Phone migration

WhatsApp officially offers a migration path from the WhatsApp for Business App to the WhatsApp for Business API, which works like a charm. Here is a peek into how we tackled it.

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Warning!

Note the fact that there is no way back to the Business Client following an upgrade. Your former WhatsApp Business Client can not be used afterwards.
The decision on the migration success depends solely on WhatsApp.

Migration

1. First, you need to get your display name approved. This step is essential to create a certificate, otherwise, the WhatsApp Business API client will not work.

2. It is possible to keep the phone number that is already registered in your WhatsApp Business application. It is, however, necessary to delete the old account associated with that phone number and then trigger the WhatsApp for Business API registration process. The migration of your phone number is described here. While you are migrating your number all incoming messages will be queued by WhatsApp servers and delivered after a successful migration.

From here there is no way back; existing chats (history) cannot be imported once the number has been moved to the API; profile settings need to be reconfigured. Your former WhatsApp Business Client can not be used afterwards.

3. The number is now on the WhatsApp Business API.

All numbers set up for the WhatsApp for Business API need to remain with the Business Service Provider that originally implemented the number. There is currently no way to move the number to another Business Service Provider.

That's it!