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Unified WhatsApp - Your Numbers - Error "This number is registered with an existing WhatsApp account"

Publish Date: May 14, 2026
Description

When provisioning a new WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and registering a phone number via the "Your Numbers" flow in Salesforce Messaging for WhatsApp (Unified Channel Provisioning / Embedded Signup Flow), users may encounter the following error:

This number is registered to an existing WhatsApp account. To use it, disconnect it from that account. Then, return to this page and re-enter the number.

This error indicates that the phone number attempting to be registered is already associated with an active WhatsApp account — either a personal WhatsApp account or a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) — at the Meta backend level.

How to Verify

Perform the following checks to confirm whether the phone number is still registered on WhatsApp:

Quick Test — Send a Message to the Number

  1. Open any WhatsApp application (personal or business).
  2. Attempt to send a message to the phone number in question.
  3. If the message delivers (single or double tick) or a profile/display name is visible, the number is still active on WhatsApp.
  4. This is the simplest and fastest way to confirm the number's status on Meta's network.

Check Meta Business Manager

  1. Log in to Meta Business Manager.
  2. Check if the number appears under any WABA — including WABAs that may have been recently deleted or disassociated.
  3. Note: Even if the number is not visible in any WABA listing, it may still be registered at Meta's backend level.

Check for Prior Embedded Signup Flow Failures

  • If a previous Embedded Signup Flow (ESF) attempt failed midway, Meta may have already created a WABA and attached the phone number to it — even though the Salesforce-side provisioning did not complete.
  • In this scenario, the number is "orphaned" — not visible in Business Manager but still registered at Meta's backend.
Resolution

Follow these steps in order to resolve the error and successfully register the phone number:

  1. Verify the number's WhatsApp status using the quick test above (attempt to send a WhatsApp message to the number).
  2. Identify the existing registration source:
    1. Personal WhatsApp account
    2. Active or previously deleted WABA
    3. Orphaned WABA from a failed ESF
  3. Disconnect or deregister the number from its existing WhatsApp registration:
    1. For personal accounts: deregister via the WhatsApp app or contact Meta Support.
    2. For WABA associations: remove the number from the WABA in Meta Business Manager.
    3. For orphaned/backend-stuck numbers: raise a case with Salesforce Support, providing the phone number and WABA ID (if known).
  4. Ensure Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) / PIN is disabled on the number in Meta Business Manager before retrying registration.
  5. Wait at least 3–5 minutes (as indicated in the error message) after disconnection before attempting to register again.
  6. Retry the Embedded Signup Flow in Salesforce under Your Numbers > Add Number.
Knowledge Article Number

005347759

 
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Salesforce Help | Article