WhatsApp coexistence groups, broadcast lists, and calls follow different rules once the number also runs on the WhatsApp Business API. Groups and calls stay on the phone but stay out of the API; broadcast lists become read-only.
This guide walks through each feature, based on Meta’s documentation as of October 2026: what changes, which official alternatives exist, and how to reorganize your messaging before you turn coexistence on.
Key Takeaways
- Groups, calls, Status, Channels, and the catalog work the same in the WhatsApp Business app, but the platform connected to the API receives none of them.
- Broadcast lists become read-only. The official replacement is approved templates sent through the Cloud API to contacts who opted in.
- Disappearing messages, view once, and live location are turned off in every one-on-one chat.
- The Groups API and the Calling API require a number that is not on the app, so businesses that depend on them should consider a number dedicated to the API.
WhatsApp Coexistence Groups: What Changes and What Stays
With coexistence, groups keep working in the WhatsApp Business app with no change, but they are not synced to or supported by the Cloud API. For members, the group looks the same. The customer service platform is what loses sight of it.
What Meta Says About Groups
In the feature table of its official coexistence documentation, Meta lists group chats as “no change” in the app and “not supported” on the API. The business keeps creating groups, adding people, and replying from the phone, just as before.
The initial sync also leaves groups out. Contacts and up to 6 months of one-on-one chats can move to the platform if the business allows it, but group messages are not included. The complete WhatsApp coexistence guide explains that process in detail.
Why the Platform Cannot See Groups
Coexistence sync and mirroring cover one-on-one chats only. Meta does offer a separate Groups API, but its documentation says it is not available for WhatsApp Business app numbers, which means numbers on coexistence.
In practice, the group remains a channel of the phone and its linked devices. If the business serves customers in groups, someone has to follow them in the app, outside the multi-agent team inbox queue, and the team should agree on who does it.
What Stops Working Under Coexistence: Feature by Feature
Four features stop working under coexistence: broadcast lists, which become read-only, plus disappearing messages, view once, and live location, which are turned off in one-on-one chats. Everything else in the app stays the same, but outside the API.
| Feature | Before (app only) | After (coexistence) | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-on-one chats | In the app | In the app and on the API, mirrored; editing and deleting enabled | Customer service through the platform |
| Groups | In the app | No change in the app; not synced and not on the API | Follow them on the phone; Groups API only with a dedicated number |
| Broadcast lists | Create and send | Read-only; no new lists | Approved templates sent through the API to opted-in contacts |
| Disappearing messages | Available | Turned off in one-on-one chats | Internal data retention rule |
| View once | Available | Turned off in one-on-one chats | A separate channel for sensitive documents |
| Live location | Available | Turned off in one-on-one chats | Written address or map link |
| Voice and video calls | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Calling API only with a dedicated number |
| Status | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Post from the phone |
| Channels | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Manage from the phone |
| Catalog and orders | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Check orders on the phone |
| Greeting, away messages, quick replies, and labels | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Platform automation and tags |
| Business profile | In the app | No change in the app; not on the API | Edit in the app |
| Templates | Not available in the app | Cloud API only | Partner platform |
How to Read the Table
The table separates three situations. Some features are turned off, such as disappearing messages. One feature becomes read-only: the broadcast list. And most of the app keeps working on the phone but never shows up on the platform.
The last column lists the closest alternative. Some run on the API itself, such as templates. Others need a number dedicated to the Cloud API, such as integrated groups and calls. And some only need an internal team rule.
What Gains a New Function
Not everything is a loss. After activation, one-on-one chats support editing and deleting messages, and everything sent or received is mirrored between the app and the Cloud API, according to Meta.
Messages sent from the app also do not open or extend the API customer service window and are not billed by it. The owner can keep replying from the phone without touching the bill for messages sent through the platform.
Broadcast Lists Under Coexistence: Read-Only
Under coexistence, broadcast lists are turned off: the business cannot create new lists, and existing ones become read-only. The Cloud API does not support the feature either, so the official way to reach many contacts becomes the template.
