Skip to content

WhatsApp CoexistenceNew

WhatsApp Coexistence: your Business app and the platform, on one number

Keep replying from the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. Add InfiQ's shared team inbox, broadcasts and automation on the very same number. Messages are mirrored between both, and you can choose to bring up to six months of one-to-one chat history with you.

  • No new number or SIM
  • No deleting the app
  • Confirm from inside your WhatsApp Business app
Get startedBook a demo
Meta Business PartnerOne-to-one chats from the app stay freeChecked against Meta's developer docs, 8 Oct 2026

Illustration: the same WhatsApp number on the owner's phone and in the InfiQ team inbox. A customer's message lands in both. A reply typed on the phone appears in InfiQ tagged “Sent from app”. A reply from the team in InfiQ appears on the phone, and so does an approved template sent from InfiQ.

Same number

+91 98xxx xxxxx

  1. A customer writes
  2. You reply from your phone
  3. Your team replies in InfiQ
  4. A template goes out from InfiQ
number
1
The one your customers already know, on the app and InfiQ at once.
days of one-to-one chats
up to180
About six months of history, if you choose to share it.
days of media files
14
Photos, videos and documents from the last 14 days come across.
fixed sending speed
20/s
Messages a second, incoming and outgoing together.
linked devices
up to4
Re-link them once after setup. Not WhatsApp for Windows or Wear OS.

01Overview

What is WhatsApp coexistence?

WhatsApp coexistence lets one business phone number run on the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform at the same time. You keep chatting from the app on your phone. Your team, campaigns and chatbots work from InfiQ on the same number. Messages are mirrored between the two.

Meta's product name for it is “API solutions for WhatsApp Business app users”, and its developer documentation lists it as onboarding WhatsApp Business app users (Coexistence). Meta launched it in February 2025 and opened it to Indian (+91) numbers in May 2025. You set it up through the signup of a WhatsApp Business Platform provider that Meta supports for this, such as InfiQ.

Both keep working. The app stays on your phone, the platform is added on top, and your history is preserved.

  • The app stays on your phone
  • The platform is added on top
  • Your history is preserved

Tip: Meta's advice before any change to your number: back up your WhatsApp chats first.

02Compare

App, coexistence or platform-only: which fits you?

Most businesses start on the WhatsApp Business app. Coexistence adds the platform without giving the app up. A platform-only number gives up the app in return for a few extra platform features.

WhatsApp Business app only, coexistence and a platform-only number compared
App onlyStart hereCoexistencePlatform-only
Your current numberYesYesOnly after deleting the app account, or use a new number.
Chat historyOn your phoneStays on your phone; up to 6 months of one-to-one chats can also come into InfiQLost from the app when the app account is deleted (back up first).
One-to-one chats from the phone appYesYesNo
Start a new chat with a normal messageYesYes, from the app; from InfiQ an approved template is neededApproved template only
Whole team on one inboxLinked devices onlyYes, in InfiQYes, in InfiQ
Approved templates and campaigns to opted-in customersNo (broadcast lists reach only people who saved your number)Yes, from InfiQYes, from InfiQ
Chatbots and integrationsGreeting and away messages onlyYes, through InfiQ (see plans)Yes, through InfiQ (see plans)
See customers' edits and deletes on the platformNot applicableYesNo (Meta offers this only on coexistence numbers)
Groups, calls, Status, catalog, Channels in the appYesYes, in the appNo (no app)
Sending speedNot applicableFixed at 20 messages a second80 a second to start; Meta can raise very high-volume senders to 1,000.
Official Business Account badgeNoNoPossible if Meta's criteria are met.
Meta's platform calling and platform-managed groupsNoNoAvailable (groups also need the Official Business Account badge).
Providers on one numberNot applicableOne at a time, currentlyCan be shared between providers.

You can stay on coexistence for as long as it suits you. If you later need something only a platform-only number offers, our team will help you plan the move.

03How it syncs

One number, two places to reply

Once you connect, your one-to-one conversations live in both places. Here is what moves where.

A customer messages your number

It arrives in your WhatsApp Business app and in your InfiQ inbox.

What doesn't always come across

Mirrored from your phone
TextPhotoVideoDocument
May show only in the app
Voice noteStickerReactionLocationContact card

Your phone always has the full record.

