How to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API (WABA) number?

Intro

Thinking of stepping away from WhatsApp Business API? While deleting your entire account is an option, it's important to know that there's a simpler solution! Downgrading your WhatsApp Business API number allows you to switch back to the standard WhatsApp experience, without completely erasing your account.

This guide will walk you through the process of downgrading your number, so you can make an informed decision.

Steps

Steps to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API number to WhatsApp Consumer/Business App:

  1. Open Facebook Business Manager account.
  1. Go to Business Settings. Click on WhatsApp Accounts on the left panel.
  1. Select the relevant WhatsApp Account.
  1. Scroll down and click on “WhatsApp Manager”.
    1. Notion image
  1. Click on the Trash Icon to delete your number as WhatsApp Business API number.
    1. Notion image
  1. Once deleted, wait for a few minutes and then you can use the same number on WhatsApp Consumer/Business App.
Please Note: Number can’t be deleted until 30 days after the last paid message was sent. Once the number is deleted, it can never be used as WhatsApp Business API number with any Business Service Provider (BSP) again. You will lose all account details/data, insights, message history and the same can not be recovered.

Click here for steps to delete your WhatsApp Messenger/Business App

If you delete your basic WhatsApp Messenger/Business App account:

  • You can’t regain access to your account.
  • It may take up to 90 days from the beginning of the deletion process to delete your WhatsApp information. Copies of your information may also remain after the 90 days in the backup storage that WhatsApp uses to recover in the event of a disaster, software error, or other data loss event. Your information isn’t available to you on WhatsApp during this time.
  • It doesn’t affect your information related to the groups you created or the information other users have relating to you, such as their copy of the messages you sent them.
  • WhatsApp may retain certain log data in our databases even after you delete your account, but such data will be disassociated from any identifying information such that it can no longer be linked to your account. To do this, on a regular basis, WhatsApp wipes certain identifying information from this log data, and replaces any instance of your account ID with a replacement identifier which cannot be linked back to your account once it is deleted.
  • WhatsApp may also keep your information for things like legal issues, terms violations, or harm prevention efforts.
  • Your information shared with other Meta Companies will also be deleted.
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