If you use the WhatsApp Business App to communicate with your customers and have considered switching to the WhatsApp API, you know it’s not that simple. Until recently, upgrading meant losing your number and entire chat history, since you had to remove the number from the app before setting it up with the WhatsApp API.
The WhatsApp Coexistence update changes that. You can now use the number setup on your WhatsApp Business app with the WhatsApp API without deleting it. You can also sync conversations across the two platforms and deliver a more consistent customer experience.
In this guide, I’ll show you how the WhatsApp Coexistence feature works and how to enable it for your business. We’ll also explore its impact on your day-to-day operations, how it changes the way you use the WhatsApp Business App, its effect on pricing, and the limitations or restrictions you should be aware of.
What is WhatsApp Coexistence?
WhatsApp Coexistence is a new update from Meta that allows businesses to use the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp API simultaneously.
With WhatsApp Coexistence, you can:
- Use the same phone number on both the Business App and the WhatsApp API simultaneously, without the need to remove it from the app first
- Sync up to six months of chats across both platforms
- Continue using app features like catalogs, groups, and voice or video calls on the app, while unlocking advanced capabilities like bulk broadcasts, chatbots, and third-party app integrations through the API
- Deliver a consistent customer experience without switching numbers or disrupting ongoing conversations
How WhatsApp Coexistence Works?
WhatsApp Coexistence is powered by a setup process called Embedded Signup, which lets businesses connect their existing WhatsApp Business App account and phone number to the WhatsApp API.
Here’s how it works: When a business goes through the Embedded Signup flow, they see an option to link their current WhatsApp Business app account to the API. If they choose this option and enter their phone number, they’re presented with a QR code. Scanning this QR code enables them to sync their chat history and contacts with the API and gives them the flexibility to:
- Use the WhatsApp API to message customers at scale, automate replies and notifications, and integrate third-party apps while keeping the Business App for 1:1 conversations
- Access synchronized chats and contacts across the Business App and WhatsApp API
Connect your existing WhatsApp Business App phone number to the official WhatsApp API with WANotifier.
How Businesses Can Benefit from WhatsApp Coexistence?
For many businesses, switching from the WhatsApp Business App to the API meant losing old chats and contacts, and starting fresh with a completely new setup. That’s no longer the case. With WhatsApp Coexistence, businesses can now:
- Access the WhatsApp API without disconnecting from the app: Businesses can now use the WhatsApp API without disconnecting their number from the business app or losing their chat history and the contacts they worked hard to gather.
- Manage chats flexibly: Businesses can keep using the app for 1:1 messages while managing campaigns, automations, or integrations through the API.
- Deliver a consistent chat experience: Teams can maintain seamless, ongoing conversations across the app and API, and respond to customer queries with full context. Customers, too, can enjoy smooth interactions without receiving disconnected or duplicate messages.
- Expand without complexity: As your business expands, you can add team members, run campaigns, and integrate third-party apps like your CRM, e-commerce store, or ERP, all while keeping the simplicity and familiarity of the WhatsApp Business App for 1:1 conversations.
- Avoid the hassle of managing separate numbers: Earlier businesses had to maintain separate numbers to use both the App and the API. With coexistence, a single number now works seamlessly across both platforms.
It’s worth noting that these benefits also come with a few changes, particularly in how chats and features behave after coexistence, how the WhatsApp Business App functions, and the impact on linked devices and companion apps. Let’s take a closer look at these changes.
What Changes After WhatsApp Coexistence: A Quick Comparison
So, what actually changes once you add your number using the coexistence feature instead of connecting it directly with the API? The table below highlights how key features, workflows, and pricing differ from the direct API setup, and what these updates mean for both businesses and customers.
| Feature | Before Coexistence | After Coexistence |
| Number Usage | Businesses could use a number with either the WhatsApp Business App or the API, not both | The same number can now be used on both the App and WhatsApp API simultaneously |
| Chat History | Chat history from the app was lost when migrating to the API | Up to 6 months of chat history can be synced and retained |
| Impact on Businesses | Migrating from the WhatsApp Business App to the WhatsApp API resulted in downtime and data loss | Businesses can now extend their WhatsApp presence to the API seamlessly and manage chats across both platforms at the same time |
| Impact on Customer Experience | Customers received disconnected responses from businesses as they switched to the API | Customers can now enjoy more consistent responses from businesses that have a full conversation context |
| Pricing | All API messages were billed per message | API messages will continue to be billed, but App-side 1:1 messages remain free under coexistence |
| Hassle of managing multiple numbers | Businesses that wanted to use both the app and API had to manage two separate numbers | A single number can now be used for both the Business App and the WhatsApp API |
While coexistence brings new flexibility and convenience, it also changes how certain features work within the WhatsApp Business App. Some features remain fully supported, while others are limited or no longer available. Let’s look at what changes in the Business App once you opt for Coexistence.
