Sometimes a business owner has a question: can the same phone number that is used in the "regular" WhatsApp also be used in the WhatsApp Business API? In short - yes, you can, but you need to perform the so-called number emigration process.
WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business API use different number databases. And if the number is already in the WhatsApp database, you can't just add it to the WABA database. The number needs to be moved from one database to the other, which is what emigration is for.
Please note that emigration can take some time, so if you need to start using WABA as soon as possible, it is better to assign a new phone number for this purpose.
If you decide to use number migration, you will need to manually delete your "regular" WhatsApp account first. Messages received on the number will be stored on WhatsApp's servers and you will receive them once the emigration is complete. However, messages received prior to the start of the process will not be saved. Therefore, if you need to save your correspondence history, you will need to manually upload it beforehand.
How to migrate a number
To perform this procedure, you should follow the steps below.
1. Delete your WhatsApp (or WhatsApp Business) account. To do this, go to the settings of the messenger, select "Account" and then "Delete Account".
2. Register with WABA in one of the ways - classic or with delayed verification.