  • From your phone, Meta mirrors text, photos, videos, documents, edits and deletes. Voice notes, stickers, reactions, locations and contact cards you send from the app aren't on Meta's list, so they may show only in the app.
  • Some things customers send, such as polls, pinned messages, group invites and ‘keep in chat’ actions, can't be shown on the platform. Read those in your app.
  • A brand-new customer's very first message can take a few seconds to reach InfiQ, especially right after they tap a Click-to-WhatsApp ad. It is in your app straight away.
  • If a customer writes from a device WhatsApp doesn't support for this (Meta names WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS), that message shows only in your app. Customers reading on such a device see a note asking them to open your messages on their phone, whether you sent them from the app or from InfiQ.

04Eligibility

Before you start: a two-minute check

0/8Is your number ready?Tick what's true for your number. Anything left open shows its fix.
Coexistence eligibility checklist

  1. If not: Personal WhatsApp numbers can't use coexistence. Move the number to the WhatsApp Business app first.

  2. If not: You need version 2.24.17 or later. Update it from the Play Store or App Store.

  3. If not: Meta checks your number's activity before allowing it. Brand-new or rarely used accounts may not qualify yet. Meta doesn't publish a fixed number of days, so keep using the app normally and try again later.

  4. If not: Disconnect it in the app under Settings › Account › Business Platform, wait about 15 minutes, then connect to InfiQ. For now, a number connects to one platform provider at a time.

  5. If not: Signup will say the number is already registered. Use a different number, or have it removed from the platform first. We'll guide you.

  6. Good to know: During signup you pick or create the Meta business portfolio for this number. Use the portfolio that owns the number, or unlink it from the other portfolio first (for example, in that portfolio's WhatsApp Manager).

  7. If not: It can't be linked to a coexistence number, and nor can Wear OS watches. Move to WhatsApp Web in a browser, the WhatsApp Mac app, or the InfiQ inbox.

  8. Good to know: You'll confirm from the app and keep it open while your chats import. Meta recommends a chat backup first.

0 of 8 checks ticked

05Setup

Connect in a few minutes: one screen and your phone

You'll do this once, in one sitting. It runs through Meta's own signup, opened from InfiQ. Meta is moving every signup to newer screens, so yours may look slightly different; the result is the same.

Step 1 of 8 · Start on InfiQ

Seeing different screens?

Some signups still show Meta's earlier screens. Signup shows a code. In your app, open the message from the official Facebook Business account, tap Connect, then Connect to the Business Platform, then Confirm (this is where you choose whether to share chat history). Enter the code in signup and finish the remaining screens.

After you connect

Importing contacts and chatsusually minutes
Connect24 hours: must finish
  • Keep the app open on your phone for a few minutes while your contacts and chats import. Meta allows 24 hours from connecting for this. If it doesn't finish in time, you'd have to disconnect and sign up again, so do it in one sitting.
  • Re-link WhatsApp Web and other linked devices; they are logged out once during setup.

Your consent

Your chat history, your choice

Sharing your past chats is optional, and you decide it in the WhatsApp Business app. If you turn it off, no past chats come across; new messages still mirror from then on.

Customers who wrote just before you connected

Reply to them from the app, or send an approved template from InfiQ. When they message you again, the normal 24-hour reply window opens on the platform.

06What comes across

What comes across, and what stays on your phone

Contacts.
Your WhatsApp contacts come across with the full name and first name saved on your phone. Contacts you add, edit or remove later keep syncing.
Chat history, if you choose.
One-to-one chats from the 180 days (about six months) before you connect. It comes across in stages, so older chats can take a little longer to appear. Each imported message keeps its last status, such as sent, delivered or read.
Photos, videos and documents.
Files from the last 14 days come across. Older media shows as a placeholder in InfiQ; the originals stay in your app.
Not imported: group chats.
They stay in the app and keep working as normal.
A one-time import.
History and contacts are imported once, when you connect. To run it again you'd need to disconnect and connect afresh.
Minutes, not days.
Timing depends on the size of your history, your internet speed and processing. Keep the app open while it runs; it has to finish within 24 hours of connecting.

