# Connect WhatsApp

> Connect a WhatsApp Business number, including one you already use in the WhatsApp Business app.

Source: https://docs.message24.net/owners/channels/whatsapp/

Connect a WhatsApp Business number and its conversations appear in your Inbox, where you and the AI can reply. You connect through Meta's own signup window, and you can link a number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone.

## Before you start

- A Facebook account that can manage your business on Meta (Meta Business Suite).
- The phone number you want to connect. It can be a number already running the WhatsApp Business app, or a number registered for the WhatsApp Business Platform.
- Admin access to your business in Message24.
- A browser that allows popups for message24.net. The signup runs in a popup window, and works best on a computer.

:::note
If the WhatsApp card on **Add a Channel** is greyed out and says **Desktop only**, you are on a phone browser. Sign in at message24.net on a computer to connect WhatsApp.
:::

## Connect a number

1. Go to **Settings > Channels** and select **Add Channel**.
2. On the **WhatsApp** card, select **Connect**.
3. In the **Connect WhatsApp** window, select **Connect WhatsApp**. Meta's signup opens in a popup.
4. Follow Meta's steps: sign in with Facebook, choose or create your business, and choose the WhatsApp number. To keep using the WhatsApp Business app on your phone, pick the option to connect your existing WhatsApp Business app account.
5. If Meta doesn't tell Message24 which number you picked, a **Select Phone Number** list appears. Choose the number to connect. Each number shows its quality rating (Good, Medium or Low) when Meta reports one.
6. You see "WhatsApp Connected Successfully!" and are taken to the Dashboard.

To connect another number, go back to **Add a Channel** and select **Add More Numbers** on the WhatsApp card.

## Keep using the WhatsApp Business app

When you link an existing WhatsApp Business app account, you keep the app on your phone and use Message24 at the same time:

- Message24 asks WhatsApp to sync your contacts and chat history into Message24.
- Messages sync between the app and Message24, so replies sent from either place are part of the same conversation.

The signup window lists these before you start: "Link your existing WhatsApp Business App account", "Sync your chat history and contacts" and "Messages sync between app and platform".

## The 24-hour reply window

WhatsApp only lets businesses send a normal reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, a reply from Message24 is refused until the customer writes again. This applies to both your team and the AI.

## If something goes wrong

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The window keeps saying "Waiting for WhatsApp Embedded Signup..." | Finish the steps in the popup. If you already finished, keep the window open, because Message24 keeps checking for your new channel. If the popup was blocked or closed, close the window and start over. |
| "Setup cancelled at step: ..." | You closed Meta's popup before the end. Start again. |
| "No phone numbers found in your WhatsApp Business Account" | Add a phone number in Meta Business Suite first, then connect again. |
| "Setup Failed" | Select **Try Again**. The message under it gives Meta's reason. |

## Reconnect a number

WhatsApp has no separate reconnect page. To repair a channel whose connection expired or that stopped receiving messages:

1. Go to **Settings > Channels**.
2. Select **Reconnect** on the health line, or open the **...** menu and select **Reconnect channel**. You are taken to **Add a Channel**.
3. On the WhatsApp card, run the signup again and choose the same number.

Message24 recognises the number and updates the existing channel. Your conversations stay where they are.

## Disconnect a number

Open the **...** menu on the channel in **Settings > Channels** and select **Disconnect channel**. Your conversations and orders are kept. See [Disconnect a channel](/owners/channels/overview/#disconnect-a-channel).

## Related

- [Channels overview](/owners/channels/overview/)
- [AI settings](/owners/ai/ai-settings/)