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This page documents the requirements and known limitations of WhatsApp coexistence as it applies to numbers connected to Coral. It covers eligibility, device requirements, throughput, and the WhatsApp Business app features that change behavior once a number is onboarded to your Coral account in coexistence mode. Always confirm current behavior against Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform documentation before going to production. Meta updates the supported region list and feature behavior periodically.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A. Features disabled in the WhatsApp Business app

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B. Features that continue in the app but don’t sync to the Cloud API

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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.
The import runs once, at onboarding. If the import is skipped during the onboarding flow, it can’t be triggered later — the number must be offboarded and re-onboarded to import history.

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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.