07Your app

What changes in your WhatsApp Business app, and what doesn't

WhatsApp switches off a few features because the platform can't support them. Everything else carries on.

Changes in the app

  • Disappearing messagesOffTurned off in all one-to-one chats.
  • View once photos and videosDisabledDisabled in one-to-one chats.
  • Live locationDisabledDisabled in one-to-one chats.
  • Broadcast listsRead-onlyRead-only; no new lists. Send campaigns from InfiQ with approved templates instead. They can reach every opted-in customer, not only people who saved your number.
  • Linked devicesRe-linkLogged out once during setup. Re-link up to four. WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS watches aren't supported.

Stays exactly the same

  • Group chats
  • Voice and video calls
  • Catalog
  • Orders
  • Status
  • Channels
  • Greeting messages
  • Away messages
  • Quick replies
  • Labels
  • In-app marketing messages
  • Your business profile (name, address, website)
  • Contacts

Nothing to relearn: these keep working in the app exactly as before.

Not on the InfiQ side

  • Groups, calls, Status and ChannelsKeep using them in the app
  • Catalog and ordersNot supported on the platform side; ask us
  • Quick replies, labels, greeting and away messagesDon't carry over; InfiQ has its own
  • Business profileKeep managing it from the app

These app tools don't carry over to InfiQ, and you keep managing your business profile from the app. On the platform side, InfiQ has its own welcome, away and canned messages and tags on every plan, and Flows chatbots on Growth and above. Groups, calls and Status in the app stay free.

Who does what, after you connect

Which jobs the WhatsApp Business app and InfiQ each handle on a coexistence number
One-to-one chatsAppYesInfiQYes
Start a new chatAppWith a normal messageInfiQWith an approved template
Approved templates and campaignsAppNo, templates can't be sent from the appInfiQYes
Team assignment, private notes and SLA trackingAppNot applicableInfiQYes
ChatbotsAppGreeting and away messages onlyInfiQFlows chatbots (Growth plan and above)
Integrations (Shopify, CRMs, Google Sheets and more)AppNot applicableInfiQThrough InfiQ's developer tools (Growth plan, or add-ons on Lite)
Groups, calls, Status, ChannelsAppYesInfiQNo
Catalog and ordersAppYesInfiQMeta lists these as not supported on the platform side of a coexistence number; ask us before relying on them.
Business profileAppManage hereInfiQNot applicable

08Limits

Limits worth knowing before you connect

Coexistence fits most growing businesses. These are the honest trade-offs.

Sending speed.

20/sfixed

≈ 1,200 a minuteincoming and outgoing together

Messages per second: coexistence 20 fixed, platform-only 80 to start, up to 1,000 for very high-volume senders.

A coexistence number sends at a fixed 20 messages per second, counting incoming and outgoing messages together. Meta fixes it there to stay compatible with the app, whatever your InfiQ plan's usual speed. That is about 1,200 messages a minute, enough for most growing businesses. Platform-only numbers start at 80 a second, and Meta can raise very high-volume senders with good quality to 1,000.

How many new customers you can reach each day.

Daily limit on new customers reached with templates: 250, then 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited.
  1. Where new business portfolios start.
  2. Once your business is verified, or after 2,000 high-quality template messages to different customers in 30 days.
  3. Then it grows automatically while your messages stay high quality and you've used at least half your current limit in the last 7 days.

Meta limits how many different customers you can message outside an open 24-hour window, using templates, in any rolling 24 hours. The limit is set per Meta business portfolio, so it is shared by all its numbers. New portfolios start at 250. It rises to 2,000 once your business is verified, or after 2,000 high-quality template messages to different customers in 30 days. After that it grows automatically to 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited, as long as your messages stay high quality and you've used at least half your current limit in the last 7 days. Chats you send from the app don't count towards it.

Not on coexistence numbers

  • No Official Business Account badge.Meta doesn't grant this badge to WhatsApp Business app numbers. If it matters most, a platform-only number is the route. (Meta's docs don't cover Meta Verified subscriptions on coexistence numbers; ask us.)Route: a platform-only number
  • No platform calling.WhatsApp calling run from the platform needs a platform-only number. Keep taking voice and video calls in the app.Calls carry on in the app
  • No platform-managed groups.Not available on coexistence numbers. Your groups in the app carry on as normal.App groups carry on
  • One provider at a time, for now.A coexistence number currently connects to one platform provider. Meta's account changes, now in beta, are designed to let numbers work with more than one provider in future.More providers: designed for later

09Pricing

How pricing works with coexistence

Who pays for what depends on where a message is sent from.

