Coexistence is a Meta setup, started from Get Started with the Facebook user that owns the business portfolio. It is not “WhatsApp Web on two laptops,” and it is not available on the personal (green) WhatsApp app.
Which path to pick
| Coexistence | Full move to the API | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone app | WhatsApp Business stays installed | Account is deleted first. See migrating from the app. |
| Who answers | Phone and OneBox, same number | OneBox, web, and the BSB OneBox Android app |
| Old chats | Meta can offer to share recent Business app history during signup | Phone backup only. OneBox starts fresh |
| Existing customer threads | Stay valid, because the account is not deleted | Some people briefly see “no longer uses WhatsApp” until their app refreshes |
Before you start
- The number must already be on the WhatsApp Business app. If it is on personal WhatsApp, move it to the Business app first and use it there before you open coexistence. Personal WhatsApp cannot be linked this way.
- Use the Facebook login that can manage the Meta business portfolio.
- If another company already runs coexistence on this number, do not delete the WhatsApp Business account. Tell us, and we will use a provider move.
- Turn off chat tools Meta does not carry into the API, such as disappearing messages, before you connect. Those messages will not behave like normal inbox history.
Connect it
- Log in and open Get Started.
- Choose the WhatsApp Business app connection (coexistence), not a brand-new Cloud API number, if you intend to keep the phone app.
- Finish Meta’s screens: business portfolio, WhatsApp Business Account, and the phone number. Approve history sharing if you want recent chats available to the team.
- Confirm with the SMS or voice code on that SIM.
- Open OneBox. New messages from the phone and from the inbox should show on both sides.
What changes on the phone
Meta limits parts of the Business app once the number is also on the API. Plan on these practical limits:
- Phone broadcast lists are not how you run campaigns anymore. Send approved templates from Best SMS Bulk.
- Some consumer-style features (disappearing messages, view-once, and similar) are restricted or absent so the API can keep a reliable record.
- The quality rating, template rules, and messaging limits apply to the number, including traffic that starts on the phone.
- Logging the number out, or deleting the Business app account, breaks coexistence. Treat delete as a one-way move to API-only.
FAQ
Can personal WhatsApp coexist with the API?
No. Install WhatsApp Business, move the number there, and use it on the Business app before you connect coexistence. Otherwise delete the personal account and register the API only.
Will my old chats appear in OneBox?
Only if you accept Meta’s history share during coexistence signup. A file backup from Google Drive or iCloud cannot be imported later.
Can several agents use the phone and the inbox?
The phone remains one device session. Extra agents work in OneBox on the web or in the BSB OneBox Android app. That is the point of connecting the API.
What’s next
Connect WhatsApp on the official API. Start free trial · Talk to us
