WhatsApp coexistence: keep the Business app and use the API on the same number
Coexistence is Meta's way to connect a number that already lives in the WhatsApp Business app to the WhatsApp Business API without leaving the app. The phone keeps working as before, and the same conversations also run through the API, so they can reach a CRM. WASync supports coexistence for Bitrix24: you connect the number with Facebook login, scan a QR code from the app, and your team answers from Bitrix24 while the owner keeps answering from the phone.
This page explains what coexistence changes, what it does not do, and how to decide between coexistence, a number that is API-only, and a QR-linked number.
For how coexistence works on Meta's side in detail (what syncs between the app and the API, and what does not), see WhatsApp Business app and API on the same number.
What coexistence is
Until coexistence, a number had to choose. Registered on the WhatsApp Business API, it stopped working in the WhatsApp app. Kept in the app, it could not use templates, official broadcasts or the API at all.
With coexistence the number is in both places:
- On the phone, the WhatsApp Business app keeps its chats, contacts and habits. Nothing is reinstalled.
- On the API, customer messages arrive in your CRM, replies written in the CRM go out through the official platform, and approved templates can start conversations.
- Between the two, a message written on the phone also appears in the CRM, so the record of the conversation stays in one place.
How it works with WASync and Bitrix24
- In WASync, open Connections and choose Connect WhatsApp Business API.
- Sign in with Facebook. The Meta dialog recognises a number that is in the WhatsApp Business app and offers to connect it without the SMS code used for a fresh API number.
- Scan the QR code shown in the dialog from the WhatsApp Business app on the phone.
- Add a payment method to the new WhatsApp Business account in Meta Business Manager. Without one, Meta blocks sending from the API side.
From then on, customer messages land on the lead, deal or contact in Bitrix24 and in the WASync Chat inbox, and the team answers from there.
What you need before you start
- The WhatsApp Business app, updated to a recent version (2.24.17 or newer).
- A number that has never been registered on the WhatsApp Business API.
- A Meta business portfolio, with an administrator who can sign in to Facebook. A verified portfolio is recommended.
- A card or other payment method for the WhatsApp Business account at Meta.
- A WASync Business API connection: $29 per month per number. Meta bills its own messaging fees to you directly.
Meta decides which numbers are eligible. If a number cannot use coexistence, the signup dialog says so before anything is changed.
Limits to know before you choose it
Coexistence is the right door for many small teams, and it has real limits. These are the ones that matter in practice.
| Limit | What it means |
|---|---|
| No WhatsApp calls from the CRM | Meta does not allow API calling on a number in coexistence. The phone app can still call. In WASync the Call button is disabled on such a number, with the reason shown. |
| A reply typed on the phone does not open the 24-hour window | The customer-service window opens when the customer writes. If your side wrote last from the phone, the CRM may still need an approved template to write first. |
| The app's old chats are not imported by WASync yet | Conversations appear in the CRM from the moment the number is connected. Importing the history that sits in the app is in development. |
| Moving back is slow | Taking a number off the API again is not a switch. Treat the move as permanent. |
| A QR connection on the same number ends | If the number is linked to WASync by QR today, that link stops when the number moves to the API. Finish the signup in one sitting so the number is not left without either. |
Coexistence, API-only or a QR-linked number
| Coexistence | API-only number | QR-linked number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number stays in the WhatsApp Business app | Yes | No | Yes |
| Official WhatsApp Business API | Yes | Yes | No |
| Approved templates to write first | Yes | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp calls answered in Bitrix24 | No | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp groups in the CRM | No | No | Yes |
| Meta messaging fees | Yes, billed by Meta | Yes, billed by Meta | None |
| WASync price per number | $29 per month | $29 per month | $19 per month |
A simple way to choose:
- The owner answers from the phone and the team needs the CRM too: coexistence.
- The team works only from the CRM and wants calls in Bitrix24: an API-only number.
- You need WhatsApp groups, or want no Meta fees: a QR-linked number. See the comparison of QR and the Business API.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number?
Yes, with coexistence. The number stays in the WhatsApp Business app and is also connected to the WhatsApp Business API, so messages can be handled from the phone and from a CRM.
Do I lose my chats in the WhatsApp Business app?
No. The app keeps its chats and keeps working. What WASync does not do yet is copy those older chats into the CRM: the CRM history starts when the number is connected.
Do messages I send from the phone appear in Bitrix24?
Yes. A message written in the WhatsApp Business app on a coexistence number also appears in the conversation in Bitrix24 and in WASync Chat.
Can I make WhatsApp calls from the CRM on a coexistence number?
No. Meta does not allow API calling on a number in coexistence. Calls still work from the phone app. For calls answered inside Bitrix24, the number has to be API-only: see WhatsApp Business Calling API.
What does coexistence cost?
WASync charges $29 per month for a Business API number, coexistence included. Meta bills its messaging fees to your WhatsApp Business account directly: see what the WhatsApp Business API costs.
Is coexistence better than linking the number by QR?
They solve different problems. Coexistence gives you the official API, with templates and Meta's rules. A QR link costs less, has no Meta fees and supports groups, but it is not the official API.