Lane 1

One-to-one messages from the WhatsApp Business app

Free · no window

Free, as before. Start a chat with a normal message whenever you like; the 24-hour rule doesn't apply. App messages don't open or extend a paid window on the platform, and they don't use up your platform messaging limit. Any paid features inside the app keep their own pricing.

Lane 2

Messages sent from InfiQ (the platform)

From 1 October 2026

  • Marketing
  • Utility
  • Authentication
  • Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform pricing applies, per message.
  • Starting or restarting a chat from InfiQ needs an approved template. Templates are charged by category (marketing, utility, authentication) and by the customer's country.
  • From 1 October 2026, Meta also charges for replies and utility templates sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window.
  • When a customer comes from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button and you reply from InfiQ within 24 hours, Meta's 72-hour free window covers your messages from InfiQ; replies from the app don't open that window.
  • Messages customers send you aren't charged. Your InfiQ plan is billed separately.

72-hour free window: reply from InfiQ within 24 hours

Good to know

Connecting costs nothing extra from Meta. If you only ever use the app after connecting, Meta has nothing to bill, because it charges only for messages delivered from the platform.

Takeaway

A simple way to use both: handle personal one-to-one chats from the app, and use InfiQ for scale, automation and templates.

Meta changes its rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. See current rates on our pricing page.View pricing

10Stay connected

Keeping the connection healthy

A coexistence link needs the app on your main phone to stay in use. Here's how to keep it alive.

The one rule to remember

Open the app on your main phone regularly.

If the WhatsApp Business app on your main phone sits unused for about 14 days, Meta disconnects the platform link. Opening it at least once every week or two keeps it healthy.

Days since the app on your main phone was last used
Open it every week or two: healthy~14 days unused: link drops

Keep the connection in use. A linked connection left inactive for about 30 days can also be disconnected.

These also end the connection

  • Deleting your WhatsApp account
  • Moving the number to personal WhatsApp
  • Changing your number in WhatsApp
  • A Meta policy enforcement action
  • Registering WhatsApp Business on a new phone or reinstalling it (it reconnects itself)

Changing phones? It reconnects itself.

  1. 1. Register WhatsApp Business on the new phone as usual.

  2. 2. At the profile step you'll see your connected business platform already ticked. Leave it ticked.

  3. 3. Reconnection runs in the background and usually takes a few minutes. You'll get a notification in the app when it's done.

  4. 4. Re-link WhatsApp Web and other linked devices yourself.

While it runs

  • Sending and receiving through InfiQ pauses and resumes on its own, and the app is briefly unavailable until registration finishes.
  • Messages sent from InfiQ during those minutes might not be delivered. Because it's quick, the gap in chat history is minimal to none.
  • If another provider connects your account in the meantime, automatic reconnection no longer applies.
  • If you untick the option, automatic reconnection doesn't run; you'd connect again through signup, which means a fresh one-time import.

11Your number

You stay in control of your number

In your WhatsApp Business app

  1. Settings
  2. Account
  3. Business Platform
  4. Disconnect
Disconnect any time from the app.
Settings › Account › Business Platform › Disconnect.
InfiQ can't remove your number from WhatsApp.
You can disconnect whenever you like. (Meta can also end the link, for example after long inactivity or a policy action.)
Your chats stay in your WhatsApp Business app.
Back them up before any change.
Marketing delivery stops too.
Disconnecting also switches off Meta's optimised marketing-message delivery for the number and unlinks its ad account, so conversion reporting for those messages stops.
Fresh import later?
History is imported once per connection. Disconnect and connect again to repeat it.
Moving to a platform-only number later.
You'd disconnect, then delete the WhatsApp Business app account on that number before it can run on the platform alone. The history on the app account is lost when you delete it, so back up first.

