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The WhatsApp Business app is a free, phone-based tool for one person or a small team replying by hand; the Cloud API is the programmatic connection Meta offers platforms like VGraple CRM, built for a shared team inbox, automation, broadcasts and integration with the rest of a business's software. Coexistence, a distinct third option, runs both on the same number at once, so choosing between "the app" and "the API" is not actually a forced choice for most businesses starting out.
App vs API: first 5 of 7 steps
- 1List what your business currently does only
- 2Decide whether coexistence or a full API-only
- 3Connect through coexistence mode
- 4Delete the WhatsApp Business app account on
- 5Connect the number through Embedded Signup or
Before you start
- Know which of your team's current workflows depend on the phone app specifically (a shared phone at a front desk, a manager who prefers replying from their personal device) before deciding whether to keep it running alongside the API through coexistence, or move off it entirely.
- If moving off the app entirely, understand that deleting the app's WhatsApp Business account on that number is a one-way step for that specific connection; chat history on the phone itself is not deleted, but it stops syncing anywhere once the app account is removed.
- Coexistence requires WhatsApp Business app version 2.24.17 or later on the phone; an older version cannot support the data sync coexistence depends on.
Steps
Comparing what each option actually gives you
List what your business currently does only inside the app. Team members replying from a shared phone, personal chats mixed with business ones, groups used for internal coordination, are all things that behave differently once a CRM inbox exists.
Decide whether coexistence or a full API-only move fits better. Coexistence is nearly always the safer starting point when any part of the team still relies on the phone day to day; API-only suits a business that has already decided the CRM inbox will be the only place staff work from.
Moving to coexistence (keeping the app)
- Connect through coexistence mode, covered fully in connecting in coexistence mode. This keeps the app active on the phone and imports up to 180 days of chat history and phone contacts into VGraple CRM once, within 24 hours of connecting.
Moving to API-only (leaving the app)
Delete the WhatsApp Business app account on that number first, from the phone: WhatsApp Business app, Settings, Account, then delete the account tied to that number. A number cannot be simultaneously an active app account and register fresh on Cloud API.
Connect the number through Embedded Signup or Register new number in VGraple CRM, following connecting your WhatsApp number. Chat history does not carry over on this path, since the app account is gone before the API connection begins.
Moving from coexistence to API-only later
Disconnect the app on the phone (Settings, then Linked devices, then remove the Cloud API connection listed there, or delete the app's account entirely if you want the phone app gone as well).
The API connection in VGraple CRM keeps working uninterrupted. Since the number was already registered on Cloud API through coexistence, removing the app side does not require reconnecting anything in VGraple CRM; sending speed increases from the coexistence-paced 4 messages a second to the standard 50/s once the app side is gone.
Side by side: app, API-only, and coexistence
| WhatsApp Business app only | Cloud API only (VGraple CRM) | Coexistence (both) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Included in VGraple CRM's plan; Meta's per-conversation charges apply | Same as API-only |
| Team inbox (multiple agents, one number) | No, one device or a small set of linked devices | Yes, full shared inbox with assignment and roles | Yes |
| Broadcasts, chatbots, automation, sequences | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sending speed | Not applicable (manual, one message at a time) | Up to 50 messages a second | 4 messages a second (Meta's coexistence ceiling) |
| WhatsApp groups | Yes, native | Not generally available (requires OBA + volume; see the green tick article) | Yes, on the phone; not visible in the CRM |
| Status posts | Yes | No | Yes, on the phone only |
| Chat history when connecting to VGraple CRM | Not applicable | Not carried over | Up to 180 days imported once, within 24 hours |
| Best fit | A single person handling low volume by hand | A team that has fully moved to the CRM inbox | A team transitioning, or one that wants to keep the phone app long-term |
Example
A travel agency with two staff currently replying from a shared phone connects through coexistence first, so nothing about their existing workflow breaks on day one while they learn VGraple CRM's inbox, broadcasts and automation. Three months later, once every reply happens inside the CRM and nobody opens the phone app anymore, they disconnect the app side and move to API-only for the faster sending speed, without ever having to reconnect or lose history.
What you will see
An app-only number, never connected to any CRM, shows nothing inside VGraple CRM at all, since there is no connection to see. A coexistence number's channel card shows a "Coexistence" connection-method badge and a dedicated history-import panel with sync status and counts; an API-only number's card shows "Embedded signup" or "Registered via API" instead, with no phone-sync panel, since there is no app side to sync with.
Settings and options
| Setting or field | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Connection method badge | Shows Coexistence, Embedded signup, Registered via API, or Imported from Meta on each channel card | Set automatically based on how the number was connected |
| Coexistence pacing | Caps sending at 4 messages a second on a coexistence number, versus 50/s on API-only | Applied automatically whenever a channel is in coexistence mode |
| History sync panel | Shown only on coexistence channels; tracks the once-per-onboarding chat and contact import | Visible only when meta_connection_method is coexistence |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Trying to connect a number that is still active on the app, without using coexistence | A number cannot register fresh on Cloud API while an app account is still active on it | Either use coexistence (keeps the app), or delete the app's account on that number first for an API-only connection |
| Broadcasts sending noticeably slower than expected | The number is in coexistence mode, capped at 4 messages a second by Meta's own throughput rule | Expected on coexistence; move to API-only if send speed matters more than keeping the phone app |
| Chat history missing after an API-only connection | A direct API-only connection does not import history; only coexistence does, and only within its 24-hour window | Use coexistence instead if history matters, connecting from scratch since a missed window cannot be recovered without reconnecting |
| Groups or Status posts not appearing anywhere in VGraple CRM | Neither is available through the Cloud API under any connection method | Expected; both remain app-only regardless of coexistence or API-only |
| Team confused about which number to reply from | Coexistence intentionally allows replying from either the phone or the CRM inbox | This is by design; both sides mirror each other in real time, so either is a valid place to reply from |
Related reading
For the full coexistence connection walkthrough, including the history-sync window and its limitations, see connecting in coexistence mode. For a fresh API-only connection, see connecting your WhatsApp number, and for adding or replacing a number later, see changing or adding a WhatsApp number.