{"id":3059,"date":"2026-11-02T10:03:45","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T10:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/360dialog.com\/blog\/?p=3059"},"modified":"2026-10-30T10:38:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T10:38:53","slug":"register-port-whatsapp-number","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/360dialog.com\/blog\/register-port-whatsapp-number\/","title":{"rendered":"Registering and Porting a Phone Number for the WhatsApp Business API"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To register a phone number for the WhatsApp Business API, check that it can receive a code by SMS or voice call, remove it from the personal WhatsApp app, verify it with that code, and send one registration request.<\/strong> Since Meta’s account changes in fall 2026, your number doesn’t move when you switch partners. You give the new partner access, and the chat history and quality rating stay as they are. Choose the business portfolio with care when you register, because a number can not move to another portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Any number you own can be registered if it has a country and area code and receives a code by SMS or voice call.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. A number on personal WhatsApp needs that account deleted before registration, while a number on the WhatsApp Business app can keep the app through Coexistence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Each group of linked numbers starts with two registered numbers, and Meta raises the cap to 20 once your business is verified or reaches a messaging limit of 2,000.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Adding or changing a partner leaves the number, its chats, and its quality rating where they are.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. 360Dialog, an Official Meta Solution Partner, registers numbers through Meta’s Embedded Signup, where the number is verified with a one-time code.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Does a Number Need Before You Can Register It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A number qualifies if you own it, it has a country code and an area code, it can receive a voice call or an SMS, and it meets Meta’s requirement that it “have scaled capabilities.”[1] Checking these four points first lets you pick a number that can finish verification. After registration, the number still works for ordinary calls and texts, while the personal WhatsApp app can no longer run on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Meta rates each number type by how reliably it receives the verification code:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Number type<\/th>Code by SMS<\/th>Code by voice call<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Mobile, Meta’s recommended type<\/td>Standard<\/td>Standard<\/td><\/tr>
    Fixed line, freephone, premium rate, universal access, VoIP, or inbound only<\/td>Not recommended<\/td>Standard<\/td><\/tr>
    Shared cost, personal number, or M2M\/IoT<\/td>Not recommended<\/td>Not recommended<\/td><\/tr>
    Pager<\/td>Not supported<\/td>Not supported<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before verification, allow international calls and SMS on the line, and switch off call forwarding and IVR menus. A toll-free number behind an IVR also qualifies if it accepts international calls, puts WhatsApp’s one or two caller numbers on its allow list, and routes the code to a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A banned number needs a successful appeal before it can be registered. If all you need is a test number, eligibility rules decide whether Embedded Signup offers a Meta-provided +1 555 number.[2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is Your Number Already on WhatsApp? How to Check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Send a test message to the number from any phone, and the result shows which of four states it is in: new to WhatsApp, active in the personal app, active in the Business app, or already on the API.[3] That state decides your onboarding path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What the Test Message Shows<\/th>Current State<\/th>Path to the API<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    A pop-up says the number isn’t on WhatsApp<\/td>New to WhatsApp<\/td>Register it directly<\/td><\/tr>
    The chat opens with the end-to-end encryption notice<\/td>Personal WhatsApp app<\/td>Delete the WhatsApp account in the app, or choose another number<\/td><\/tr>
    A “Business Account” label on the profile and a yellow system message<\/td>WhatsApp Business app<\/td>Keep the app through Coexistence, or delete the app account and lose its chat history<\/td><\/tr>
    A system notice appears in the chat<\/td>WhatsApp Business API<\/td>Already registered; a partner change runs through sharing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A number active in the personal WhatsApp app has no migration path to the API. Its account has to be deleted in the app before the number can be registered.[4] After deletion, the number can take up to 3 minutes to become available, and messages sent to it during that time are queued. For a number on the WhatsApp Business app, WhatsApp Coexistence<\/a> lets you run the app and the API on the same number, and our guide shows how to set up Coexistence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Register a New Number, Step by Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Registering a new number takes four actions: add the number to a WhatsApp account, request a one-time code, enter that code, and register the number for API use.[5] Embedded Signup covers the first three, and your developer then makes only the final API call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since Meta’s account update, the familiar WhatsApp Business account (WABA) is two accounts: a WhatsApp account that holds one phone number, and a Messaging account that holds templates, billing, and webhook subscriptions.[6]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Add the number.<\/strong> Add the number, its country code, and its display name to the WhatsApp account under the Messaging account. Meta returns a phone number ID for the next calls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Request a code.<\/strong> Check code_verification_status<\/code> first, because a request for a number that is already verified fails with error 136024. Then ask for the code by SMS or by voice call. The voice call is an automated call in English that reads out six digits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Verify the code.<\/strong> Send the digits back without the hyphen that appears in the SMS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Register the number.<\/strong> Call POST \/<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>\/register<\/code> with messaging_product<\/code> set to whatsapp<\/code> and a six-digit pin<\/code>.