Could I collect my order today?
10:42
Connect your WhatsApp Business app to the API and keep replying from your phone.
Link your existing WhatsApp Business mobile number to the Bird WhatsApp API without logging out of the app or losing active customer chats. Automate order templates, webhooks, and AI agent responses from your backend while local staff keep answering customers on their phones, with one-to-one messages mirrored across both.
9:41
MC
Maya Chen
+31 6 4128 0937
Today
Could I collect my order today?10:42
Of course. We’re here until 6.10:43
Your order is ready to collect.10:45
Message
Maya Chen
Harbor Studio20 Oct 2026
Of course. We’re here until 6.
10:43
Your order is ready to collect.
10:45
9:41
MC
Maya Chen
+31 6 4128 0937
Today
Could I collect my order today?10:42
Of course. We’re here until 6.10:43
Your order is ready to collect.10:45
Message
Maya Chen
Harbor Studio20 Oct 2026
Could I collect my order today?
10:42
Of course. We’re here until 6.
10:43
Your order is ready to collect.
10:45
9:41
MC
Maya Chen
+31 6 4128 0937
Today
Could I collect my order today?10:42
Of course. We’re here until 6.10:43
Your order is ready to collect.10:45
Message
Maya Chen
20 Oct 2026
Could I collect my order today?
10:42
Of course. We’re here until 6.
10:43
Your order is ready to collect.
10:45
Run API automations and mobile app replies on the same business number.
Upgrading to the WhatsApp API usually forces a choice between giving up the WhatsApp Business mobile app or moving automated notifications to a second phone number. Coexistence removes that trade-off: your backend can send order confirmations, delivery alerts, and template messages from the number customers already recognize while store staff or account managers keep replying from their phones.
One-to-one messages synchronize in both directions between the mobile app and Bird. When a customer asks a collection question and a teammate answers on their phone, or when your application sends an automated dispatch update, the full exchange appears in both the mobile app and the Conversations inbox so desk teams and field staff share the same context.
Harbor Studio
Pending
Connected
Connected
Number
+1 415-555-0100
WABA
Harbor
Coexistence
Waiting for your chat history
If you chose “Share all chats” in WhatsApp, your chat history will appear here as it is imported.
Importing your chat history
We’re bringing the chats you shared in WhatsApp into Bird.
Your chat history is ready
The chat history you shared in WhatsApp has been imported into Bird.
2,416 messages imported
128 contacts imported
Harbor Studio
Pending
Connected
Connected
Number
+1 415-555-0100
WABA
Harbor
Coexistence
Waiting for your chat history
If you chose “Share all chats” in WhatsApp, your chat history will appear here as it is imported.
Importing your chat history
We’re bringing the chats you shared in WhatsApp into Bird.
Your chat history is ready
The chat history you shared in WhatsApp has been imported into Bird.
2,416 messages imported
128 contacts imported
Harbor Studio
Pending
Connected
Connected
Number
+1 415-555-0100
WABA
Harbor
Coexistence
Waiting for your chat history
If you chose “Share all chats” in WhatsApp, your chat history will appear here as it is imported.
Importing your chat history
We’re bringing the chats you shared in WhatsApp into Bird.
Your chat history is ready
The chat history you shared in WhatsApp has been imported into Bird.
2,416 messages imported
128 contacts imported
Import existing customer chats and contacts so your team starts with full context.
Instead of opening an empty inbox, you can bring your existing WhatsApp Business conversations and contacts into Bird when you connect. Link your number by scanning a QR code from the WhatsApp Business app on your phone (version 2.24.17 or later) without waiting on an SMS or voice verification code, and choose during setup whether to share your past chat history.
Once Meta finishes linking your account and the number status moves from Pending to Connected, the Coexistence card in the Bird dashboard tracks your background import and displays the exact count of synced messages and contacts as soon as they are ready.
Distinguish mobile app replies from automated API sends.
