Channels & control

Before you connect

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Connecting a WhatsApp number or a Facebook Page takes about four minutes. What makes it fail is almost never the Connect button — it is something already sitting on the number or the Page. Clear those first and the window finishes cleanly.

How to use this page

Work through the checklist for the channel you are connecting. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can stop and come back. If Meta has already shown you an error number, skip straight to the error code list.

Start here — both channels

Five minutes on this list saves an hour of retries, whichever channel you are connecting.

Use a laptop or desktop, in Chrome or EdgeMeta's connect window is a pop-up. Mobile browsers, and in-app browsers when you open the dashboard from inside Messenger or LinkedIn, close it silently.
Allow pop-ups for the dashboardIf no window appears, look for the blocked-pop-up icon at the right of the address bar and choose “Always allow”.
Sign in to the correct Facebook profile firstOpen facebook.com in the same browser and check whose account is signed in. It must be an admin of the business — not a staff member who was only ever given Editor access.
Know which Business Portfolio you are usingAt business.facebook.com. If you have several, note the one that owns your WhatsApp number and your Page. Picking the wrong one mid-flow is the most common restart.
Turn on two-factor authentication for that portfolioMeta now refuses to hand over WhatsApp assets without it: Business settings → Security Centre → Two-factor authentication. Do it before you start, not when the flow stops you.
Check your business verification statusSame Security Centre screen. Unverified businesses can create one WhatsApp account and little else — if you have set numbers up before, you may already be at the cap.
Do not rush retriesMeta rate-limits the whole flow. Three failed attempts in five minutes can lock you out for hours. Find the cause, fix it, then try once.

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A WhatsApp number can only belong to one system at a time. Most failures are simply the number still being held somewhere else — an old chatbot vendor, a Facebook Page, or the WhatsApp Business app itself.

Step 0 — choose your branch

The dashboard offers two ways to connect, and switching afterwards means disconnecting and waiting. Decide before you click.

Recommended

Keep using my phone

The number stays signed in to your WhatsApp Business app and answers through the AI.

Your chats and contacts come across — 180 days of text, 14 days of media
Replies your counsellors type on the phone appear in the dashboard
After a human replies from the phone, the AI steps back for 15 minutes
Needs WhatsApp Business 2.24.17 or newer, in real use for at least a week

Alternative

Dashboard only

The number runs entirely through AbroadMate and is signed out of the phone app.

Best for a brand-new number nobody answers by hand
Old chats in the phone app are not carried over
Nobody can use that number in WhatsApp on a phone afterwards

Choose carefully

If this is the number printed on your business cards and your team answers it by hand all day, pick Keep using my phone. Going the other way signs that number out of every phone in the office the moment it completes.

Clear the number first

The number is not live with another chatbot or providerWati, Twilio, 360dialog, Interakt, an agency panel, an old developer app — any of these holds the number. Cancel there and have them remove the number from their account. This is the single most common cause of failure.
The number is not attached to a Facebook PageBusiness settings → Accounts → Pages → your Page → remove the WhatsApp number. A number linked there as a “click to WhatsApp” destination cannot be onboarded.
Auto labels are switched off in the WhatsApp Business appSettings → Business tools → Labels → turn off Auto labels. If you have ever run ads that click to WhatsApp, this is almost certainly on, and it stops the connection with error 3441061.
Two-step verification is switched off on the numberIn the WhatsApp Business app: Settings → Account → Two-step verification → Turn off. A forgotten PIN stops the flow dead, and clearing it takes seven days.
The phone holding the SIM is next to youMeta sends a code by SMS or voice call, and the “keep using my phone” branch also asks you to scan a QR code with that handset.
It is a real mobile number you can receive onVirtual numbers, call-centre IVR numbers and numbers that answer with a menu cannot receive the code. Numbers previously banned or restricted on WhatsApp are refused.
Your business name is already correctSet the display name in the WhatsApp Business app and in Business settings before onboarding — it locks afterwards, and a name that does not resemble your real business is rejected at review.
You expect linked devices to dropWhatsApp Web and desktop sessions are unlinked during onboarding; re-link WhatsApp Web or the Mac app afterwards. WhatsApp for Windows and WearOS are not supported alongside the AI and will not sync.