[7] Meta allows 10 register requests per number in a moving 72-hour window. An 11th request returns error 133016 and blocks registration for 72 hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      A number added and verified in WhatsApp Manager also needs that API call to complete registration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Registering Through Embedded Signup With 360Dialog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      360Dialog, an Official Meta Solution Partner, registers business phone numbers for the WhatsApp Business API only through Embedded Signup.[8] Because the flow signs in with Facebook Login, only an owner or admin of the business portfolio can complete it. That person enters the number, confirms its current state, accepts Meta’s terms, verifies the number, picks the business portfolio and WhatsApp account, and reviews what is shared with 360Dialog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Meta’s current flow asks for the phone number first, with no option to add one later.[9] The latest version is v5, released October 20, 2026, and our article on Embedded Signup versions<\/a> covers what changed.[10] A partner can also pre-verify a number, and then you skip the code step.[11] Our guide on how to get your first WABA approved<\/a> covers the account review that follows registration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Get API access<\/a> to register your first number through Embedded Signup and start sending on the WhatsApp Business API.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How Many Numbers Can One Business Portfolio Register?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      A new business portfolio starts with two registered numbers in each WhatsApp account hierarchy, and Meta can raise that cap to 20.[12] A hierarchy is a group of linked WhatsApp accounts, and a portfolio can hold 20 hierarchies at the start. The cap tells you whether business verification has to come before a third number joins a group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Meta lifts the cap automatically in two situations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Business Situation<\/th>Registered Numbers per WhatsApp Account Hierarchy<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
      New business portfolio<\/td>2<\/td><\/tr>
      Business verified, or a messaging limit of 2,000 reached<\/td>20<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When the cap rises, Meta sends a Meta Business Suite notification and a business_capability_update<\/code> webhook with the new max_phone_numbers_per_business<\/code>. Our Meta Business Verification<\/a> guide covers verification step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How Porting Used to Work, and What Meta Changed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Porting used to mean moving a registered number between two WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) when you changed providers, regrouped numbers, or moved to another business portfolio.[13] Meta’s new account model ended those moves. It rolled out from September 23, 2026 and reached all businesses by mid-October 2026. A porting guide’s date now tells you whether its steps still apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Under the previous model, a migrated number kept its display name, quality rating, messaging limits, and approved high-quality templates. A move required an approved display name, and test numbers issued by WhatsApp could not move. Moving to another business portfolio also required both portfolios to be verified and two-step verification to be switched off, and Coexistence numbers were excluded.[14]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Meta now rejects a request to move a number unless the destination WhatsApp account already owns it, and disconnecting the number from its account does not free it.[15] Today, porting a WhatsApp API number means the number stays where it is and gets shared with each partner you add. A switch to a new provider follows the same sharing route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How to Regroup Numbers Inside One Business Portfolio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Numbers inside one business portfolio are regrouped in Meta Business Suite, where WhatsApp accounts are linked to a group or unlinked from it. Each number stays connected with its conversations while it moves. That lets you reorganize numbers without registering any of them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. In Meta Business Suite, open Settings > Accounts > WhatsApp Accounts and select the group’s primary account. Then open its Linked WhatsApp accounts tab.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. To take a number out of the group, choose Unlink number. The number becomes its own hierarchy or joins another hierarchy in the same portfolio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. To bring in another number you own, choose Link WhatsApp account, then Existing WhatsApp account.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Only a connected number can be regrouped, and the person making the change needs phone number management rights on both hierarchies. Partners on a hierarchy reach every number in it. Regrouping a number therefore changes which partners can use it. A standalone number can’t join a hierarchy while a partner shares it or while it holds Messaging accounts of its own. If these options don’t appear yet, Meta is still rolling out linking and unlinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Note: The number stays in the business portfolio you chose at registration, because a number can’t move to another portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What Changes When You Add a Partner to Your Number<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Adding a partner means sharing the number’s WhatsApp account with that partner, while the number, its conversations, and its quality rating stay where they are. That lets you bring in a new partner, or work with two at once, without registering the number again or pausing conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        One WhatsApp account can be shared with as many as five Solution Partners, and Embedded Signup sets up a dedicated Messaging account for each of them. Sharing is additive, and you decide whether the previous partner stays on the number or leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Stays with the Number<\/th>Separate for Each Partner<\/th>Shared by all Partners on the Number<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
