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Change or Add a WhatsApp Number

The three ways to add a WhatsApp number to VGraple CRM, and how to replace an existing number without losing your templates, contacts or automation.

By Chirag Darji · Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 8 min read

On this page
  1. Before you start
  2. Steps
  3. Which of the three ways should I actually use?
  4. What about porting a number that is currently on the WhatsApp Business app (not the API)?
  5. What you will see
  6. Settings and options
  7. Troubleshooting
  8. Related reading
VGraple CRM shared team inbox with WhatsApp, Instagram and web chat conversations

VGraple CRM offers three separate ways to add a WhatsApp number to a workspace, syncing one already on a connected account, registering a brand-new one by OTP, or authorizing a different account entirely, and changing a number is really adding the replacement through one of those paths, then disconnecting the old one. Nothing in your workspace, templates, contacts, flows, automation rules, is tied to a specific number, so a swap does not require rebuilding anything.

Change or add a number: first 5 of 9 steps

  1. 1Open Settings, then Channels, then WhatsApp
  2. 2Review the discovered numbers
  3. 3Import the numbers you want
  4. 4Choose Register new number
  5. 5Use Connect via Embedded Signup again
The steps on this page, in order.

Before you start

  • You need the org settings permission (Owner or Admin, or a custom role granted settings:org) to add, change the default, or disconnect a channel.
  • Decide in advance which of the three add paths fits your situation: syncing works only for a number that is already registered on a WhatsApp Business Account Meta has already given VGraple CRM access to; registering by OTP works for a genuinely new number; Embedded Signup again works for a number under a completely different Business Manager or WhatsApp Business Account.
  • If you are replacing a number, check for anything scheduled to send from the old one (a scheduled broadcast, an active sequence, an automation rule pinned to that channel) before disconnecting it, since disconnecting stops that channel from sending immediately.

Steps

A conversation open in the VGraple CRM inbox with stage, priority, assign, summary, snooze and resolve controls in the header

Adding a number already on your WhatsApp Business Account

  1. Open Settings, then Channels, then WhatsApp. On an already-connected channel, look for the option to sync additional numbers from the same WhatsApp Business Account.

  2. Review the discovered numbers. VGraple CRM calls Meta's API to list every phone number on the same WhatsApp Business Account not yet connected, showing each one's display name, quality rating, and messaging tier.

  3. Import the numbers you want. Click Import on a specific number, or use Import all to add every discovered number at once. Each becomes a separate channel in your workspace, inactive by default until you use it.

Registering a brand-new number

  1. Choose Register new number from the same WhatsApp channel settings page. This is the OTP-based path covered in full in connecting your WhatsApp number, including setting the two-step verification PIN this flow requires.

Connecting a different Business Manager or WhatsApp Business Account

  1. Use Connect via Embedded Signup again. Starting the Embedded Signup flow a second time lets you log into a different Facebook account or select a different Business Manager, adding a number that has no relationship to your existing connected numbers.

Replacing an existing number

  1. Add the replacement number first, using whichever of the three paths above fits, before touching the old one.

  2. Set the replacement as your default channel. On the new channel's card, click Set as default. Any send that does not explicitly specify a channel now uses this number going forward.

  3. Reassign or pause anything scheduled against the old number. Check scheduled broadcasts, active sequences, and automation rules that reference the old channel specifically, and repoint them to the replacement before disconnecting.

  4. Disconnect the old number. On its channel card, click Disconnect, then confirm. Conversation history stays in your workspace; the number simply stops sending and receiving through VGraple CRM.

Which of the three ways should I actually use?

MethodUse it whenWhat Meta asks forSpeed
Sync from MetaThe number is already registered on a WhatsApp Business Account VGraple CRM already has access toNothing new; it reuses the existing connection's authorizationFastest, usually seconds
Register new numberThe number has never been on any WhatsApp Business API or WhatsApp Business appAn SMS or voice OTP, plus a 6-digit two-step verification PIN you chooseA few minutes, then up to two hours before fully active
Connect via Embedded Signup againThe number belongs to a different Facebook account, Business Manager, or WhatsApp Business Account entirelyA fresh Facebook login and Meta popup, the same as your first connectionA few minutes

Example

A salon group opens a second branch and buys a new SIM for it. Since that number has never touched WhatsApp before, Register new number is the right path, complete with OTP verification and a fresh two-step PIN. A different scenario, the same group's head office already has three numbers under one Meta Business Manager and wants a fourth already-registered number VGraple CRM has not yet imported, uses Sync from Meta instead, since no new Meta-side registration is needed at all.

