WhatsApp Coexistence: Use the WhatsApp Business App and API on the Same Number

For years the rule was simple: a number could be on the WhatsApp Business app or on the API, never both. Moving to the API meant deleting the app account, losing your chat history and giving up replying from your phone. Many small businesses stayed on the app for exactly that reason.

Coexistence removes that trade-off.

What is WhatsApp coexistence?

Coexistence lets one phone number run on the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) at the same time. You keep chatting from your phone exactly as before, while your team replies from a shared inbox and your broadcasts and chatbots run through the API — all on the number your customers already know.

What syncs between the app and the API

• Contacts saved in your WhatsApp Business app are imported into your dashboard.
• Chat history from the last 180 days can be imported once, if you choose to share it during setup. Group chats are not included.
• New messages stay in sync — what you send from your phone shows up in the dashboard, and messages sent from the dashboard appear on your phone.

Requirements

• The WhatsApp Business app (not regular WhatsApp), version 2.24.17 or newer.
• The number must already be active on that app.
• A Facebook account and a Meta business portfolio (you can create one during setup).
• Your phone nearby to confirm the connection.

Limitations to know before you switch

• Speed: numbers on coexistence send up to 20 messages per second — plenty for most businesses, but slower than a dedicated API number for very large campaigns.
• Some app features are switched off: disappearing messages, view-once media, live location and new broadcast lists in the app. Group chats and calls stay on the phone only.
• The 24-hour window: only messages from your customer open or extend the 24-hour customer service window — messages you type on your phone don't.
• Pricing: messages you send from the Business app stay free; messages sent through the API follow Meta's normal per-message pricing — see WhatsApp API pricing in India.

How to set it up in Adswadi

1. Update the WhatsApp Business app on your phone.
2. In Adswadi, open Settings → WhatsApp and choose I use the WhatsApp Business app.
3. Log in to Facebook and pick or create your business portfolio.
4. Enter the number you use on the Business app and confirm the connection on your phone when prompted.
5. Choose whether to share your chat history. Contacts and history then appear in your Adswadi inbox — the import can take from a few minutes to a few hours.

Is coexistence right for you?

It's a great fit if you're a shop owner or small team that likes replying from the phone but wants broadcasts, chatbots and a shared inbox on top. If you send very high volumes, or your whole team works from the dashboard anyway, a dedicated API number gives you more speed. See how to get the WhatsApp Business API for the standard setup.