        Phone number, conversation history, and quality rating; business verification stays with the business portfolio<\/td>Templates, billing, and webhook subscriptions, held in the partner’s Messaging account<\/td>Throughput and the messaging limit<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Templates don’t carry over between Messaging accounts. A new partner either recreates them or copies them with the Template Migration API. Copied templates restart with a reset quality rating and messaging tier, and they take about two to four weeks to ramp up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What Happens to the Two-Step Verification PIN<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Meta is retiring the six-digit two-step verification PIN for eligible Cloud API numbers, and an eligible number has no PIN at all. Open WhatsApp Manager to check the number. If the Two-step verification tab is missing, the change has reached that number, and you have no PIN to store or manage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For eligible numbers, Meta ignores the PIN at registration and creates no new one. The register call still has to carry a valid six-digit pin<\/code> until Meta announces an API contract change. When a second partner registers a shared number, the call succeeds without resetting the PIN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Numbers still waiting for eligibility keep the old behavior. If such a number has no PIN, the six-digit value sent at registration becomes its PIN, and you can change a forgotten PIN in WhatsApp Manager.[16] No API endpoint turns two-step verification off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Pick a number that meets Meta’s requirements, register it in the right business portfolio, and it can stay with you as partners and groupings change. Get API access<\/a> to register your number through Embedded Signup with 360Dialog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Can a Landline Number Be Registered for the WhatsApp Business API?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        A landline can be registered for the WhatsApp Business API if it can take the verification code by voice call. Meta rates fixed lines as standard for voice call codes and not recommended for SMS codes. Before verification, set the line to accept international calls and switch off call forwarding and any IVR menu. The automated call then reaches a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Can a WhatsApp API Number Move to Another Business Portfolio?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        No, a WhatsApp API number can’t move to another business portfolio under Meta’s new account model, which reached all businesses by mid-October 2026. Inside one portfolio, regrouping still works by linking and unlinking WhatsApp accounts in Meta Business Suite. Each number stays connected and keeps its conversations while it moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Can I Keep My WhatsApp Number When Switching BSPs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Yes, the WhatsApp number stays the same when you switch BSPs. Under Meta’s account model, the new partner gets access to the number’s WhatsApp account, and the number stays where it is. Conversations and the quality rating continue without a migration, and you decide whether the previous partner keeps access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What Happens If the Register Endpoint Is Called Too Many Times?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        The register endpoint accepts 10 requests per phone number within a moving 72-hour window. An 11th request returns error 133016, and Meta then blocks that number’s registration for the next 72 hours. The deregister endpoint has the same limit and returns the same error code once a number exceeds it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        [1] Meta for Developers, “Business phone numbers,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/business-phone-numbers\/phone-numbers\/ (updated May 21, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [2] 360Dialog Docs, “Embedded Signup,” https:\/\/docs.360dialog.com\/docs\/hub\/embedded-signup (accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [3] 360Dialog Docs, “Confirm Number details,” https:\/\/docs.360dialog.com\/docs\/hub\/embedded-signup\/confirm-number-details (accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [4] Meta for Developers, “Migrate an existing WhatsApp number to a business account,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/solution-providers\/migrate-existing-whatsapp-number-to-a-business-account\/ (updated June 16, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [5] Meta for Developers, “Registering business phone numbers,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/solution-providers\/registering-phone-numbers\/ (updated June 28, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [6] Meta for Developers, “Updates to WhatsApp Business accounts,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/account-model-evolution (updated September 22, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [7] Meta for Developers, “Register a business phone number,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/business-phone-numbers\/registration\/ (updated October 27, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [8] 360Dialog Docs, “Phone Numbers,” https:\/\/docs.360dialog.com\/docs\/resources\/phone-numbers (accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [9] Meta for Developers, “Onboarding changes,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/account-model-evolution\/onboarding\/ (updated October 27, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [10] Meta for Developers, “WhatsApp versioning,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/embedded-signup\/versions (updated October 28, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [11] Meta for Developers, “Pre-verified phone numbers,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/embedded-signup\/pre-verified-numbers\/ (updated October 27, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [12] Meta for Developers, “WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/whatsapp-business-accounts\/ (updated August 5, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [13] 360Dialog Docs, “Migrations,” https:\/\/docs.360dialog.com\/docs\/hub\/migrations (accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [14] 360Dialog Docs, “Moving numbers between Business Portfolios,” https:\/\/docs.360dialog.com\/docs\/hub\/migrations\/moving-numbers-between-business-portfolios (accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [15] Meta for Developers, “Migrate a phone number via Embedded Signup,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/solution-providers\/support\/migrating-phone-numbers-among-solution-partners-via-embedded-signup (updated May 21, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        [16] Meta for Developers, “Two-Step Verification,” https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/documentation\/business-messaging\/whatsapp\/business-phone-numbers\/two-step-verification\/ (updated June 28, 2026; accessed October 29, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n