Connecting a phone number to the WhatsApp Business API used to mean paperwork, a developer and a week of waiting. Today it runs through Meta's Embedded Signup: a secure Meta window that opens from your WhatsApp platform, where you sign in with Facebook, pick your business and verify your number. In Mywa it takes about five minutes.
This guide walks through every screen, what to prepare before you start, how to connect a number that's already on the WhatsApp Business app, and how to fix the errors people run into most.
Before you start
Have these ready and the signup goes through in one sitting:
- A Facebook account that is an admin of your business on Meta, or that can create a new business portfolio during signup. A personal Facebook profile is fine; your customers never see it.
- The phone number you want to use, and access to it right now. Meta sends a verification code by SMS or voice call. Landlines work with the voice call option.
- Your business details as they appear publicly: legal or trading name, website, and business category.
- A display name for WhatsApp. It's the name customers see, and Meta reviews it, so it should clearly match your business (for example "Lotus Boutique", not "Best Deals 24x7").
Pick the right kind of number
The number decides which path you take in the Meta window.
| Your number | What to do |
|---|---|
| A new number that has never been on WhatsApp | The standard path. Verify it with an SMS or call code. |
| A number on the WhatsApp Business app | Use coexistence: keep the app on your phone and connect the same number to Mywa. You confirm on the phone. |
| A number on personal WhatsApp | It can't be connected while it's on personal WhatsApp. Back up your chats, delete the WhatsApp account on that number (WhatsApp → Settings → Account → Delete account), then connect it as a new number. Or use a different number. |
| A number already on the API with another provider | Ask that provider to release it, or turn off two-step verification on it, before you connect. |
Short codes and numbers you can't receive a code on can't be used.
Step by step: connecting in Mywa
1. Start the connection
In Mywa, the WhatsApp step of your setup (or Settings → WhatsApp later) asks which number you'll use. Pick A new number or My WhatsApp Business app number, then click Continue with Facebook. Meta's signup opens in a pop-up window. Allow pop-ups for Mywa if your browser blocks it.
2. Log in with Facebook
Sign in with the Facebook account that manages your business. Meta then shows what Mywa is asking for: permission to manage your WhatsApp Business Account and send messages on your behalf. That's what lets Mywa run your inbox and campaigns. Continue.
3. Choose or create your business portfolio
Select your existing Meta business portfolio (formerly Business Manager), or create one with your business name, email, country and website. If you run ads on Facebook or Instagram, you likely have one already, and using it keeps everything in one place.
4. Choose or create your WhatsApp Business Account
Pick an existing WhatsApp Business Account or create a new one. For a new account, Meta asks for:
- Display name: the name customers see on your messages.
- Category: the closest match for what you do.
- Website (and optionally a short description).
5. Add and verify your phone number
Enter the number with its country code and choose Text message or Phone call. Type the 6-digit code Meta sends. On the WhatsApp Business app path, you'll instead get a prompt inside the app to confirm, and you can choose to bring over your recent chat history.
6. Finish
Review the summary and click Finish. The window closes and Mywa shows your number as connected. You can now create message templates, import contacts and invite your team.
Keeping your WhatsApp Business app number (coexistence)
If customers already know your number from the WhatsApp Business app, coexistence lets you keep it:
- Keep the WhatsApp Business app updated to the latest version before you start.
- In the Meta window, choose to connect your existing WhatsApp Business app number, then confirm on your phone when the app asks.
- Your contacts and recent chats sync to Mywa, and new messages appear in both places.
- A few app features change once the number is connected. WhatsApp lists them on the confirmation screen.
What happens after you connect
- Display name review. Meta reviews your display name, usually within a day or two. Until it's approved, some customers may see your number instead of your name.
- Messaging limits. A new number can start conversations with 250 unique customers a day. Replies to customers who message you first are not limited. Meta raises the limit to 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and then unlimited as you use it with good quality.
- Quality rating. Meta rates your number high, medium or low based on how customers react (blocks and reports pull it down). Message people who opted in, and keep messages relevant.
- Business verification. Verifying your business in Meta's Business settings builds trust and is needed for higher limits and the official business badge.
Troubleshooting
"This number is already registered on WhatsApp." The number is still on personal WhatsApp or the WhatsApp Business app. Delete the WhatsApp account on that number, or choose the WhatsApp Business app option to use coexistence, then try again.
The verification code never arrived. Wait for the timer and choose Phone call instead. Check that the number can receive calls from international numbers, and that you entered the country code correctly.
The pop-up closed or went blank. Allow pop-ups for Mywa, use a desktop browser if you were on a phone, and start again. Nothing is lost if you close the window early.
My display name was rejected. Choose a name that matches your business name or brand as it appears on your website or signage, then submit it again from WhatsApp Manager.
The number is on another provider's platform. Ask them to release the number or turn off two-step verification, then connect it in Mywa.
Need a hand?
If you'd rather not do this alone, message the Mywa team on WhatsApp from inside the app and our onboarding team will call you and walk through it with you.