Switching to InfiQ from another provider

  1. 1Back up your chats
  2. 2Disconnect the current provider in the app
  3. 3Wait about 15 minutes
  4. 4Start InfiQ signup

Disconnect in the app under Settings › Account › Business Platform. If signup stops because the old provider's billing is still attached, Meta's fix happens in your app: back up, disconnect the business platform, reconnect it, then start signup again. We'll walk you through it. Your approved templates may not move with you; we'll help you recreate any you need.

12Security

Built on Meta's own platform, with your consent at every step

Meta's platform

  • Messages sent through the platform are encrypted on their way between your customer and Meta's servers.
  • Meta processes platform messages on your behalf as a data processor, keeps message data for at most 30 days, and doesn't automatically use it to target ads.
  • Meta's platform holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 reports.

Your consent

You choose whether to share chat history. Nothing from your past chats comes across unless you allow it in the app.

Inside InfiQ

  • Agent and Manager roles, phone-number masking for agents and department-wise user management on every plan.
  • Two-factor login on Growth and above.

Your customers keep chatting with the same number, name and profile photo. WhatsApp may show them a short notice about how the business manages chats.

Security at InfiQPrivacy policy

13With InfiQ

What InfiQ adds alongside your app

Everything here works on the same number your customers already message.

Shared team inbox

Your team answers the same number from one inbox, with assignment, private notes, labels and SLA tracking, on the web and on Android and iOS. Agent and Manager roles, up to 10 users on Lite and 25 on Growth. Replies you send from your phone appear in the same thread.

Shared team inbox

Broadcasts and campaigns

Approved templates to opted-in customers, with segmentation, scheduling, retargeting and campaign analytics, on every plan.

Broadcasts and campaigns

Flows chatbot builder

Growth+

Drag-and-drop bots that hand over to your team with full context. On Growth and above, priced per flow.

InfiQ FlowsFlows pricing

WhatsApp CRM

Contacts, tags and attributes in one place: the complete WhatsApp CRM is on every plan.

Integrations

  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • Razorpay
  • Zoho CRM
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Google Sheets
  • Zapier
  • Make

Shopify, WooCommerce, Razorpay, Zoho CRM, HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make and more, connected through InfiQ's developer tools: API and webhook access on Growth, or add-ons on Lite. Native apps for some are coming soon.

All integrations

Ads and marketing

Click-to-WhatsApp ads on the number customers already know, and Meta's optimised marketing-message delivery. Tip from Meta: don't tap links in your own marketing messages; it skews conversion reporting.

Click-to-WhatsApp adsOptimised marketing delivery

Help to grow

A Relationship Manager, guided onboarding and free Meta business verification assistance on every plan.

WhatsApp usernames

Username support on every plan.

WhatsApp usernames

14Who it's for

Who coexistence is for

A good fit when you answer customers yourself and need help at scale.

Retail shop

You keep chatting with regulars from your phone. Festive-sale campaigns and order updates go out from InfiQ.

A platform-only number may suit you better if

  • You need more than 20 messages a second
  • The Official Business Account badge is essential
  • You want WhatsApp calling or groups run from the platform
  • You want more than one provider on the number today
  • You're starting with a brand-new number with no app history

15What's new

What's new from Meta

Meta updates coexistence often. This page was checked against Meta's developer documentation on 8 October 2026.

Last checked · newest first

  1. 1 Oct 2026Latest

    Replies sent from the platform now carry Meta's per-message service charge. One-to-one messages sent from the app stay free, so the app-versus-platform split matters more.

  2. Later in 2026Beta

    Meta is reorganising WhatsApp business accounts in Business Suite. Coexistence numbers move across automatically, with nothing to redo. The new model is designed to let a number work with more than one provider in future.

  3. 29 Jun 2026

    WhatsApp business usernames. Businesses can adopt or change a username, including from the WhatsApp Business app. A business username doesn't hide your number. (Meta notes details may change.)

  4. 12 May 2026

    Meta previews a phone-number-first signup. For app numbers you confirm by scanning a QR code inside the WhatsApp Business app, and Meta says it is rolling out to every signup.

  5. 2026

    Automatic reconnection after a phone change or reinstall.

  6. 25 Nov 2025

    Customers' edits and deletes now show on the platform for coexistence numbers.