What about porting a number that is currently on the WhatsApp Business app (not the API)?

A number currently used with the ordinary WhatsApp Business app, not yet on any Cloud API, needs to either move fully onto the API (which requires deleting the WhatsApp Business app account on that number first, since a number cannot be simultaneously unmanaged and on Cloud API) or connect through coexistence mode instead, which keeps the phone app running alongside VGraple CRM without deleting anything. See connecting in coexistence mode if keeping the phone app matters to your team, and WhatsApp Business app vs API account for the fuller comparison of what each path preserves.

What you will see

A newly added number appears immediately as its own card on Settings, then Channels, then WhatsApp, with its own quality rating, messaging tier, and connection-method badge, independent of any other connected number. A disconnected number's card disappears from the active list, but its past conversations remain searchable in the Inbox exactly as before, simply with no new messages arriving through that channel.

Settings and options

Setting or fieldWhat it doesDefault
Sync from MetaLists and imports numbers already on a connected WhatsApp Business AccountAvailable from any existing channel's options
Register new numberAdds a brand-new number via SMS or voice OTP, plus a two-step verification PINRequires org settings permission
Connect via Embedded Signup (again)Authorizes a different Business Manager or WhatsApp Business AccountAvailable at any time from the channel settings page
Default channelWhich connected number is used when a send does not specify oneThe first number connected; changeable per channel with Set as default
DisconnectDeactivates a channel; stops sending and receiving, keeps historyRequires confirmation; blocked if it is the only active channel

Troubleshooting

SymptomLikely causeFix
Sync from Meta shows no numbers to importEvery number on that WhatsApp Business Account is already connected, or the account genuinely has only one numberConfirm in Meta Business Manager whether other numbers actually exist on that account
Cannot disconnect a numberIt is currently the only active channel in the workspaceAdd and confirm a replacement number first; VGraple CRM blocks disconnecting the last active channel
Scheduled broadcast failed after disconnecting a numberThe campaign was still targeting the disconnected channelReassign or pause anything scheduled against a channel before disconnecting it, not after
New number registration fails with "already connected"The number is already registered to another VGraple CRM workspace or a different platform entirelyDe-register it from wherever it currently sends before connecting it here
Old conversations missing after a number changeUnlikely if disconnecting rather than deleting; check the Inbox filter is not scoped to "active channels only"Conversation history is retained on disconnect; check inbox channel filters rather than assuming data loss

For the detailed Embedded Signup and OTP registration walkthroughs, see connecting your WhatsApp number. If you plan to keep multiple numbers active long-term rather than replacing one, see running multiple WhatsApp numbers in one workspace. A newly registered number also needs a two-step verification PIN set during registration.

Frequently asked questions

What are the three ways to add a number?
Sync a number already on a connected WhatsApp Business Account (fastest, no OTP needed), register a brand-new number by SMS or voice OTP, or authorize an entirely different WhatsApp Business Account through Embedded Signup again. All three are reached from Settings, then Channels, then WhatsApp.
How do I replace a number my business no longer uses?
Add the replacement number using whichever of the three paths fits (sync, register, or Embedded Signup), set it as your default channel, then disconnect the old number from its channel card. Templates, contacts, flows and automation rules are workspace-level and are not tied to a specific number, so none of that needs to be recreated.
Does disconnecting a number delete its conversation history?
No. Conversations and messages already in VGraple CRM stay in your workspace after a channel is disconnected; only new messages stop flowing, since the number is no longer authorised to send or receive through this connection.
Can I move a phone number from a different platform onto VGraple CRM?
Yes, but the number must first be de-registered from wherever it currently sends, since a WhatsApp Business number can be registered with only one platform at a time. Once de-registered on the other platform, connect it through Embedded Signup or Register new number in VGraple CRM as if it were new.
What happens to a broadcast or sequence scheduled to send from a number I am about to disconnect?
It will fail to send once the number is disconnected, since the channel it targets no longer has an active connection. Reassign scheduled sends to the replacement number, or pause them, before disconnecting the old one.
Is there a limit to how many WhatsApp numbers I can connect?
Each plan includes a WhatsApp number allowance with no per-number fee: Free 1, Starter 2, Growth 5, Scale unlimited. The limit applies only when connecting a new number - numbers already connected keep working after any plan change. Meta's own account structure and per-number messaging tiers apply on top.
Can I set a different number as the default without disconnecting the old one?
Yes. Set as default on the replacement number's channel card changes which number is used when a send does not specify one, and the old number stays connected and usable until you separately choose to disconnect it.

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