Why businesses want more than one WhatsApp number
Three situations come up most often:
- Private and business apart. Customers on one number, family and friends on another.
- A number per employee or team. Each technician, branch or department gets its own WhatsApp.
- Several brands or locations. Each business has its own number on its own website.
The first and the third are good reasons for a second number. The second often creates a new problem: customers have to know which number to message, and that number goes quiet when the employee is ill, on holiday or leaves.
How to get a second phone number for WhatsApp
- Second SIM card. Most recent phones are dual SIM. A cheap prepaid SIM is enough, as long as it stays active so you can receive codes later.
- eSIM. Ask your mobile provider for an extra eSIM on the same phone. Nothing to insert.
- Landline. WhatsApp Business accepts a landline number. Choose Call me during verification and the code is read out on that line.
- Virtual or VoIP number. Only use one you own and on which you can always receive calls or SMS. Never use a free public online number: anyone who sees the code can take over the account.
Can WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business use the same number?
Not at the same time. One number is active in one app. When you set up WhatsApp Business with the number you use in regular WhatsApp, the app offers to move your chats over, and regular WhatsApp on that number stops working. To use WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business side by side, you need two numbers.
Your options compared
How to use two WhatsApp Business accounts on one phone
- Make sure the phone has a second number: a second SIM or an eSIM. WhatsApp Business also accepts a landline number, verified by phone call.
- Open WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business and go to Settings.
- Tap the arrow next to your name, or look for Add account.
- Enter the second number and confirm it with the code you receive by SMS or call.
- Switch between accounts through the same menu. Each account has its own chats, profile and settings.
No Add account option? Update the app first. If it is still missing, install the other app (WhatsApp next to WhatsApp Business) or use the dual app function of your Android phone.
WhatsApp Business dual account: how many accounts can you have?
Every WhatsApp Business account is tied to one phone number, so the real limit is how many numbers you have. On one phone, the Add account option in the app currently holds two accounts. Next to that you can run regular WhatsApp, and on many Android phones a second copy of WhatsApp Business through the dual app function (Dual Messenger on Samsung, Dual apps on Xiaomi, App Twin on Huawei). iPhone has no dual app function, so there you use Add account or WhatsApp next to WhatsApp Business. Menus change between versions, so check your own app.
Managing multiple WhatsApp Business accounts
The free Business app has no central dashboard for several numbers. Each account is managed on its own, with up to 4 linked devices such as WhatsApp Web on a computer, and every linked device sees the whole account. With many numbers and many people answering, that gets hard to keep track of. A Business API platform with a shared inbox is built for that situation. It costs a platform fee plus Meta fees per conversation; see InBetween vs the WhatsApp Business API.
A number per employee, or one number with forwarding?
Giving every employee a business number looks tidy. In practice customers get a list of numbers, and conversations end up on personal phones you cannot see. One business number that customers already know, with messages passed on to the person doing the work, keeps everything in one place.
That is what InBetween does. You connect your existing business number by QR code or pairing code, like WhatsApp Web. Every customer message is forwarded automatically to one coworker, who replies in their own WhatsApp. The customer receives the answer from your business number, and the coworker sees "Customer 1", "Customer 2" instead of phone numbers. Photos, voice notes, locations and documents come along, and with Pause you stop forwarding in the evening. InBetween uses linked-device technology, not the official Business API, and the app dashboard is currently in Dutch.
Forward customer messages automatically. Replies go back from your number.
Try free for 30 daysWhich one fits you?
- Private and business apart: get a second number and use a second account or the Business app. InBetween does not solve this.
- A coworker should answer customers: keep one number and forward. More in one WhatsApp number for multiple employees.
- Several numbers and a team chatting at the same time: look at a Business API platform.
| Option | What you need | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second account in the same app | A second number (dual SIM or eSIM) and a recent app version | Private and business on one phone | Not on every phone or version; you switch between accounts |
| WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business side by side | Two numbers on one phone | Keeping private and business clearly apart | Two apps, two sets of notifications |
| Dual apps on Android | An Android phone with that function and two numbers | Two copies of the same app | Name differs per brand: Dual Messenger, Dual apps, App Twin |
| A second phone | An extra device and SIM | Strict separation or a shared office phone | Another device to charge and carry |
| Business API platform | A provider, Meta verification and fees | Many numbers and many agents in one inbox | Cost and setup time; numbers move to the API |
| One number plus forwarding (InBetween) | Your existing business number | A coworker answers without a number of their own | One coworker per conversation, up to 20 on Pro+; not a multi-number inbox |
Frequently asked questions
Can I have two WhatsApp Business accounts on one phone?
Yes, if the phone has two numbers. Use the Add account option in the app, or run WhatsApp Business next to regular WhatsApp. Each account needs its own number.
Can one WhatsApp Business account have multiple numbers?
No. One account is one phone number. Several numbers means several accounts, unless you move them to a Business API platform that shows them in one inbox.
Does my coworker need a second business number to answer customers?
No. With InBetween, customer messages to your business number are forwarded to the coworker's own WhatsApp, and replies go back from your business number.
How many WhatsApp Business accounts can I have?
One per phone number. On one phone, Add account in the app holds two accounts, and on many Android phones the dual app function adds another copy. Each account still needs its own number.