Switch from the WhatsApp Business API back to the WhatsApp Business app
If you stop using your bot on WhatsApp and want to answer customers by hand in the WhatsApp Business mobile app, you have to release the phone number from the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) first. This is not a direct downgrade: the API and the app are separate systems.
What to expect
Section titled “What to expect”| Stage | Bot on the API | Register in the app | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before you delete the number | Works | Not possible | |
| After you delete it | Stopped | Not possible | Up to 30 days |
| After Meta releases the number | Stopped | Possible |
If you can’t wait, use a different phone number for the app.
- Tell Amio support that you are leaving WhatsApp, so the channel can be removed from your organization and your bot is not left deployed to it.
- In Meta Business Suite, open WhatsApp Manager and go to Phone numbers.
- Select the number and choose Delete. If you don’t see the option, contact Meta support and ask them to release the number.
- Wait until Meta has fully released the number. This can take up to 30 days. During this time you can’t register it in the app.
- Install the WhatsApp Business app on iOS or Android and register with the same phone number.