Changes to WhatsApp Business App Features After Coexistence
With Coexistence enabled, the WhatsApp Business App remains active, but some of its features behave differently. While core tools like one-to-one chats and contacts are still available, certain features like broadcast lists are restricted, and Disappearing or Live Location messages are no longer supported in 1:1 chats. The table below outlines these changes.
| Feature | What Changes in the App After Enabling Coexistence |
| 1:1 Chats | Message edit/revoke is not supported |
| Group Chats | No change (Note: Group chats aren’t synced with the API) |
| Contacts | No change (all contacts with a WhatsApp number are synced with the API) |
| Disappearing, View Once, and Live Location Messages | Disabled for 1:1 chats |
| Broadcast Lists | Disabled; existing lists become read-only |
| Voice and video calls | Still available in the app; not supported on the API |
| Channels | Still available in the app; not supported on the API |
| Messaging Tools (greeting message, away message, quick replies, labels) | Available in the app; not synced with the API |
| Business Profile (name, address, website) | Available in the app, but not supported on the API |
Apart from changes within the app, Coexistence also affects how the WhatsApp Business App functions on linked devices and companion apps. Let’s explore this next.
What Happens to Linked Devices and Companion Apps After Coexistence?
Once Coexistence is active, you can still use the WhatsApp Business App across multiple devices, with a few changes.
You can link up to four companion devices (like phones, tablets, or web clients) to your WhatsApp Business App account. Note that WhatsApp Coexistence is supported across most companion apps, except for WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp for WearOS.
Also, once you’re onboarded to the WhatsApp API using the same phone number as your Business App, all your previously linked devices are automatically unlinked. You can relink these devices after onboarding to continue using the Business App on them.
How to Set Up the WhatsApp Coexistence Feature
We’ve already seen how WhatsApp Coexistence works at a high level in a previous section. Below, I’ll walk you through the exact steps to get access to this feature.
Step 1: Begin the Embedded Signup Flow
When you go through the Embedded Signup process for adding your phone number with your solution provider, like WANotifier, you’ll see an option to connect your existing WhatsApp Business App account to the WhatsApp API.
Step 2: Enter Your Phone Number
Next, select your country and enter your WhatsApp Business phone number.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive a QR code with instructions to check for a new WhatsApp Business App message.
Step 3: Scan the QR Code
The message will prompt you to scan the QR code displayed in the Embedded Signup flow.
Step 4: Share Chat History
If you tap the Scan QR code button in the message, you’ll see the following screen.
On this screen, tap the Scan QR code button. This will open a pop-up where you’ll get the option to share your previous messages and chats on the Business Platform. Note that if you select the Share chats option, you won’t be able to change this setting later.
Once you’ve chosen an option and scanned your QR code, you can complete the remaining embedded signup flow. You will then be able to synchronize your contacts and up to the last 6 months of chats across both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp API seamlessly.
Unlock the benefits of WhatsApp API with your existing WhatsApp Business App phone number using WANotifier.
How WhatsApp Coexistence Affects Message Pricing
WhatsApp’s pricing model remains the same after Coexistence. Messages sent through the WhatsApp Business App are still free, while messages sent through the API are billed according to WhatsApp’s official messaging rates.
Here’s a brief look at how messages are billed once you enable coexistence:
| Where the Message Is Sent From | Message Pricing |
| WhatsApp Business App | Free for 1:1 conversations like earlier |
| WhatsApp Cloud API | Billed per message, based on the message category (Marketing, Utility, or Authentication) and the recipient’s country |
Basically, Coexistence doesn’t change what you pay, but gives you more flexibility in how you send and manage messages across the app and API.
Limitations and Restrictions of WhatsApp Coexistence
While WhatsApp Coexistence gives you more flexibility in how you use the WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp API together, it also comes with a few limitations and restrictions.