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Running the connection

Integrations → WhatsApp → Connect
Pick your branch on the screen that appears, then continue.
Choose the right Business Portfolio
The one that owns the number. If your business is not listed, you are signed in as the wrong Facebook profile — close the window and fix that first.
Select or create the WhatsApp account, then add the number
If the number already appears in the list, select it rather than typing it again.
Verify by SMS or voice call
One code, one attempt if you can. Repeated wrong entries put a 12-hour hold on the number.
“Keep using my phone” only — scan the QR code
Scan it with the WhatsApp Business app on the handset holding the SIM. Keep the app open on Wi-Fi afterwards: the chat history copies across in the background and can take a few hours.
Accept every permission Meta asks for
Do not untick anything. Removing one permission produces an assistant that can read messages but not reply, and the only fix is to disconnect and start again.
Let the window close on its own
The dashboard shows Connected and the number appears in your channel list. Message the number from your own phone to confirm the AI answers.

What blocks WhatsApp, and how to clear it

Blocks the connection

The number is registered with another provider

“This number is registered to an existing WhatsApp account. To use this number, disconnect it…”

Why: Meta lets exactly one provider hold a number at a time. An unpaid, unused or forgotten vendor account still counts.

Fix: log in to the old provider and delete the number from their WhatsApp account, or ask them to. If the old account sits in your own portfolio, use WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → ⋯ → Delete, turning the two-step PIN off first. Wait three to five minutes for Meta to sync, then retry.

Blocks the connection

The number is still connected to the Business Platform in the app

Error 3441049 · 2655094

Why: the number was onboarded to an API before and the WhatsApp Business app still holds that link.

Fix: on the handset, Settings → Account → Business Platform → Disconnect. Then wait a full 15 minutes — retrying sooner fails and burns a rate-limit attempt.

Blocks the connection

The account is already shared with another partner

Error 2655093 · 2494028 · 2655049

Why: a previous agency or software vendor still has partner access to your WhatsApp Business Account.

Fix: Business settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts → Partners and remove them. If they own the account rather than share it, they have to release it — or you create a fresh WhatsApp Business Account for this number.

Blocks the connection

The number is attached to a Facebook Page

Error 2655082

Fix: Business settings → Accounts → Pages → Remove the WhatsApp number, then retry. You can add the “Message on WhatsApp” button back to the Page afterwards.

Needs waiting

The number is not eligible to keep running on your phone

“Your phone number isn’t eligible to connect to the WhatsApp Business Platform.” · 3441045

Why: Meta requires genuine recent activity in the WhatsApp Business app before it will run a number on both the app and the AI.

Fix: use the number normally in the app for at least seven days — real conversations, not test pings — then retry. Do not re-register or reinstall in that window; it resets the clock. If you need it live today, use the Dashboard only branch instead.

Quick fix

The number is linked to automatic events (auto labels)

“Your phone number is already linked to automatic events. To use it for embedded sign-up, turn off Auto labels in Business tools > Labels in your WhatsApp Business app.” · 3441061

Why: automatic events is the Meta feature that reads chats started from ads that click to WhatsApp and files them automatically as new leads or purchases. If your agency has ever run those ads, the opt-in is probably still active on the number, and Meta will not onboard a number while it is.

Fix: in the WhatsApp Business app on the handset, go to Settings → Business tools → Labels and turn off Auto labels (it may read “automatic categorisation”). Force-close the app, reopen it, then retry the connection.

If there is no Labels entry: update the app first — the setting is missing from older and from some localised builds. If it is still absent after updating, switch the app language to English (US), force-close and reopen, and look again. As a last resort, open a case at business.facebook.com/support quoting error 3441061 and the Session ID printed at the bottom of the connect window.

Quick fix

The app is out of date

Error 4563015

Fix: update WhatsApp Business from the Play Store or App Store — you need 2.24.17 or newer — force-close it, reopen, retry.