  7. 23 Oct 2025

    Coexistence opens to the UK, the EU and EEA, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and Russia.

  8. 8 Oct 2025

    Messaging limits move to the business portfolio, and the first step up is now 2,000 instead of 1,000.

  9. 29 Sep 2025

    Meta's optimised marketing-message delivery supports coexistence numbers.

  10. 1 Jul 2025

    Meta moves platform pricing to per-message.

  11. 5 May 2025

    Indian (+91) numbers become eligible.

  12. 11 Feb 2025

    Meta launches coexistence.

16FAQ

WhatsApp coexistence: questions answered

Basics

What is WhatsApp coexistence?

WhatsApp coexistence lets one business number run on the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform at the same time. You keep chatting from the app on your phone while your team, campaigns and chatbots work from a platform such as InfiQ on the same number. Messages are mirrored between the two. Meta's product name for it is “API solutions for WhatsApp Business app users”.

Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API on the same number?

Yes. Since February 2025, Meta has let businesses connect an existing WhatsApp Business app number to the WhatsApp Business Platform without leaving the app. You connect through the signup of a provider Meta supports for this, such as InfiQ. Messages sent and received are then mirrored between the app and the platform.

Do I need a new phone number or SIM?

No. You connect the number you already use on the WhatsApp Business app. There's no new SIM and no SMS or call code: you prove the number is yours from inside the app during signup.

What do I need before I connect?

Four things: your number on the WhatsApp Business app (not personal WhatsApp), the app updated to version 2.24.17 or later, a history of genuine use on that number, and no current connection to another provider. You'll also need a Facebook or Meta Business Suite login and your phone to hand. Meta's rule is about the app version, not Android or iPhone, so keep whichever you use up to date.

Is WhatsApp coexistence available in India?

Yes. Meta has supported Indian (+91) WhatsApp Business app numbers since 5 May 2025. Your number still needs an up-to-date app, genuine activity on it, and no connection to another provider.

Do I need Meta business verification before connecting?

Meta doesn't list business verification as a requirement for coexistence. It matters later: verifying your business is one way to raise how many new customers you can message each day from the platform, from 250 to 2,000. InfiQ helps with verification free on every plan.

Which InfiQ plan do I need for coexistence?

Coexistence is how your number connects, so you pick a plan for the tools you want on top. The shared team inbox, broadcasts, WhatsApp CRM and welcome, away and canned messages are on every plan. Flows chatbots and developer access for integrations come with Growth and above, and developer access is an add-on on Lite. See the pricing page for details.

History & sync

Will I lose my chat history?

No. Your chats stay in the WhatsApp Business app, and you can choose to bring up to six months of one-to-one history into InfiQ. Before coexistence, moving to the platform meant deleting the app account and losing that history. Meta still recommends a chat backup before you connect.

How much chat history comes across, and is media included?

If you approve sharing, one-to-one messages from the 180 days (about six months) before you connect come across. Photos, videos and documents come with their files only for the last 14 days; older media appears as a placeholder and stays in your app. The import happens once, at connection, and arrives in stages.

Are my WhatsApp groups synced?

No. Group chats keep working in the app exactly as before, but they aren't imported or synced to the platform. Platform-managed groups aren't available on coexistence numbers either.

Will replies I send from my phone show up in InfiQ?

Yes, for text, photos, videos and documents. Meta mirrors those replies, sent from the app or a supported linked device, into the same conversation, along with any edits and deletes you make. A few message types aren't on Meta's list, so they may show only in the app.

Do voice notes, stickers, reactions, polls and locations sync?

Not reliably. From your phone, Meta mirrors text, photos, videos, documents, edits and deletes; voice notes, stickers, reactions, locations and contact cards aren't on that list. From customers, some items such as polls, pinned messages and group invites can't be shown on the platform. Your WhatsApp Business app always has the full conversation.

What if the import doesn't finish within 24 hours?

You would need to disconnect and sign up again. Meta allows 24 hours from connecting to import your contacts and chat history, and each is imported only once per connection. Keep the app open on your phone for a few minutes after connecting so it finishes quickly.

Your app

Which WhatsApp Business app features stop working after I connect?