For example, if you use both the business app and API together, your business phone number’s message throughput decreases from 80 messages per second (MPS) to a fixed rate of 20 MPS.
It’s also important to note that coexistence isn’t currently supported for WhatsApp Business app phone numbers with country codes from the following countries:
- Australia
- Japan
- Nigeria
- Philippines
- Russia
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Turkey
Additionally, phone numbers from the following regions are currently not supported:
- European Economic Area
- European Union
- United Kingdom
How to Disconnect the WhatsApp API from the App After Coexistence
If you ever decide to stop using the WhatsApp API or manage your business solely through the Business App again after opting for Coexistence, you can easily do that by following these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp Business App on your phone
- Go to Settings > Account > Business Platform
3) Tap the Disconnect Account button
Once you disconnect from the WhatsApp API, an account_update webhook with a PARTNER_REMOVED event will get triggered.
How WANotifier Helps You Unlock the Full Potential of WhatsApp Coexistence
The WhatsApp Coexistence update allows WhatsApp Business App users to experience the advanced capabilities of the WhatsApp API, such as bulk messaging, automation, advanced analytics, and third-party app integration, without losing their existing number, chats, contacts, or the ability to have one-on-one conversations on the app.
But WANotifier takes this a step further…
While the WhatsApp API doesn’t include built-in dashboards or tools, WANotifier provides everything you need to run, automate, and scale your WhatsApp business communication, without writing a single line of code!
The platform also supports Coexistence and lets you connect your existing Business App number (or a new number) to the WhatsApp API for free (check out this detailed guide for more info).
Additionally, unlike other API providers that charge 12 to 35% markup on WhatsApp’s official messaging rates, require users to pre-purchase message credits, or bundle unnecessary features into costly plans, WANotifier offers:
- 0% markup on WhatsApp’s official messaging rates, with the API billing handled directly by Meta
- A flexible and transparent pricing model that scales with your business
- Best-in-class customer support with step-by-step guidance for WhatsApp API onboarding
Here’s what you can do with WANotifier:
- Send instant or scheduled broadcasts to thousands of contacts at once
- Trigger transactional messages from your website or apps for events like order confirmations, form submissions, or callback requests
- Turn Facebook and Instagram ad clicks into WhatsApp conversations (learn more about it here)
- Create drip sequences to onboard new users, nurture leads, and re-engage existing customers
- Build chatbots and automations to handle FAQs and offer 24/7 support
- Use WhatsApp Flows to collect customer details directly within chat
- Integrate your CRM, e-commerce platform, and other third-party tools with WhatsApp
- Track message delivery and clicks, chatbot sessions, drip sequence engagement, and ad-driven conversions
- Collaborate across sales, support, and marketing teams with a shared inbox (add/invite team members, assign chats, and access conversation history)
👉 Sign up today and onboard your WhatsApp Business App number to the WhatsApp API for free with WANotifier.
Connect your WhatsApp Business App number to the API with WANotifier and unlock bulk broadcasts, chatbots and other advanced features.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What are the prerequisites for enabling WhatsApp Coexistence?
To enable WhatsApp Coexistence:
- Your WhatsApp Business App must be updated to version 2.24.17 or higher.
- Your phone number’s country code must be from a supported country (coexistence isn’t yet available in certain regions such as the EU, UK, or a few specific countries).
Once these conditions are met, you can use Embedded Signup to connect your Business App account to the WhatsApp API.
2) Are there limits or costs when using Coexistence with the WhatsApp API?
There is no additional cost for connecting your WhatsApp Business App number to the WhatsApp API using the Coexistence feature. Pricing for sending messages also remains the same.
That said, businesses using coexistence have a reduced message throughput limit of 20 messages per second (MPS), compared to the standard 80 MPS available to the WhatsApp API numbers that aren’t connected to the Business App.
3) Can a business switch back from the WhatsApp API to the Business App after opting for Coexistence?
Yes. If you decide to manage your business solely through the WhatsApp Business App again, you can disconnect the API anytime.
To do this, open the WhatsApp Business App, go to Settings › Account › Business Platform, and tap Disconnect Account.
4) Can I use my WhatsApp API number to register on the WhatsApp Business App using Coexistence?
No. Coexistence only supports connecting an existing WhatsApp Business App number to the WhatsApp API, not the other way around.
