Docs · WhatsApp API

Can I move my existing number?

Short answer: yes, technically. Longer answer: for most businesses we would advise against it, and here is exactly why.

Last updated September 2026

What happens if you migrate

What you keep

The number itself. Customers who saved it still reach you. Your business profile can be rebuilt to look the same.

What you do not keep

Your chat history does not transfer. Past conversations stay on the phone and do not appear in the new platform. Broadcast lists and labels do not transfer either.

You also cannot use that number in the WhatsApp Business App any more. Everything goes through whatever platform you connect.

Why we usually suggest a separate line instead

Your main number is the one your customers already have. Putting it through a 2–3 week Meta review, a migration and a new platform — all at once — means the line your business depends on is the line being experimented with.

A separate "AI line" avoids all of it: your existing number keeps working exactly as it does today, the new number handles the automated side, and if anything needs changing, nothing your customers rely on is affected.

When migrating the main number does make sense

The number is printed on signage, packaging or vehicles and you cannot realistically change it
It is already your only business number and no personal messages go through it
You have exported anything from the chat history you need to keep
You can accept being offline on that number for part of the migration

Before you migrate, do these

1. Export anything important

In WhatsApp, export the chats you may need later. Once the number is on the API, the app history is not retrievable from the platform side.

2. Save your customer list somewhere else

Contacts live on the phone, not in WhatsApp. Back them up before anything changes.

3. Tell customers in advance if there will be a gap

A short message before the switch prevents "I messaged you and nobody replied".

4. Delete the WhatsApp account on that number

Required before the number can be bound to the API. Do this only when everything else is ready.

Common questions

Will customers have to save a new number?

If you migrate, no. If you use a separate AI line, they will reach the new number through whatever link or QR you give them — which in practice is how most people arrive anyway.

Can I run both at once?

Yes. One number on the API and another on the Business App is a very common setup, and it is what we suggest to most clients.

Can I migrate back later?

You can deregister the number from the API, but it is a process rather than a toggle, and the API-side history does not move back either. Treat migration as a decision, not an experiment.

Does a new number hurt trust?

Not in practice. Customers judge by how fast and how well you reply. A verified display name matters far more than which digits the number ends in.

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