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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
- 1Open Settings, then Channels, then WhatsApp
- 2Review the discovered numbers
- 3Import the numbers you want
- 4Choose A new number that is not
- 5Choose A number under a different Facebook
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
Adding a number already on your WhatsApp Business Account
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.
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.
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
- Choose A new number that is not on WhatsApp from the "Add a WhatsApp number" panel on the same page (the panel it opens is titled Add a new number). 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
- Choose A number under a different Facebook business. Meta's window opens again so you can log into a different Facebook account or select a different business, adding a number that has no relationship to your existing connected numbers. The same entry is the way in for a number held by another WhatsApp tool or by the regular WhatsApp app; the question that follows says what to free up first.
Replacing an existing number
Add the replacement number first, using whichever of the three paths above fits, before touching the old one.
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.
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.
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?
| Method | Use it when | What Meta asks for | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A number already in a WhatsApp Business Account connected here | The number is already registered on a WhatsApp Business Account VGraple CRM already has access to | Nothing new; it reuses the existing connection's authorization | Fastest, usually seconds |
| A new number that is not on WhatsApp | The number has never been on any WhatsApp Business API or WhatsApp Business app | An SMS or voice OTP, plus a 6-digit two-step verification PIN you choose | A few minutes, then up to two hours before fully active |
| A number under a different Facebook business | The number belongs to a different Facebook account, Business Manager, or WhatsApp Business Account entirely | A fresh Facebook login and Meta popup, the same as your first connection | A 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, A new number that is not on WhatsApp 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 A number already in a WhatsApp Business Account connected here 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 field | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| A number already in a WhatsApp Business Account connected here | Lists and imports numbers already on a connected WhatsApp Business Account | Available from any existing channel's options |
| A new number that is not on WhatsApp | Adds a brand-new number via SMS or voice OTP, plus a two-step verification PIN | Requires org settings permission |
| A number under a different Facebook business | Authorizes a different Business Manager or WhatsApp Business Account through Meta's window | Available at any time from the channel settings page |
| Default channel | Which connected number is used when a send does not specify one | The first number connected; changeable per channel with Set as default |
| Disconnect | Deactivates a channel; stops sending and receiving, keeps history | Requires confirmation; blocked if it is the only active channel |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers already shared with this workspace shows none to import | Every number on that WhatsApp Business Account is already connected, or the account genuinely has only one number | Confirm in Meta Business Manager whether other numbers actually exist on that account |
| Cannot disconnect a number | It is currently the only active channel in the workspace | Add and confirm a replacement number first; VGraple CRM blocks disconnecting the last active channel |
| Scheduled broadcast failed after disconnecting a number | The campaign was still targeting the disconnected channel | Reassign 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 entirely | De-register it from wherever it currently sends before connecting it here |
| Old conversations missing after a number change | Unlikely 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 |
Related reading
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.