Regional eligibility
As of February 1, 2026, WhatsApp Business numbers with country codes registered in Nigeria or South Africa can’t be onboarded to coexistence. All other regions where the WhatsApp Business Platform is generally available, including the EU, UK, Australia, and the Americas, are supported. Check Meta’s regional support list for the latest status.Device requirements
- WhatsApp Business app version 2.24.17 or later. Earlier versions don’t support the coexistence onboarding flow.
- The app must have been using the phone number for at least 1 week before onboarding.
- The app must remain installed on the original device. Uninstalling the WhatsApp Business app severs the coexistence link and the number will need to be re-onboarded.
- The app must be opened at least once every 13 days. If the app stays closed beyond that window, the connection between the app and the Cloud API can drop.
- Companion devices are unlinked at onboarding. WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp Desktop (macOS), and other linked sessions are signed out as part of the onboarding step. Supported companion clients can be re-linked afterward.
- WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS aren’t supported in coexistence mode and won’t function as companion clients after onboarding.
Throughput
Coexistence numbers have a fixed Cloud API throughput of 20 messages per second (TPS). This cap is set by Meta to keep the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API in sync, and applies regardless of the number’s tier or messaging limit. Numbers that need higher TPS for outbound campaigns should not be onboarded via coexistence.Marketing Messages Lite API
Numbers onboarded via coexistence are not eligible for the Marketing Messages Lite API. The Lite API is Meta’s offering for specific marketing-only use cases and requires standard Cloud API onboarding rather than coexistence onboarding.Feature behavior in the WhatsApp Business app
Once coexistence is active, several WhatsApp Business app features change behavior. The two tables below split them into (A) features that are disabled entirely and (B) features that continue to work in the app but don’t synchronize with the Cloud API or surface in Coral.A. Features disabled in the WhatsApp Business app
| Feature | Behavior after coexistence onboarding |
|---|---|
| Broadcast lists | Disabled. New lists can’t be created. Existing lists become read-only. |
| Disappearing messages (1:1 chats) | Disabled. The setting is unavailable in coexistence mode. |
| Disappearing messages (auto-mode) | Force-disabled at onboarding. |
| View once media | Disabled. View-once photos and videos can no longer be sent. |
| Live location sharing (1:1 chats) | Disabled. |
| Message edit | Disabled. Sent messages can’t be edited. |
| Delete for everyone (message revoke / “Unsend”) | Disabled. Sent messages can’t be deleted for the recipient. |
B. Features that continue in the app but don’t sync to the Cloud API
| Feature | Behavior after coexistence onboarding |
|---|---|
| Group chats | Continue to work in the app. Not mirrored to the Cloud API and not visible in Coral. (Coral offers a separate group chat option that allows for visibility and automation in groups; contact the Coral team for details.) |
| Voice calls and video calls | Continue to work in the app. Can’t be initiated, controlled, or logged through the Cloud API. |
| Number conceal (hiding the business phone number) | Continues to work in the app. Not exposed via the Cloud API and the API-side surface area shows the underlying number. |
| Catalogs, orders, and in-app business tools | Continue to work in the app. Not synchronized to the Cloud API. Manage in the app, not in both places. |
| Greeting messages and away messages | Continue to work in the app. Changes don’t sync to the Cloud API. |
| Quick replies | Continue to work in the app. Not synchronized. |
| Labels | Continue to work in the app. Not synchronized. |
Chat history import
When a number is onboarded to coexistence, Meta imports a portion of existing WhatsApp Business app history into the Cloud API account. Coral surfaces the imported content in the inbox and writes it to the connected CRM.- 1:1 chat history: Up to 6 months of prior 1:1 messages are imported.
- Media (images, files, voice notes): Approximately 2 weeks of prior media are imported.
- Group chat history: Not imported. Existing group threads remain accessible in the WhatsApp Business app only.
- Contacts: Synchronized immediately at onboarding.
- Sync timing: Recent messages from the last 24 hours sync in real time. Older 1:1 history backfills in the background, typically within minutes to hours depending on volume.
Pricing
- WhatsApp Business app messages remain free, including after coexistence onboarding.
- Messages sent by the API into the chat are billed by Meta at standard Cloud API rates, by conversation category and country.
- 24-hour reply windows are opened only by inbound messages received from the client or contact, not by messages sent by the employee coexistence number, even if sent from the Business app.