WhatsApp Coexistence: Keep the Business App and Use the API
WhatsApp coexistence lets a business keep its WhatsApp Business app number and also use the Cloud API on that same number through a provider. Chats stay in sync between the app and the API, so you can still answer from your phone while software handles replies, workflows and your team inbox. A few app features switch off once you connect.
How coexistence works
Before coexistence, moving a number to the API meant leaving the WhatsApp Business app behind. Now you connect your existing app number to a provider during sign-up, and the number runs in both places at once. A message you send from the phone shows in the provider’s inbox, and a reply sent through the API shows on the phone.
With your consent, your chat history and contacts sync to the API side within 24 hours of onboarding. That means automated replies and your team can see past conversations from day one.
What syncs and what changes
| Item | Under coexistence |
|---|---|
| New chats | Stay in sync between the app and the API |
| Chat history and contacts | Sync within 24 hours of onboarding, with the business’s consent |
| Group chats | Do not sync |
| Broadcast lists in the app | Become read-only |
| Disappearing messages, view-once, live location, 1:1 calls | Turned off in the app |
| Linked companion devices | Up to 4 can stay linked |
| Throughput on the API | 20 messages a second |
Source: Meta, Onboarding WhatsApp Business app users, checked 31 October 2026.
What you need
You need the WhatsApp Business app at version 2.24.17 or later on the phone that holds the number, and a provider that supports coexistence. During sign-up you link that number and agree to share your chat history.
The usual API rules then apply to the number. Free-form replies go out only within 24 hours of the customer’s last message, and anything after that needs an approved template and the customer’s opt-in.
Costs under coexistence
Messages sent through the API follow Meta’s per-message pricing. Customer messages are free. Service replies are free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number, then charged per message. Templates are charged per message, and marketing has no free allowance. Rates vary by country and are set in Meta’s rate cards.
Who it suits
Coexistence suits businesses that built up their customer base on the WhatsApp Business app and do not want to change number or lose their history. It also suits owners who still like to reply to some customers personally from their phone while automation covers the rest.
What this means for your business
You can add automation and a team inbox without telling customers about a new number. Your history comes with you, so replies have context from the start.
Before you connect, move any group chats you rely on elsewhere, since they do not sync. Plan to send broadcasts through the API as templates to opted-in customers, because app broadcast lists become read-only.
How AeroChat handles it
AeroChat supports WhatsApp coexistence. You keep the WhatsApp Business app on your phone while AeroChat runs on the same number, answering, looking things up in your systems, and handing chats to your team. You can take over any conversation, including from the AeroChat mobile app.
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. See after-hours replies, human handover and team inbox, order tracking, and appointment booking against Google Calendar or Calendly. Growth and above add broadcasts to opted-in customers.
Questions
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app after connecting to the API?
Yes. Under coexistence the app keeps working on your phone, and chats stay in sync with the API. Some features, such as disappearing messages, view-once, live location and 1:1 calls, are turned off in the app.
Will my chat history move across?
Yes, with your consent. Chat history and contacts sync within 24 hours of onboarding. Group chats do not sync.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Coexistence runs the API on the number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app.
Which app version do I need?
WhatsApp Business app version 2.24.17 or later.
Keep your number and add a team behind it
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Related guides: WhatsApp Business app vs API and WhatsApp Business multiple users.