The short version:
- You can connect the number you use on the WhatsApp Business app to the official platform and keep using the app on your phone at the same time.
- Chats show in both places, the last 6 months of chats sync to the platform, and groups stay in the app.
- Messages from the app stay free; platform messages are charged at Meta’s official rates with no Watsio markup.
Until recently, moving a business number to the official WhatsApp platform (the API) meant giving up the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. Meta now lets the same number run on the app and on the official platform at the same time, a feature called Coexistence. This guide explains what it means for your business, how to switch it on, its limits and what it costs.
What does running one number on the app and the platform mean?
You connect the number you already use on the WhatsApp Business app to a platform such as Watsio and keep replying from your phone as usual. Messages show in both places: what you send from the app appears in the team inbox, and what an agent or the AI assistant sends from the platform appears in the app.
You keep the phone you are used to and gain the platform: several agents on one number, an AI assistant that replies around the clock, official campaigns, and your store and bookings connected.
Who benefits?
- A shop or salon owner who replies from their phone and wants an assistant to answer after hours.
- A business whose number customers have known for years and do not want to change.
- A small team that wants to share chats without handing one phone around.
Requirements
- The number must be on the WhatsApp Business app, not regular WhatsApp. If it is on regular WhatsApp, move it to the Business app first.
- You need the latest version of the app on your phone.
- Meta decides eligibility from the account’s age and message quality, so some very new numbers may need to wait.
How to switch it on in Watsio
- Sign up to Watsio and start the free trial (14 days, no card).
- In the WhatsApp connection step, choose to connect your current number from the WhatsApp Business app.
- Open the app on your phone, scan the code shown and agree to share your chats.
- Your chats and contacts from the last 6 months sync, and you can reply from both.
- After connecting, re-link your companion devices (such as WhatsApp Web), because Meta unlinks them once during the connection.
What changes and what does not
- One-to-one chats: work in both and stay in sync.
- Groups: do not sync to the platform and stay in the app.
- Broadcast lists in the app: become read-only; bulk sending moves to official campaigns on the platform.
- Disappearing and view-once messages: may not work the same way after connecting.
- Voice and video calls: stay in the app.
What does it cost?
Messages you send from the app stay free, as before. Messages sent from the platform are charged at Meta’s official rates, and Watsio adds no markup. Incoming customer messages are free, and replies inside the 24-hour window have a free monthly allowance from Meta. Estimate your cost with the WhatsApp cost calculator.
When is a second number better?
If your business sends very large campaigns every day, or you want to keep customer service apart from the owner’s personal number, a separate number for the platform is a tidy option. Most shops, clinics and salons are fine with the same number.
The bottom line
You no longer have to choose between your phone and the platform. Connect your number to Watsio, let the AI assistant reply, book and sell, and carry on from the app whenever you like. Start the free trial, or see every Watsio feature and how Watsio compares.
Common questions
Do I lose my old chats if I connect my number to the platform?
No. All your chats stay in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone, and the last 6 months of chats also sync to the platform.
Is it available in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Meta has opened the feature in most countries, Saudi Arabia included, and we switch it on for you in Watsio when you connect your number.
Can I use regular WhatsApp instead of WhatsApp Business?
No. It works with the WhatsApp Business app only, so move your number to it before connecting.
Are messages I send from my phone charged?
No, app messages stay free. Only platform messages are charged at Meta’s rates, with no Watsio markup.
Sources:
Last updated: November 2026 · Watsio team.