In one-to-one chats, disappearing messages are turned off and view once and live location are disabled. Broadcast lists become read-only with no new lists, and linked devices are logged out once and need re-linking. Groups, calls, catalog, orders, Status, Channels, quick replies, labels, greeting and away messages and your business profile keep working in the app.

Can I still use WhatsApp Web and other linked devices?

Yes, up to four. All linked devices are logged out once during setup, so re-link them afterwards. WhatsApp Web, the Mac app and other companions work; WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS watches aren't supported with coexistence.

My team uses the WhatsApp desktop app on Windows. What do we use after connecting?

Switch to WhatsApp Web in a browser, the WhatsApp Mac app, or the InfiQ inbox. The WhatsApp desktop app for Windows can't be linked to a coexistence number. InfiQ's shared inbox works in the browser and on Android and iOS, so the whole team can reply from one place.

Does my phone need to stay on or online for InfiQ to work?

Keep it close, with the app open, while your contacts and chats import after setup. After that, what Meta asks for is regular use: if the WhatsApp Business app on your main phone isn't used for about 14 days, the platform link drops. Open the app at least once every week or two.

Can I still send broadcasts after connecting?

Yes, from InfiQ instead of the app. Broadcast lists in the app become read-only, and approved template messages can only be sent from the platform. InfiQ campaigns reach opted-in customers whether or not they saved your number.

Can I still use my catalog, or send catalog and payment messages from InfiQ?

Your catalog and orders keep working in the WhatsApp Business app. Meta lists catalog and order tools as not supported on the platform side of a coexistence number, so talk to us before you plan catalog or in-chat payment messages from InfiQ on it.

Will I keep my Meta Verified badge?

Meta's developer documentation doesn't say how coexistence affects a Meta Verified subscription. It only says the separate Official Business Account badge isn't granted to WhatsApp Business app numbers. If Meta Verified matters to you, ask us before connecting so we can check with Meta for your account.

Will my customers notice anything?

They keep chatting with the same number, name and profile photo, but a few things change. Disappearing messages, view once and live location are switched off in their chats with you. Customers reading on a device WhatsApp doesn't support for this, such as WhatsApp for Windows or a Wear OS watch, see a note asking them to open your messages on their phone. WhatsApp may also show a short notice about how the business manages chats.

Can my team and I reply to the same customer without clashing?

Everyone sees the same thread, because replies from your phone and from InfiQ land in the same conversation. To avoid two people answering one customer, agree who handles what: for example, assign chats to agents in InfiQ and keep personal regulars on the phone.

Setup

Why does signup say my number isn't eligible?

Usually because Meta wants to see more activity on the WhatsApp Business app; brand-new or rarely used accounts may not qualify yet, and Meta doesn't publish a fixed number of days. Other causes are an outdated app, a number on personal WhatsApp, a number already running on the platform on its own, a link to another provider or a Facebook Page, the number belonging to a different Meta business portfolio, or an unsupported region. If signup says the WhatsApp Business account you picked uses marketing messages, choose or create a different one. Our team helps with each.

How long does setup take?

Usually a few minutes. Signup is a handful of screens and one confirmation from your WhatsApp Business app. The contact and chat import that follows depends on how much history you have and your internet speed. Keep the app open while it runs; it must finish within 24 hours.

Can I switch to InfiQ if my number is connected to another provider?

Yes. Back up your chats, disconnect the current provider in the app (Settings › Account › Business Platform), wait about 15 minutes, then connect through InfiQ. If signup stops because the old provider's billing is still attached, Meta's fix is to disconnect and reconnect the business platform in the app, then start again; we'll walk you through it.

Can I connect more than one WhatsApp Business app number?

Yes, each WhatsApp Business app number connects separately through signup. Meta's daily limit on new customer conversations is shared across all numbers in the same business portfolio. InfiQ's Lite and Growth plans include one number; talk to us about more.

Pricing

Do messages I send from the WhatsApp Business app cost anything?

No. One-to-one messages you send from the WhatsApp Business app stay free after you connect, and connecting itself carries no Meta charge. If you only ever use the app, Meta has nothing to bill, because it charges only for messages delivered from the platform. Platform messages follow WhatsApp Business Platform pricing, and your InfiQ plan is billed separately.

Can I start a new chat from the app without a template?