Needs waiting

Business verification is not finished

Error 2388098 · 2494030

Fix: Business settings → Security Centre → Start verification. Have your trade licence, a utility bill in the business name, and a matching business phone and website ready. Review usually takes a few working days.

Needs waiting

Too many verification attempts

Fix: stop. Wait 12 hours after repeated wrong codes, or about an hour for request limits, then try once with the phone in your hand.

Blocks the connection

The account is restricted

Error 2655089 · 3441040 · 2388107

Fix: open Business Support Home at business.facebook.com/support. It names the exact restriction and whether an appeal is available. Nothing on our side can bypass it — the appeal has to come from you.

What changes when the number runs on both

Group chats do not sync to the dashboard, disappearing and view-once messages switch off in one-to-one chats, live location is unavailable, and broadcast lists become read-only. Your away message and quick replies in the phone app keep working, but the AI cannot see them — turn the away message off unless you want students getting two answers.

Facebook Messenger

Messenger usually connects in under a minute. When it does not, the cause is almost always that the Page is still wired to something else — an older chatbot app, an agency’s tool, or Facebook’s own auto-replies.

Clear the Page first

Remove any older chatbot or developer app from the PageThis is the big one. A Page can have several apps attached, and a leftover one keeps receiving messages and answering first — so it looks like our AI is silent, or the student gets two replies. Page → Settings → Advanced messaging → Connected apps. If a previous developer built you a bot, their app is probably still there.
Turn off Instant Reply and away messagesMeta Business Suite → Inbox → Automations. Facebook’s own auto-replies fire before any AI does, so students see a canned message and the conversation looks unanswered on your side.
You have full control of the Page, not just admin on the Page itselfThe Page must sit inside your Business Portfolio with your profile holding full control. Page admin granted directly on Facebook is not enough for the connect flow to hand over messaging.
The Page is not claimed by someone else’s Business PortfolioAgencies often claim client Pages. If the Page belongs to their portfolio, your connect window will not list it. They have to release it, or add your portfolio as a partner with full control.
The Page is published and unrestrictedPage → Settings → Privacy → Page visibility should read “Page published”. A Page under review or in a country restriction cannot be connected.
Decide whether the AI should reply to comments tooReplies under your Page posts need separate engagement permissions from inbox messaging. If you want them, do not untick anything in the connect window.

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Running the connection

Integrations → Facebook Messenger → Connect
A Facebook window opens. If nothing appears, your browser blocked the pop-up.
Continue as yourself, then choose the Business Portfolio
The one that owns the Page.
Tick every Page the assistant should answer
You can connect more than one. Each Page keeps its own conversations.
Leave all permissions on
Messaging, plus the engagement permissions if you want comment replies. Unticking any of them produces a channel that connects but never answers.
Test from a personal account
Message the Page from a normal Facebook account, not from the Page itself — a Page cannot message itself, so testing as the admin looks like nothing happened.

What blocks Messenger, and how to clear it

Blocks the connection

An older app is still attached to the Page

What you see: the connection succeeds, but the AI never answers — or the student gets two different replies.

Why: Facebook lets several apps listen to one Page, but only one of them is the primary receiver allowed to reply. A bot a previous developer built, or a tool you trialled, holds that slot. This is why the same Page connects fine from a different account that has no legacy app.

Fix: Page → Settings → Advanced messaging → Connected apps. Remove every app you no longer recognise or pay for, then reconnect. If you must keep the other tool running, tell us — two apps can share a Page, but the handover has to be configured deliberately.

Blocks the connection

The Page is not in your Business Portfolio

What you see: the Page is simply not in the list, or it is greyed out.

Fix: Business settings → Accounts → Pages → Add. If Facebook says the Page is already owned by another business, only that business can release it — ask your previous agency to remove it, or to add your portfolio as a partner with full control.

Quick fix

Facebook’s own auto-replies answer first

What you see: students get a generic “Thanks for messaging us!” and the AI’s answer arrives late or not at all.

Fix: switch off Instant Reply, away messages and FAQ automations in Meta Business Suite → Inbox → Automations, per Page.

