off | Turned off for one-to-one chats. |
| View once and live location | Turned off | Disabled for one-to-one chats. |
| Voice and video calls | App only | No change in the app; not available through the API. |
| Catalog, status, greeting and away messages, quick replies, labels | App only | No change in the app; not supported on the API. |
History sync: if you agree during setup, Meta lets your provider sync up to six months of one-to-one chats and your contacts. A conversation that started before onboarding can only be answered through the API with a template until the customer writes again.[1]
Eligibility
Coexistence eligibility checklist
Tick off each item. If everything is checked, you are ready to connect.
0 of 6 ready
What about my country?
Earlier versions of Meta’s documentation excluded some countries. As of November 2026, the coexistence page no longer lists exclusions.[1] If a number is not eligible, the signup flow tells you.
Ready? Keep your app and add your team
Coexistence is included at no extra charge. Unlimited agents on Basic and up, from $69/month billed annually.
How Social Intents handles a coexistence number
Whoever replies, and wherever they reply from, the customer sees one conversation and your transcript stays complete.[4]
Un cliente te envía un mensaje a tu número
The message appears in the WhatsApp Business app and in Social Intents, where it is routed to Teams, Slack, Google Chat or the web inbox like any other WhatsApp chat.
Your team replies from Social Intents
The reply is sent through the Cloud API. The customer sees it in WhatsApp, and it also shows in the app’s conversation history on your phone.
You reply from the app on your phone
The message goes out from the app. Social Intents receives a copy from Meta and adds it to the conversation transcript, without sending it a second time.
Broadcasts respect the 20 msg/s cap. Social Intents paces campaigns from coexistence numbers automatically, alongside opt-in checks, STOP handling, a frequency guard and 9 AM–8 PM quiet hours.
Templates go through the API. Template messages sent from Social Intents use the Cloud API. Start from 90 ready-made templates.
How to use the WhatsApp Business app and API on the same number
Setup happens in Meta’s popup and on your phone. No code, no webhooks to configure. Docs: WhatsApp Coexistence Mode.
-
1
Start a Social Intents trial
Sign up and connect Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Chat, or plan to use the web inbox.
-
2
Open Connect WhatsApp
In Settings > Outbound Settings, click Connect WhatsApp. Meta’s signup opens in a popup.
-
3
Choose your existing WhatsApp Business app number
Type your WhatsApp Business app number on Meta’s first screen and click Next. Meta recognizes the number and switches to coexistence automatically.
-
4
Confirm inside the app
Confirm your business profile and portfolio, then scan the QR code Meta shows from inside the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. Meta also sends the link by WhatsApp message.[1]
-
5
Route and test both sides
Pick the widget that should receive WhatsApp under Route Inbound to Chat App. Then send a test message and reply once from your team tool and once from the phone.
Tip: keep the WhatsApp Business app open on your phone until setup finishes. Meta gives providers 24 hours to sync contacts and history, and a large history can take a few minutes.[1]
Coexistence or API only?
Choose coexistence when…
- Customers already know and use your Business app number
- Someone still wants to answer from the phone
- You want to try a team inbox without disrupting the current workflow
- 20 messages per second is plenty for your campaigns
Choose an API-only number when…
- Everyone will answer from the team inbox anyway
- You are starting with a new number
- You need throughput beyond the 20 messages per second coexistence cap
- You do not want to keep a primary phone active
Running the app and API side by side
Six habits that keep a coexistence number healthy.
Agree who answers where
Notifications arrive on the phone and in your team tool. Decide, for example, that the owner handles VIPs from the app and everyone else works in Teams.
Keep the primary phone active
Open the app on the main phone regularly. Meta lists about 14 days of primary-phone inactivity as a reason the API connection is removed.[2]
Re-link your other devices
Linked devices are unlinked during onboarding. Re-link them afterwards; WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS are not supported as companions with coexistence.[1]
Know the 24-hour rule applies to the API
Free-form API replies need a customer message in the last 24 hours. App replies are not limited by that window and do not open or extend it.[1]
Move broadcasts to the API
App broadcast lists turn read-only. Social Intents broadcasts on coexistence numbers are paced to Meta’s 20 messages per second automatically.
Mind the chatbot
If an AI chatbot is enabled on the widget, it replies through the API, so the customer sees its answers whichever side your team uses.[4]
WhatsApp coexistence FAQ
Answers to the questions we hear most about coexistence. New to the app? Start with our WhatsApp Business guide.
What is WhatsApp coexistence?
Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and API on the same number?
Is WhatsApp coexistence available in my country?
Which WhatsApp Business app features change with coexistence?
Does coexistence cost extra?
Is Social Intents an official WhatsApp provider?
Will my WhatsApp number get banned?
Can I switch from my current WhatsApp provider?
Sources
Meta’s rules were checked on November 2, 2026 and can change. Always confirm in the linked documentation.
Related WhatsApp resources
Guides and product pages that build on coexistence.
- Meta Tech Provider on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API)
- Unlimited agents on Basic and up
- 14-day free trial, no credit card
- Meta fees billed by Meta, no markup
Keep the app. Add the whole team.
Connect your WhatsApp Business number with coexistence and answer from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat or the web inbox.
14-day free trial · No credit card required · Unlimited agents on Basic and up