Yes. From the WhatsApp Business app you can start a chat with a normal message, as before. From InfiQ, starting or restarting a conversation needs an approved template, because the platform's 24-hour rule applies there.

How does the 24-hour customer service window work with coexistence?

It applies only to messages sent from the platform. Replies from the app aren't limited by the window and don't open, extend or affect platform windows or charges. A platform window opens when a customer messages you after you've connected; for chats that started just before, reply from the app or send an approved template from InfiQ. From 1 October 2026, Meta also charges for platform replies inside the window.

Limits

How fast can a coexistence number send messages?

Up to 20 messages per second, counting incoming and outgoing together, which is about 1,200 a minute. Meta fixes this rate to keep the number compatible with the app, whatever your InfiQ plan. Platform-only numbers start at 80 per second, and Meta can raise very high-volume senders to 1,000.

Can I get the green tick on a coexistence number?

No, not the Official Business Account badge. Meta doesn't grant that badge, often called the green or blue tick, to WhatsApp Business app numbers. If it's essential, a platform-only number is the route, and it still has to meet Meta's criteria, including 30 days on the platform and a verified business.

Can I make WhatsApp calls from the platform on a coexistence number?

No. Meta's platform calling needs a number used only on the platform. Voice and video calls in the WhatsApp Business app keep working as before.

Connection

What happens if I don't open the WhatsApp Business app for a while?

The connection can drop. If the app on your main phone sits unused for about 14 days, Meta disconnects the platform link. Opening the app at least once every week or two keeps it healthy.

What happens when I change my phone or reinstall WhatsApp Business?

It reconnects itself. Register WhatsApp Business on the new phone as usual and leave the pre-ticked option to reconnect your business platform. Reconnection usually takes a few minutes and you'll get a notification in the app. Re-link WhatsApp Web and other devices yourself afterwards. If you untick the option, you'd connect again through signup.

How do I disconnect coexistence?

From the WhatsApp Business app: Settings › Account › Business Platform › Disconnect. InfiQ can't remove your number from WhatsApp, so you stay in control. Your chats stay in the app. Disconnecting also stops Meta's optimised marketing-message delivery for that number and unlinks its ad account, so conversion reporting for those messages stops.

What happens to my chats and contacts in InfiQ if I disconnect?

Your chats stay in your WhatsApp Business app whatever happens, and Meta's platform keeps message data for at most 30 days. Back up your chats before any change.

Can I move from coexistence to a platform-only number later?

Yes. You'd disconnect coexistence and then delete the WhatsApp Business app account on that number before it can run on the platform alone. The history on the app account is lost when you delete it, so back it up first. Or keep coexistence and add a separate platform-only number for the features it can't offer.

If I switch providers later, do my approved templates come with me?

Not automatically. Under Meta's new account model, now in beta, templates belong to each provider's messaging account and aren't shared between providers, though Meta gives providers a way to copy them. Plan to review your templates when you switch; we'll help you recreate any you need.

Security & ads

Are my chats still encrypted after I connect?

Yes, on their way to Meta. Messages to and from the platform are encrypted between your customer and Meta's servers. Meta then processes them on your behalf, as your data processor, so InfiQ can show them to your team; it keeps that message data for at most 30 days and doesn't automatically use it to target ads. Chats on your phone work as before, and WhatsApp may show customers a short notice about how the business manages chats.

Can I run Click-to-WhatsApp ads on a coexistence number?

Yes. Ads can send customers to the number they already know. If you reply from InfiQ within 24 hours, Meta's 72-hour free window covers your messages from InfiQ; replies from the app are free anyway but don't open that window. Occasionally a brand-new customer's first message reaches your app a few seconds before InfiQ.

Still unsure? Our team answers on WhatsApp.

Keep reading

Meta Business Partner

Keep the app. Add the platform.

Connect the number your customers already know, keep replying from your phone, and let your team, campaigns and chatbots work from InfiQ.

Start free trialTalk to sales
7-day free trial Enterprise-grade reliability Live in 2 hours Built for Indian businesses

WhatsApp is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC. Meta is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. InfiQ is an independent Meta Business Partner and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either beyond that partnership. Feature availability is decided by Meta and can change; this page reflects Meta's developer documentation as checked on 8 October 2026.