What Happens to Existing Lists
Old lists stay visible in the app, along with what was already sent, but they do not accept new messages. Businesses that used lists for weekly updates, promotions, or reminders need another route before turning on coexistence.
Treat activation as the end of your lists. Write down each list’s name, goal, sending frequency, and members, so every use case can be rebuilt in the API format.
What to Do With List Contacts
List members do not automatically become a campaign audience. Meta’s opt-in guidance asks that people agree to receive messages from the business, with the business name stated clearly, through a method that complies with local law, such as Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD). Similar rules apply under GDPR in the EU.
That is why the migration starts with consent. The WhatsApp opt-in guide shows ways to record that permission, and contacts without a record can be invited to accept messages the next time they write to the business.
The Official Replacement: Approved Templates With Opt-In
The official replacement for the broadcast list is sending Meta-approved templates through the Cloud API to contacts who opted in. Under coexistence, these messages go out from the partner’s platform, never from the app, and follow API rules and pricing.
Templates Go Through the API, Not the App
Meta’s official PDF guide on API solutions for WhatsApp Business app users states that templates cannot be sent from the WhatsApp Business app interface, only through the Cloud API. The app stays free for one-on-one chats, but campaigns start on the platform.
Every WhatsApp message template goes through approval and has a category, such as marketing or utility. Since July 1, 2025, Meta charges per delivered message, based on the category and the recipient’s country. The WhatsApp bulk messaging guide covers segmentation, timing, and frequency.
From October 1, 2026, Meta charges for service messages and for utility messages inside the 24-hour window, with 1,000 free service messages per phone number each month, according to its non-template message pricing page.
The WhatsApp API pricing guide explains each category with examples. For Brazilian numbers, the cost calculator (Brazil, in Portuguese) estimates what it would cost to replace old lists with template campaigns.
Opt-In, Unsubscribe, and Sending Limits
Opt-in has been required by the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy since its November 2024 update. Meta’s guidance also recommends explaining how to stop receiving each type of message and honoring every unsubscribe request.
Volume has a ceiling too. Messaging limits start at 250 unique users in 24 hours and go up to unlimited, and a coexistence number has a fixed throughput of 20 messages per second, according to the throughput documentation as of October 2026.
Messages sent without consent can lead to blocks and reports and lower the number’s quality rating. According to Meta, a low rating over time limits sending, so the contact list deserves a review before the first campaign.
WhatsApp Coexistence and Calls: Voice and Video Stay on the Phone
Under coexistence, voice and video calls keep working in the WhatsApp Business app with no change, but the Cloud API does not support them. Customers call the same number as always, and the call is answered in the app, just as before activation.
What the Team Needs to Know About Calls
Because the API does not handle calls, a call does not appear on the customer service platform. If a customer calls and then writes, the team sees only the written part. Whatever was agreed by voice must be logged by hand, in a conversation note.
According to the same official PDF, groups, calls, and Status used through the app remain free. Meta’s charges apply only to messages sent through the API, so teams that handle calls do not need to change that habit because of coexistence.
Why the Calling API Is Not Part of Coexistence
Meta offers a WhatsApp Calling API, but its first requirement is that the number is in use on the Cloud API and not on the WhatsApp Business app. The business also needs a messaging limit of at least 2,000 unique recipients per day.
Business-initiated calls on the Calling API are not available when the business phone number is from the United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, or Nigeria, according to Meta’s documentation as of October 2026. Businesses that need integrated calls should evaluate the WhatsApp Cloud API with a dedicated number.
Keep your number and add the official API
ConverZAP, a Meta-verified Tech Provider, connects your WhatsApp Business app number through coexistence. The phone keeps working, and the AI agent and team inbox run on the official API.
Try it free with your own numberSee how it worksDisappearing Messages, View Once, and Live Location Under Coexistence
Disappearing messages, view once, and live location are turned off in every one-on-one chat once the number joins coexistence. Meta also states that none of the three is supported by the Cloud API.
