WhatsApp Coexistence

Available on all Gallabox plans.

Who can use this?

• Gallabox users with channel management permissions.
• Roles: Owners and Admins
• Plans: Available on all Gallabox plans.

Co-existence must be enabled for your workspace by Gallabox support before you begin. Contact support.

Co-existence is not enabled by default. You must contact Gallabox support before starting the setup — the feature must be activated on your workspace first. Do not start the standard connection flow if you want Co-existence.

Plan Availability

Available on all Gallabox plans.

What is Co-existence?

Co-existence (also called Embedded Signup) lets you use the WhatsApp Business App on your phone and Gallabox on the same phone number at the same time.

• WhatsApp Business App — continue personal, 1:1 conversations from your phone
• Gallabox — run shared inbox, automation, campaigns, and AI agents for your team

Both work on the same phone number. Messages are synced between both.

Why Use Co-existence?

Before Co-existence, businesses had to choose:

• WhatsApp Business App — simple and free, but limited for teams and automation
• WhatsApp Business API — powerful, but conversations moved to the platform’s inbox

Co-existence removes this trade-off — the app and Gallabox stay in sync on the same number. It’s best suited for:

• Founder-led sales — you handle high-touch deals from the app; your team manages follow-ups and bulk campaigns in Gallabox
• Support teams scaling up — support moves into Gallabox with assignments, SLAs, and AI agents, while you can still respond from your phone when needed
• Gradual migration — test Cloud API features first, then decide if you want to go fully API-first later

How Co-existence Works

When you enable Co-existence:

1. Your team gets a shared inbox in Gallabox — with assignments, tags, bot flows, broadcasts, and AI agents
2. You (and your team members) can still reply from the WhatsApp Business App on your phones
3. 1:1 chat history (up to 6 months) can be synced into Gallabox if you choose
4. New messages are mirrored between both — what you send from the app appears in Gallabox, and vice versa

What changes on the WhatsApp Business App

After Co-existence is enabled, some features are no longer available on the app:

Feature	What happens after Co-existence
Edit messages	No longer supported
Delete/revoke messages	No longer supported
Disappearing messages	Automatically turned off for all 1:1 chats
View once media	Disabled for all 1:1 chats
Live location sharing	Disabled for all 1:1 chats
Broadcast lists	Cannot create new lists; existing lists become read-only
Group chats	Not synced to Gallabox — stay on the phone only
Voice and video calls	Not available via Cloud API
Catalog, orders, WhatsApp Status	No change — these stay on the app

What you can do in Gallabox after Co-existence

	From Gallabox
Shared inbox	All team members see conversations
Automation	Bot flows, AI agents, sequences, broadcasts
Routing	Auto-assign conversations to teams or agents
Campaigns	Send broadcast campaigns (WhatsApp API pricing applies)
Analytics	Full conversation and campaign reporting

What stays the same on the WhatsApp Business App

• 1:1 conversations continue as normal on the phone
• WhatsApp Business App features (catalog, quick replies, labels, Status) remain in the app
• Group chats stay on the phone only

Requirements

Before enabling Co-existence, make sure you have:

1. WhatsApp Business App version 2.24.17 or higher installed on your phone
2. A phone number from a supported country (Co-existence is not available for Nigeria or South Africa)
3. The number not already connected to another WhatsApp API provider — if it is, that connection must be disconnected first
4. Gallabox Co-existence enabled for your workspace (contact support)

How to Set Up

Co-existence is set up in four stages. Make sure support has enabled Co-existence for your workspace before starting.

1. Contact Gallabox support

   Email [e-mail] with:

   • Your WhatsApp Business App phone number
   • A note that you want to enable Co-existence

   Gallabox will verify your eligibility and activate the feature on your workspace.

2. Eligibility check

   The Gallabox team will confirm:

   • Your number is on the WhatsApp Business App (not already on Cloud API)
   • Your country is supported
   • No existing credit-line or partner conflicts on your number
3. Embedded Signup

   Once eligible, complete the onboarding through Gallabox:

   1. Start the connection flow in Gallabox and choose to connect your existing WhatsApp Business App number.
   2. A verification code will appear on screen — copy it.
   3. On your phone, open the WhatsApp Business App. You’ll receive a message from Facebook Business Account with a prompt to connect.
   4. If you don’t see the message, go to Menu (or Settings) → Account → Connect to Business Platform.
   5. Choose whether to share up to 6 months of chat history with Gallabox.

   This decision cannot be changed later. If you want to change it, you must disconnect and reconnect — and history sharing will not be available again on reconnect.

   6. Enter the verification code and tap Connect to the Business Platform.

   Chat history sync can take a few minutes depending on your message history size and internet speed. Keep the WhatsApp Business App open during this time.

4. Start using Co-existence

   Once connected:

   • Chats and contacts begin syncing into Gallabox
   • Your team can work from the Gallabox shared inbox
   • You can continue replying from the WhatsApp Business App

Linked Devices After Setup

After connecting, all linked companion devices (WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp on tablet, etc.) will be automatically unlinked. This is a Meta security requirement during Cloud API onboarding.

You can re-link them after setup is complete.

Keeping Co-existence Active

The connection between your WhatsApp Business App and Gallabox must stay active. Meta can automatically remove Gallabox from your WhatsApp Business Account in these situations:

Reason	What happens
Number offline for 14+ days	Your WhatsApp Business App is inactive or unreachable — Meta severs the connection automatically
Device change or app reinstall	Switching phones, resetting, or reinstalling the app can break the connection
Compliance or integrity issues	Policy violations or low trust score on your account

If Gallabox stops receiving messages or your shared inbox goes silent, your Co-existence connection may have been broken. Contact Gallabox support to confirm and re-onboard.

Best practices to avoid unexpected disconnections

1. Keep the WhatsApp Business App active — open and use it regularly. Avoid leaving the number dormant for more than a few days.
2. Avoid frequent device changes — if you need to change phones, contact Gallabox support first.
3. Stay compliant with Meta’s policies — messaging practices, business profile, and account standing all affect the connection.

How to Disconnect

To stop using Co-existence:

1. Open the WhatsApp Business App on your phone.
2. Go to Settings → Account → Business Platform → Disconnect Account.
3. Confirm disconnection.

This removes Gallabox from your WhatsApp Business Account. Your WhatsApp Business App continues working normally.

If you need help disconnecting, contact Gallabox support.

FAQs

Will I lose my existing WhatsApp chats?

No — if you approved history sharing during onboarding, up to 6 months of recent 1:1 chats are synced into Gallabox. Chats older than 6 months are not synced. If you did not approve history sharing, no chats are imported.

Can I still reply from my phone?

Yes. The WhatsApp Business App continues to work normally for 1:1 conversations. You can reply from the app or from Gallabox — both are synced.

Are group chats available in Gallabox?

No. Group chats remain only in the WhatsApp Business App and are not synced to Gallabox.

Is the WhatsApp Business App removed?

No. It continues to work alongside Gallabox. You have both — the app on your phone and the shared inbox in Gallabox.

Are messages free?

Messages sent from the WhatsApp Business App are free. Messages sent through Gallabox follow WhatsApp Cloud API per-message pricing. See message credits for rates.

What if my number was previously connected to another API provider?

Existing credit-line or partner connections can block Co-existence setup. Gallabox support will help resolve this during the eligibility check.

Why are my linked devices disconnected?

Meta automatically unlinks companion devices (WhatsApp Web, tablet, etc.) during Cloud API onboarding for security and compatibility. Re-link them after setup is complete.