Coexistence lets you keep using the WhatsApp Business app on your phone while Social Intents handles the same number through the WhatsApp Cloud API. Your team can answer from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat or the web inbox, and anyone who prefers the app can keep replying there. See how it fits into WhatsApp live chat with Social Intents.
What Coexistence Does
Without coexistence, moving a number to the Cloud API takes it out of the WhatsApp Business app. With coexistence, the app and the API share the number. Messages you send from the app are synced into the Social Intents transcript, so the conversation history is complete wherever the reply came from.
Requirements
- The number is active in the WhatsApp Business app, not personal WhatsApp.
- The app is updated to version 2.24.17 or later. Meta requires it for coexistence.
- The number isn't connected to another WhatsApp API provider.
- You are an admin of the Meta business portfolio you connect, and you have the phone with the app in hand to scan a QR code.
Enabling Coexistence
Start the Connection
In Social Intents, go to Integrations and click Connect on the WhatsApp card (or Reconnect if WhatsApp is already connected). Read the Before you continue to Meta checklist and click Continue to Meta.
Enter Your WhatsApp Business App Number
On Meta's Add your WhatsApp phone number screen, type the number you use in the WhatsApp Business app and click Next. Meta recognizes it and offers to connect your existing WhatsApp Business app. Choose to keep using the app.
Confirm and Scan the QR Code
Confirm your business profile and business portfolio, then scan the QR code Meta shows from inside the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. Meta also sends the QR link to you in a WhatsApp message.
Finish Setup
When the popup closes, work through the Finish setup checklist (payment method, display name and messaging status) and route the number to a widget in Settings > Channels > WhatsApp. See Setting Up WhatsApp Business.
After setup, send a test message to the number and confirm it appears both in the app and in Social Intents.
How Message Syncing Works
| Scenario | What happens |
|---|---|
| A customer messages your number | The message appears in the WhatsApp Business app and in Social Intents. |
| An agent replies from Social Intents (Teams, Slack, Google Chat or inbox) | The reply is sent through the Cloud API. The customer sees it in WhatsApp, and it also appears in the app's chat history. |
| Someone replies from the WhatsApp Business app | The reply is sent from the app and added to the Social Intents transcript. |
What Changes with Coexistence
- Sending speed. Meta caps coexistence numbers at 20 messages per second (1,200 per minute). In the broadcast composer, the Fast send speed is held to that cap for a coexistence number.
- Broadcast lists in the app become read-only. Send broadcasts from Social Intents instead, with consent checks, send windows and reports. See WhatsApp Broadcasts.
- Templates. Templates belong to your WhatsApp Business Account. Create and manage them in Outbound > Templates. See WhatsApp Template Manager and Library.
- Meta billing. Messages sent through Social Intents, including AI replies and broadcasts, are billed by Meta to your WhatsApp Business Account like any Cloud API message, so add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager.
When to Use Coexistence
- Your team already answers from the WhatsApp Business app and wants to add Social Intents without a hard switch.
- Some people prefer the app while others work in Teams or Slack.
- You want a backup way to answer from a phone.
- You are evaluating Social Intents and want both running in parallel.
Considerations
- Who answers. New messages notify both the app and your team platform. Agree who replies from where so customers don't get two answers.
- AI agent. If the widget has an AI agent enabled, it replies through the Cloud API. Those replies also appear in the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop using the WhatsApp Business app later?
Yes. You can stop using the app at any time and keep working in Social Intents. If you later want the app and Social Intents together again, use Integrations > WhatsApp > Reconnect, which runs the coexistence flow again.
Why are my WhatsApp Business app broadcast lists read-only?
Meta makes app broadcast lists read-only once a number uses coexistence. Use WhatsApp broadcasts in Social Intents to message opted-in contacts.
Does coexistence cost extra?
Not from Social Intents. Meta charges for messages sent through the API as usual. See the pricing FAQ in Setting Up WhatsApp Business.
Is coexistence slower for broadcasts?
Meta limits coexistence numbers to 20 messages per second. Most broadcasts are paced more slowly than that anyway; see WhatsApp Sending Limits and Quiet Hours.