The Three Features Turned Off
- Disappearing messages: one-on-one chats no longer delete messages automatically.
- View once: messages that can be opened only once are turned off in one-on-one chats.
- Live location: sharing a real-time position is no longer possible in one-on-one chats.
The change applies to all one-on-one chats, not only new ones. If disappearing messages were your default, tell the team: conversations will now stay stored in the app and mirrored on the platform connected to the API.
How to Adapt Routines That Relied on Them
Businesses that received documents through view once, such as clinics and law offices, need another rule for sensitive data. One option is to collect these files through a dedicated channel with access control and to define how long they will be kept.
For deliveries and visits, live location can give way to a written address or a map link. The WhatsApp API glossary helps the team understand the terms that come up during this transition.
Status, Channels, Catalog, and App Tools
Status, Channels, catalog, orders, business profile, and messaging tools stay the same in the WhatsApp Business app under coexistence, but the Cloud API does not support them. All of them are still handled from the phone.
What Stays the Same on the Phone
According to Meta, the following stay unchanged in the app: business tools (catalog, orders, and Status), messaging tools (marketing messages, greeting, away messages, quick replies, and labels), the business profile, and Channels. None of them reaches the platform.
This matters for businesses that sell through the catalog. Customers still see products on the profile, but the API does not handle orders placed through the app. The team needs to check them on the phone and log each sale wherever the business tracks its pipeline.
Automatic Replies From the App and the Platform
The app’s greeting and away messages stay active after activation. If the platform also replies with automation or an AI agent, the customer may get two different answers to the same message.
The fix is to assign one owner to each type of reply. The guide on human and AI customer service shows how to split the work, and the WhatsApp API pricing guide explains when the API can reply without a template inside the 24-hour window.
Groups on the API: What the Groups API Requires
The Groups API lets businesses create and manage groups through the Cloud API, but it requires an Official Business Account and does not work with coexistence numbers. It is built for small, business-created groups that people join through an invite link.
Groups API Requirements and Limits
- Eligibility: a number with an Official Business Account (OBA), which shows the blue badge.
- Participants: up to 8 per group, with only one Cloud API business in each group.
- Volume: up to 10,000 groups per business phone number.
- Joining: only through an invite link sent by the business.
- Pricing: charged per message, like the rest of the API.
To request an Official Business Account, Meta requires, among other criteria, at least 30 days on the WhatsApp Business Platform, a verified business portfolio, and an approved display name. The WhatsApp Business verification guide explains the process.
App Groups vs API Groups
App groups serve customer communities, teams, and partners. Groups API groups are more limited: disappearing messages, view once, interactive messages, and calls are not supported, and messages cannot be edited or deleted.
So the switch is not automatic. A large customer group in the app has no direct API equivalent, while a small service group, such as customer, salesperson, and technician, fits within Groups API rules.
How to Reorganize Your Messaging Before Turning On Coexistence
Reorganizing before you turn on coexistence means mapping what the business does in the app today and deciding, for each use, whether it stays on the phone, moves to the API, or changes format.
Inventory What the Business Uses Today
Before connecting the number, list every app feature the team uses and how often. Answering these questions with the people who handle customers every day shows how big the change will be:
- How many broadcast lists exist, and what is each one for?
- Which groups include customers, and who replies in them?
- Does the business take WhatsApp calls often?
- Does anyone use disappearing messages, view once, or live location with customers?
- Do the catalog, Status, and Channels generate orders or new contacts?
- Are greeting and away messages turned on?
A store that runs on weekly lists will have more work than a medical office that only answers one-on-one chats and takes calls on the phone. The inventory shows where the transition needs templates, new rules, or just a heads-up to the team.
A Six-Step Transition Plan
- Record every broadcast list and its goal.
- Check contact opt-in and ask for permission where there is no record.
- Create the templates that will replace the lists and get them approved.
- Decide who follows groups and calls on the phone.
- Tell the team about the features turned off in one-on-one chats.