Needs waiting

You were made a Page admin very recently

Error 1752069

Fix: Meta imposes a seven-day cool-off before a newly added admin can approve asset requests. Wait it out, or have a longer-standing admin run the connection.

Quick fix

The window closes instantly with “cancelled”

Fix: three causes, in order of likelihood — a blocked pop-up, an ad-blocker or strict privacy extension, or a second Facebook account signed into the same browser. Try an incognito window with extensions off, signed in to the correct account only.

Quick fix

Connected, but comment replies do not work

Why: comment replies need Page engagement permissions that inbox messaging does not. If they were unticked during the connect flow, the inbox works and comments do not.

Fix: disconnect the Page in the dashboard and reconnect, accepting everything Facebook offers.

Clean-up recipes

The procedures behind most of the fixes above, written out once.

Release a number from the WhatsApp Business app

Open WhatsApp Business on the handset
Go to Settings → Account → Business Platform.
Tap Disconnect and confirm
If there is no “Business Platform” entry, the number is not held there and the block is somewhere else.
Wait 15 minutes before retrying
Not five. Meta’s records take that long to clear.

Delete a number from an old WhatsApp account

Turn off two-step verification for the number
In WhatsApp Manager, on that number’s settings.
Delete the phone number
business.facebook.com/wa/manage → Phone numbers → ⋯ → Delete
Wait three to five minutes, then reconnect

Remove an old partner or agency

Business settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts
Open the account, then the Partners tab
Remove any partner you no longer work with.
If the partner owns the account outright
They must transfer or release it. Otherwise create a new WhatsApp Business Account under your own portfolio and onboard the number there.

Remove an old app from a Facebook Page

Page → Settings → Advanced messaging
Reachable from Meta Business Suite as well.
Open “Connected apps” and choose Configure
Every app that can read your Page’s messages is listed here.
Remove what you do not use, then reconnect
Two live bots on one Page without configured handover means whichever answers first wins.

Meta error codes

Every code Meta publishes, plus the ones that only ever appear inside the connect window. Search a code, or a word from the message.

