What makes a number suitable
The number must belong to your business, include a country and area code, and be able to receive an SMS or a voice call so Meta can send a verification code. Short codes are not accepted.
A landline or office number can work, because you can choose a voice call for the code. A number behind a phone menu can work too, as long as it accepts calls from international numbers and someone can hear the code.
Choose a number you plan to keep for years. Customers will save it, and it appears on your website, receipts and adverts.
A new number, or one on the personal WhatsApp app
A new number, never used on WhatsApp, is the simplest route. Nothing needs to be moved and there is no break in service.
A number on the ordinary personal WhatsApp app cannot be connected as it is. Meta says you must first delete the WhatsApp account on that number. Back up your chats before you do, because deleting the account removes them.
If you want to keep those chats and keep using the number in an app, a second route is to move the account from the personal WhatsApp app to the WhatsApp Business app on the same phone first. The number then counts as a WhatsApp Business app number, described next.
A number on the WhatsApp Business app: keep using the app
If your number is already on the WhatsApp Business app, Meta lets you keep using the app on the same number while it is also connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform. Your team can then work in GoDesk while you still use the app on the phone. You do not need to delete anything.
Meta requires WhatsApp Business app version 2.24.17 or later, so update the app first. Meta’s documentation does not list country restrictions for this option, so availability for your number is confirmed during the setup.
During the hand-over you confirm the connection inside the WhatsApp Business app on that phone, following Meta’s prompt, so have the phone with you at the agreed time. There is no separate SMS code for this route.
What carries over and what changes in the app
Meta says your WhatsApp contacts can be synchronised, and if you agree when you confirm, your one to one chat history from the last six months. Group chats are not synchronised. Messages you send or receive afterwards appear both in the app and in GoDesk.
One to one chats, calls in the app, your business profile and the app’s messaging tools keep working, and messages you send from the app stay free.
Some things change. Disappearing messages, view once messages and live location are turned off for one to one chats, and broadcast lists are disabled. Linked devices are unlinked during the setup. You can link up to four again afterwards, but WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp for WearOS are not supported.
A number used this way has a fixed sending speed set by Meta, which is lower than a platform-only number. That matters only for very large campaigns. The connection can later be removed from the app’s settings, under Account, Business Platform.
A number already with another WhatsApp provider
If your number is already on the WhatsApp Business Platform through another provider, Meta lets you move it without losing your setup. Meta says the business keeps its display name, quality rating, messaging limit, Official Business Account status and approved high-quality templates. Copied templates start with an unknown quality rating and may take a little time before they can be used.
Meta requires your business portfolio to be verified and two-step verification on the number to be turned off. Ask your current provider to turn it off, or to give you the PIN so it can be turned off, then hand over to GoDesk. Messages keep flowing during the move.
Receiving the verification code
When GoDesk registers a new or freed number, Meta sends a six-digit code to it by SMS or voice call. GoDesk agrees a time with you beforehand. Have the phone or SIM switched on, with network coverage, and with someone who can read out the code.
Share the code only with GoDesk, only at the agreed time and in the way agreed with you, never by email. If you are asked for a code at any other time, do not give it.
If the code will come by voice call to an office line, make sure the call is not blocked by a menu or a busy receptionist. If it does not arrive, GoDesk can request it again or try the other method.
Your two-step verification PIN
Meta requires a six-digit two-step verification PIN on every registered business number. It protects the number from being registered elsewhere without your permission. The PIN is set when GoDesk registers the number.
Agree with GoDesk how the PIN is recorded, and keep a copy safely with your other business passwords. Agree who in the business holds it. You will need it if the number is ever moved to another account or provider.
Never send the PIN or a verification code by email or chat, and never give your Facebook password to anyone.
Keep control of the number itself too. Register the SIM or line in the business’s name, keep it active so it is not recycled, and collect it from any staff member who leaves.
Need help?
If you are a GoDesk customer and get stuck at any step, email help@godesk.co.ke. Tell us your workspace name, the business number and what you see on screen. Never send passwords, verification codes or your two-step PIN by email.
New to GoDesk and planning WhatsApp for your business? Email hello@godesk.co.ke and we will talk you through the journey before you start.
← Back to the whatsapp onboarding journey