Can I use my existing WhatsApp number for a chatbot?
Yes, in most cases you can use your existing WhatsApp number for a chatbot. The number moves from the phone app onto the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API layer that chatbots connect to). Your customers keep messaging the same number. You stop using the phone app for that number and reply through a shared inbox instead.
Here is what that actually means and how it works.
Why WhatsApp has three different tiers
Most people have used at least two of these without realising they are different products.
The first is the regular WhatsApp app on your phone. It is a personal messaging app tied to a single device and a single user.
The second is the WhatsApp Business app, also a phone app, but with some extra features for small businesses: a business profile, quick replies, and away messages. It is still a phone app that one person uses.
The third is the WhatsApp Business Platform, also called the WhatsApp Business API. This is what chatbots and shared inboxes connect to. It is not an app you download. It is a cloud connection managed by a platform provider. Replies come through a shared inbox, and a bot can handle conversations automatically.
A phone number can only be active on one of these three at a time. That is a Meta requirement, not a platform choice.
What migration actually involves
If your number is currently on the WhatsApp Business app, it can be moved to the API. The process has a few steps.
First, you need a verified Meta Business account. This means registering on Meta Business Manager and going through business verification, where Meta checks documents to confirm your business identity. It usually takes a few days.
Second, your number is registered to the WhatsApp Business Platform through that Meta Business account. At that point, the phone app stops working for that number. WhatsApp sends a one-time confirmation code to the number during registration, so you need to be able to receive an SMS or phone call on it.
After that, your number is live on the API. Customers message it exactly as before. Your team replies through the shared inbox, and the chatbot handles common questions automatically.
One thing to set expectations on: chat history from the phone app does not carry over. The API inbox starts fresh. If you want to keep old conversations, export them from the phone app before you migrate.
What if I want to keep using WhatsApp personally on the same phone?
That is the one situation where a second, dedicated number makes sense. If you want to stay on personal WhatsApp or the WhatsApp Business app for your own use, you would use a different number for the chatbot.
A prepaid SIM or a virtual number works for this. It does not have to be a number with existing contacts, since customers will be directed to it through your marketing, not from a phone book.
What Polaris handles for you
Polaris is a managed service. The WhatsApp Business API connection and the number migration are both handled on your behalf. You do not set up API credentials yourself, navigate Meta developer dashboards, or manage webhooks.
What you do: share the number you want to use, go through Meta business verification with our guidance, and confirm the OTP when prompted. After that, your number is connected and the inbox is ready.
Your team then replies through the Polaris inbox, which is built on Chatwoot. Multiple agents can see and reply to conversations from the same number, and the bot handles conversations that do not need a human.
A note on what to expect
The migration is straightforward for most businesses. The main variable is Meta business verification. If your business documents are in order, it is a few days. If there are questions or your business name does not match your documents, it can take longer.
WhatsApp also has messaging limits that scale with account quality over time. A new API number starts at a lower daily message limit and increases as you send messages and receive positive engagement. For most small businesses in Malaysia, the starting limits are enough for normal conversation volume.
For a broader look at how the API works and what it costs, the WhatsApp Business API in Malaysia guide covers the setup in more detail. If you are deciding whether to stay on the WhatsApp Business app or move to a chatbot, this comparison between the WhatsApp Business app and an AI chatbot lays out the tradeoffs. And if you are wondering about day-to-day use after setup, how hard a WhatsApp chatbot is to use walks through what running one looks like week to week.