Code	What Meta means	What you do
3441061	The number is linked to automatic events, from ads that click to WhatsApp.	WhatsApp Business app → Settings → Business tools → Labels → turn off Auto labels, force-close the app, retry.
3441049	The number is still registered to a business platform.	Disconnect in the WhatsApp Business app under Settings → Account → Business Platform, then wait 15 minutes.
2655094	The same link, seen from Meta’s side.	Disconnect the Business Platform link in the app, wait 15 minutes.
3441030	The number is already registered elsewhere.	Deregister it with the current provider, or use a different number.
2655093	Your WhatsApp account is already shared with another partner.	Disconnect the old partner in the WhatsApp Business app, then retry.
2494028 · 2655049	The account is shared with another partner.	Unshare it in Business settings → WhatsApp accounts → Partners, or create a new account.
2655082	The number is linked to a Facebook Page.	Business settings → Accounts → Pages → remove the number from the Page.
3441045	Not enough app activity to keep the number on your phone as well.	Use the number in the WhatsApp Business app for seven days or more, or pick the Dashboard-only branch.
3441041	The number is not associated with the business you selected.	Pick the right Business Portfolio, or unlink the number from the other one.
2655095 · 2655048	The number is not registered with WhatsApp Business.	Register it in the WhatsApp Business app first, then retry.
4563015	The WhatsApp Business app is too old.	Update to 2.24.17 or newer, force-close, reopen, retry.
2388098	Unverified businesses are capped on WhatsApp accounts.	Complete business verification in Security Centre.
2494030	Business verification is still in progress.	Wait for the review to finish; check the status in Security Centre.
2494067	You have hit the maximum number of WhatsApp accounts.	Delete an unused WhatsApp Business Account, or verify the business to raise the cap.
2859009 · 4612001	Two-factor authentication is required.	Enable it in Business settings → Security Centre, then restart the flow.
2494158 · 3441033 · 3441046	Too many attempts in a short window.	Stop retrying. Wait an hour — 12 hours after repeated wrong codes — fix the cause, then try once.
3441051	The number format is invalid.	Enter it with the country code and no spaces or leading zero — for Bangladesh, 8801XXXXXXXXX.
2655011	The number is not linked to a WhatsApp Business Account.	Add it to a WhatsApp Business Account first, or select a different number.
2655089 · 3441040 · 2388107	The account is restricted.	Open Business Support Home, read the restriction, and submit an appeal if one is offered.
1752069	You were added as a Page admin too recently.	Wait seven days, or have a longer-standing admin run the connection.
1690181	You are not an admin of that Page.	Ask an existing Page admin to give you full control, then retry.
2593010	The account name is too long.	Shorten it to under 255 characters.
2655091	A CAPTCHA was not completed.	Redo the flow and complete the challenge.
1690114 · 1752089	Business-creation limits reached.	Use an existing Business Portfolio instead of creating a new one.
3441042	The feature is not available for numbers from that region.	Use a number from a supported country, or the Dashboard-only branch.
3441047	The WhatsApp account is set up for Marketing Messages Lite.	Choose a different WhatsApp Business Account without that restriction.
2494091	The partner has not completed business verification.	Tell us — this one is ours to clear, not yours.
2494119 · 2494120 · 2494029	The WhatsApp account cannot be shared as requested.	Send us the error and the Session ID; it usually needs a fresh WhatsApp Business Account.
2593072	The WhatsApp account ID does not exist or cannot be reached.	Select a different account in the connect window.
2494143	This business already started partner-led verification with someone else.	Finish it with that partner, or apply for Meta business verification directly.
2593037 · 2388091	The verification code could not be sent.	Retry in a few minutes; try the voice-call option instead of SMS.
2593039 · 2388093	The verification code could not be checked.	Retry with a fresh code. If it repeats, open a case at Business Support Home.
2593035	Something went wrong while creating the phone number.	Check the number is typed correctly, then retry; contact us if it persists.
1690089	That system user name is already taken.	Use a different name.
1690062	The name provided is already in use.	Choose a unique name.
1690091 · 1690090	The name provided is not valid.	Use your real registered business name, without emoji or punctuation runs.
2388009 · 2388010	The verified name cannot be edited right now.	A name review is already running. Wait for it to finish, then change it.
3771014	The link you entered is not valid.	Enter a full website address, including https://
2859015	You are temporarily blocked from this action.	Stop retrying and contact Business Support Home to see the restriction.
2859043	You are signing in from a new device or location.	Refresh the page and complete the security check Meta shows.
2136001	Meta wants a security challenge before continuing.	Complete the challenge in the window, then carry on.
1390006 · 1390008 · 1675004	You are acting too fast, or Facebook thinks the activity is abusive.	Stop for several minutes. Repeating this can disable the account, not just delay it.
1357053	Your account is restricted from this action.	Check the account status in Business Support Home.
1752224	An earlier attempt to create the business relationship is still running.	Wait for it to finish, then retry once.
1752206	The user could not be added to the business.	Contact Business Support; the portfolio is refusing new users.
1690061	That asset already belongs to this Business Portfolio.	Select the existing asset instead of adding it again.
1349246	The requested permissions were not granted.	Reconnect and accept every permission Meta asks for.
2655069	Accepting the marketing-messages terms failed.	Retry; contact Business Support if it repeats.
2494102	A problem with uploaded media in the request.	Send us the Session ID — this one is ours to chase.
1675012 · 1675030 · 3441003 · 4056009 · 2593030	A Meta-side system error.	Wait a few minutes and try once more. If it persists, file a case at Business Support Home with the Session ID.
2655076	You cannot create virtual test numbers on this account.	Use your real business number; check restrictions in Business Support Home.
2655005	Test numbers are temporarily unavailable.	Try again later, or connect your own number.
2655081 · 1752140 · 2455008	You have reached the maximum number of ad accounts.	Complete business verification, or make a payment on the existing ad account.
2655055 · 2494149	Linking or creating the ad account failed.	Retry. The AI does not need an ad account, so you can also skip that step.
1752004 · 2446325	An ad account in the portfolio is in bad standing or breaks ad policy.	Resolve it in Business Support Home, or use a portfolio without ad-account problems.
1690214	The payment account is disabled.	The finance admin on the portfolio has to appeal it with Meta.
1784028 · 1404163	The business is barred from advertising on Meta.	Does not block messaging on its own — open Business Support Home to see whether anything else is restricted.