When a teammate replies from the WhatsApp Business app on their phone, Bird records the message in your conversation history and webhooks as an outbound send from your business number. Each message carries an origin marker in the inbox and API, so your CRM and support team can tell at a glance whether a reply came from a phone or an automated workflow.
Coordinate mobile app replies with your automations.
Replying from the WhatsApp Business app does not automatically pause automated workflows in Bird. Your webhook integration can inspect the message origin to detect when a teammate has stepped in from their phone and hold further bot replies while they handle the customer.
Know the mobile app changes and API limits before you connect.
Coexistence is built for teams that need to keep phones active alongside the API, and requires an existing WhatsApp Business app account (personal WhatsApp numbers must register in the Business app first). Linking the mobile app to the API introduces a fixed throughput cap and changes several in-app features to review with your team before onboarding.
Group chats stay in the mobile app
Coexistence synchronizes one-to-one customer threads. Existing group chats in the WhatsApp Business app remain on your phone and do not sync into the Bird Conversations inbox or the Groups API.
API throughput caps at 20 messages per second
Meta caps API sending on coexistence numbers at 20 messages per second. That covers transactional notifications and day-to-day support, while high-volume broadcasters that do not need the mobile app can use standard number setup.
Broadcast lists and disappearing messages turn off
Inside the mobile app, existing broadcast lists stop sending new messages and new lists cannot be created (use Bird templates for outbound campaigns instead). Disappearing and view-once messages are also disabled in one-to-one chats so conversation history stays complete.
Linked companion devices reconnect after setup
Linking your number to the Business Platform signs out existing companion devices during setup. Once connection finishes, your team can pair supported companion devices again following Meta’s coexistence device rules.
Questions about coexistence
Can I use the same number in the WhatsApp Business app and Bird?
Yes. Coexistence links your existing WhatsApp Business mobile app number (version 2.24.17 or later) to the Bird WhatsApp API without disconnecting your phone. Your team can keep replying from the mobile app while your backend sends templates, triggers webhooks, and routes threads into the Conversations inbox, with one-to-one messages mirrored across both.
Do I have to import my existing chat history when connecting?
No. When you scan the QR code in the WhatsApp Business app during onboarding, you choose whether to share your existing chats or start fresh. If you choose to import, the Coexistence card on your number in Bird tracks progress in the background and shows the total messages and contacts imported once ready.
Does replying from the mobile app pause automated API workflows?
No. Sending a reply from the WhatsApp Business mobile app does not automatically pause webhooks or automated flows in Bird. Bird records each phone reply as an outbound message with an app origin marker, so your integration can detect when a teammate has stepped in and pause automated responses on that thread.
Do existing WhatsApp Business app group chats sync to Bird?
No. Coexistence synchronizes one-to-one customer conversations between the mobile app and Bird. Existing group chats created in the WhatsApp Business app stay on your phone and do not appear in the Conversations inbox or the Bird Groups API.
How are messages billed on a coexistence number?
Connecting a coexistence number carries no extra setup fee, and messages your team sends directly from the WhatsApp Business mobile app remain free under Meta’s coexistence pricing. Bird does not charge to record those echoed app messages; standard WhatsApp messaging rates apply when you send messages through Bird.
Extend your connected WhatsApp number
Add a shared team inbox, approved outbound templates, and automated agent handoffs to the same sender.
ConversationsAssign customer threads to teammates, track the 24-hour service window, and reply from one shared inbox.GroupsCreate multi-participant WhatsApp groups over the API, manage join requests, and coordinate shared threads.Meta business agentAnswer common customer questions from your website and FAQs automatically, then hand complex threads to your team.NumbersOnboard dedicated API numbers, manage public business profiles, and monitor Meta quality ratings and messaging tiers.TemplatesSend order confirmations, appointment reminders, and marketing campaigns outside the 24-hour service window.WhatsApp API overviewExplore template messaging, interactive flows, webhooks, and the full WhatsApp platform on Bird.
Scale without losing control.
Separate production and sandbox traffic into dedicated workspaces, scope API keys to the exact channels each service or agent needs, and track permission changes in the audit log.