- Turn on coexistence and check the sync, which the partner has 24 hours to complete.
If activation fails, the guide to WhatsApp coexistence errors lists the official codes and the fix for each one. Order matters: with templates approved in advance, campaigns do not stall on the day lists become read-only.
When a Dedicated API Number Makes More Sense
A number dedicated to the Cloud API makes more sense when the business needs groups or calls integrated into the platform, or faster sending than coexistence allows. In other cases, coexistence keeps both the number and the app.
Signs That Coexistence Is Enough
Coexistence tends to work well when groups and calls are a complement, not the core of customer service. A service provider who closes deals in one-on-one chats and uses groups only for internal updates is a good example.
It also works for businesses that can replace lists with opted-in templates and send volumes that fit within 20 messages per second. The comparison WhatsApp coexistence vs Cloud API goes deeper into this choice.
Signs That a Dedicated Cloud API Number Is Better
If the business wants groups or calls logged on the platform, only a number outside the app meets the Groups API and Calling API requirements. For large sends, the Cloud API starts at 80 messages per second and can reach 1,000.
Either way, the choice stays within the official API. Tools that mimic the app to send lists increase the risk of a ban, as the guide to the unofficial WhatsApp API shows, and the article on a banned WhatsApp number covers the most common causes.
AI Agents and the Team Inbox After the Change
After the change, the platform connected to the API takes over one-on-one chats, templates, and automation, while groups, calls, and app tools stay on the phone. That split calls for a platform that organizes everything arriving through the API.
What the Platform Takes Over
Through the API, an AI agent answers one-on-one chats, looks up data, and records information. The guide to AI agent CRM integration shows how this works. When a case needs a person, the conversation moves to the team with its context.
The balance between automation and people is covered in the guide to human and AI customer service. For campaigns, the bulk messaging guide shows how to send approved templates with opt-in and an unsubscribe option.
How ConverZAP Connects Your Number
ConverZAP, a Meta-verified Tech Provider, connects your WhatsApp Business app number through coexistence inside its own app and runs on the official WhatsApp API, with AI agents that take action, a team inbox for multiple agents, and template campaigns with opt-in and unsubscribe. Recent one-on-one history (up to 6 months) can be imported in the first 24 hours, and groups and calls stay on the phone.
Messages you send from the phone show up in the ConverZAP inbox as “Sent from phone”, and the AI agent pauses so it doesn’t reply over you. The coexistence setup guide shows activation step by step, the free trial already includes connecting your own number, and the pricing page lists what each plan includes.
In short, coexistence changes little for businesses that handle one conversation at a time and a lot for those that run on broadcast lists. Taking inventory, recording opt-in, and approving templates before activation keeps messaging from stalling mid-transition.
FAQ About Groups, Broadcast Lists, and Calls Under Coexistence
No. According to Meta’s documentation as of October 2026, groups stay unchanged in the WhatsApp Business app. They are simply not synced to the platform or available through the API.
No. Templates go out only through the Cloud API, and the Groups API, which supports templates in groups, is not available for coexistence numbers. In the app, the business can keep writing freely in its groups.
Meta does not charge for them. The official PDF guide states that groups, calls, and Status used through the WhatsApp Business app remain free. Charges apply to messages sent through the Cloud API.
Not necessarily. Meta’s guidance is that the person clearly agrees to receive messages from that business. Check whether each list contact gave that consent before sending templates.
Yes. Activation unlinks all linked devices, but the business can link up to four again, such as WhatsApp Web. WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp for Wear OS are not supported. The guide to WhatsApp coexistence and WhatsApp Web covers the details.
It can be, but the gain is smaller. Groups stay on the phone and never reach the platform, so the benefit of coexistence is limited to one-on-one chats, templates, and API automation.
Yes. With the number connected through coexistence, ConverZAP sends approved templates through the Cloud API to opted-in contacts, with an unsubscribe option. The app’s broadcast lists become read-only, and groups and calls stay on the phone.