Your code is not in the list?

Meta’s published table is incomplete — several codes, 3441061 among them, only ever appear inside the connect window. Screenshot the whole dialog, including the Session ID printed along the bottom, and send it to us. That ID lets Meta trace the exact step that failed, and we add every new code we see to this page.

Messages that arrive without a code

Meta shows some refusals as plain sentences. These are the ones agencies actually meet.

Your Facebook account is too new: Business creation is blocked for new profiles. Wait an hour, or run the connection from an established admin account.
There are limits on how often you can post, comment or do other things: Facebook has flagged the profile for unusual activity. Use a different admin account with a clean history.
A user can only create one business user at one time: Use the Business Portfolio you already have instead of creating another.
The name you chose for your business isn’t valid: Enter the legal trading name. Meta rejects generic words, all-caps shouting and emoji.
User does not have permission to create WhatsApp Business Accounts: You are not an admin of the portfolio. Ask the owner for admin access, or have them run it.
The Meta Business Account that you selected can’t be verified: The portfolio breaches a Meta policy. Check Business Support Home, or use a portfolio that is already verified.
Phone number has been blocked: WhatsApp has blocked the number itself, usually after spam reports. Open WhatsApp Manager for the reason and the appeal link.
You have already linked the maximum number of phone numbers: A WhatsApp account holds 20 numbers. Delete one you no longer use, or add a second WhatsApp Business Account.
This phone number already exists in your list of phone numbers: Restart the flow and pick the existing number from the list rather than typing it in.
Phone number ownership is already verified: Nothing to do — continue the flow.
Your phone number doesn’t appear to be valid: Check the country code, and note that IVR and virtual numbers are not accepted. Retry after five minutes.
Your verified name violates WhatsApp guidelines: The display name must match the business people know. Edit it in WhatsApp Manager and resubmit.
Something has gone wrong / please try again later: A transient Meta fault. Wait a few minutes and try once — not repeatedly, or you hit the rate limit as well.

When the dashboard says “stopped at …”

If you close Meta’s window early, the dashboard reports which screen you were on. That name tells you where to pick the flow back up.

BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_SELECTION: You stopped while choosing the Business Portfolio. Start again and pick the one that owns the number.
WABA_PHONE_PROFILE_PICKER: You stopped while choosing the WhatsApp account or number. Start again and select the existing one.
WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_PROFILE_SETUP: You stopped while the WhatsApp account was being created. Restart and complete the profile details.
PHONE_NUMBER_SETUP: You stopped at the number entry screen. Restart with the number and its country code ready.
PHONE_NUMBER_VERIFICATION: You stopped before entering the SMS or call code. Restart with the handset in your hand.
PERMISSIONS: You stopped on the permissions screen. Restart and accept all of them — a partial grant connects a channel that cannot reply.

If it still will not connect

When the connect window shows an error it also offers a Report error to AbroadMate link — click it, it sends us the technical detail directly. Then send us these four things and we can usually name the cause without a call.

A screenshot of the whole Meta window
Including the error number and the Session ID along the bottom. Crop nothing — the Session ID is what lets Meta trace the failure.
The number or Page name you are connecting
With the country code for WhatsApp numbers.
Which branch you chose
“Keep using my phone” or “Dashboard only”.
Anything the number or Page has been connected to before
Other chatbot tools, agencies, a previous developer’s app — even ones you cancelled. This is usually the answer.

One thing we cannot do for you

Meta account restrictions, business verification, and releasing a Page or number from someone else’s Business Portfolio can only be actioned by you or by whoever holds it. We will tell you exactly what to ask for, but the request has to come from your account.