If the number you want to use in Nuvia is (or was) active on another customer service platform, connecting it takes some care. Connecting through Nuvia is not enough: the number is still tied to the old platform's WhatsApp account, and that tie needs to be undone first.
Available on: accounts with a WhatsApp Cloud API channel.
Who can do it: the process requires admin access to the Meta Business Manager that currently controls the number.
Module: Side menu > Settings > Channels
Concepts you need to understand first
Three different things are often confused, and that confusion causes most migration failures.
| Concept | What it is |
|---|---|
| Number | The phone number itself. This is what you want to migrate. |
| WABA (WhatsApp Business Account) | The Meta “account” the number belongs to. A WABA can have several numbers. This is where the problem lies: the WABA keeps the link to the old platform. |
| BSP (Business Solution Provider) | The provider that handled WhatsApp before (for example: Blip, Zendesk, Take, etc.). It is the one that “holds” the old WABA. |
| BM (Business Manager) | Your company's business account on Meta, which holds the WABAs. |
What to check before trying to connect
Confirm these two points with whoever manages the Business Manager that currently controls the number:
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Two-factor authentication (2FA) for the number must be turned off. This is by far the most common reason for failure. While 2FA is on in the old account, any attempt to connect the number elsewhere gets stuck, and the error that appears is usually generic, without the real reason.
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The source WABA must have an approved status, with nothing pending.
Step-by-step migration
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Ask the old provider to release the number. Formally request that the previous platform release the number. Depending on the provider, this takes a few days.
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Turn off 2FA for the number in the old Business Manager.
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Confirm that the number was actually released. See the common errors section below, as some providers take a while or simply do not release the number on the first request.
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Connect the number through Nuvia, following the steps in How to connect WhatsApp to Nuvia.
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When choosing the account during the connection, select a WABA different from the original one: a new WABA, or an existing one that has never been linked to a BSP.
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Confirm that the channel shows as active in Settings > Channels and that the number is linked to an inbox.
After reconnecting: refresh the numbers
When the number comes back in a new WABA, the WABA identifier and the number ID change. Nuvia needs to know about this.
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Go to Integrations > WhatsApp
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Click Refresh numbers
Nuvia runs the check again and updates the inbox linked to that number with the new WABA and ID data. This is what makes the channel work again without having to recreate anything.
Common errors and what to do
| Situation | What is happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The connection fails with a generic error | 2FA for the number is still on in the old account | Ask the admin of the old BM to turn off 2FA for that number |
| The number connects, but does not send messages and you cannot change the payment method | The number was reconnected to the same old WABA | Redo the connection choosing a new WABA |
| The number appears as pending in Business Manager | The old provider has not actually released the number yet | Follow up on the release directly with the old provider. Without it, no connection attempt will work |
| The Register button on Meta says it worked, but the number still does not work | The number is still tied to the old provider | Same case as above: the solution is on the provider's side, not in Nuvia |
| The number disappeared from Business Manager and the channel stopped | In accounts with WhatsApp Coexistence, the number's owner may have disconnected it from their own phone | Ask the number's owner to check in the app whether the connection to the platform was removed |
| The channel exists in Nuvia but the number is not linked to any inbox | The channel was deleted at some point in the process | Contact Nuvia support to reactivate the channel before using Refresh numbers |
How to know it worked
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The number appears in Settings > Channels with an active status
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The number is linked to an inbox
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The number appears in the new WABA in Business Manager, without a pending status
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A test message is sent and received normally