Yes, you can register the WhatsApp Business API on a virtual number. The only problem is the code: a number without a SIM can't receive WhatsApp's SMS. So you pick Phone call as the verification method. Meta calls the number and reads a 6-digit code, and on an Edesy number that call is forwarded to your own phone for 20 minutes, so you hear it and enter it. The whole setup takes about 10 minutes in 4 steps.
Start now: Open WA Connect and click Enable Messaging on your number. New Edesy accounts get Rs 20 of free credit.
Why a virtual number needs a verification call
When you add a number to the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta sends a code to prove you control it. There are two ways:
| Method | Works on | Problem for virtual numbers |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Mobile numbers with a SIM | Virtual and landline-style numbers usually can't receive SMS |
| Phone call | Any number that can take calls | You need to be able to answer that number |
A virtual number lives in the cloud. Calls to it are routed by software: to an IVR, to your team, to a forwarding number. So the phone-call method works, as long as the call reaches a person who can hear the code. That is the step Edesy handles for you.
The 4-step setup on an Edesy number
Setup happens in the WA Connect portal and has four steps. You can close the tab at any point and come back to the same step.
| Step | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prepare | Say where the number is today and tick a short checklist | 2 minutes |
| 2. Connect | Enter your phone for forwarding, then Connect with Facebook | 5 minutes |
| 3. Verify | Answer Meta's call on your phone and enter the code | 1 minute |
| 4. Done | Messaging is on; usual call routing comes back | - |
Step 1: Prepare
First the portal asks where the number is today.
- Bought on Edesy and never used on WhatsApp: nothing to do.
- On the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app: delete the account in the app first (Settings > Account > Delete my account). A number can't be on the app and the API at the same time.
- With another provider or in WhatsApp Manager: delete the number there first.
Then a checklist of what Meta checks during setup:
- You are a full-control admin of your business in Meta Business Suite, or you will invite the admin.
- Your business website is live.
- You are on a computer with pop-ups allowed for the site.
- Your wallet covers one forwarded call.
Step 2: Connect
Enter your own phone number with the country code. From now, for 20 minutes, calls to your Edesy number ring that phone. The portal shows the time it ends, and you can stop it or change phones.
Then press Connect with Facebook. In Meta's window:
- Pick or create your business and WhatsApp Business Account.
- Add your Edesy number.
- Choose Phone call to verify it.
- Enter a display name. Use your business name as it appears on your website. The portal has already checked it against Meta's rules; see WhatsApp Display Name Rejected?.
- Approve the WhatsApp permissions.
Step 3: Verify
Meta calls your Edesy number. Your phone rings, showing the Edesy number as the caller. Answer, listen for the 6-digit code, and type it into Meta's window.
If you don't get the call, wait a couple of minutes and ask Meta to call again, still inside the 20-minute window.
Step 4: Done
Edesy removes the temporary forwarding rule, and the number goes back to its previous call routing: your IVR, forwarding or whatever it did before. Messaging is on. Next: add a webhook, create a template, and send a test message.
Common errors and fixes
Meta's errors are shown in the portal with a plain explanation. The usual ones:
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The Facebook window doesn't open | Pop-ups blocked | Allow pop-ups for the site and try again |
| "Number already registered" | It is still on the WhatsApp app or another provider | Delete it there, then retry |
| You can't finish the Facebook step | You are not a full-control admin of the Meta business | Invite the admin to your workspace from the setup page |
| No verification call | Forwarding ended, or SMS was chosen | Check forwarding is active and choose Phone call |
| Display name warning | Generic, all caps, symbols, or doesn't match your business | Use your business name as on your website |
What it costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Edesy mobile virtual number | Rs 499 / month, no setup fee |
| Edesy landline virtual number | Rs 449 / month, no setup fee |
| Forwarded verification call | Billed like normal call forwarding |
| Edesy per-message charge | None |
| Meta's WhatsApp charges | Billed by Meta to you directly |
Edesy prices exclude 18% GST. See WhatsApp Business on a Virtual Number for the full product, or Virtual phone numbers to pick a number.
After you're live
- Reply from the shared inbox with your team.
- Create message templates; the builder checks them for Meta's common rejection reasons before you submit. See Create and Sync Templates.
- Send from your own systems with the Messaging API.
For the technical detail of the forwarding, see Verification Call Capture and Embedded Signup. For what a virtual number can and can't do on WhatsApp, read WhatsApp Business on a Virtual Number: What Works.
FAQ
Can I register the WhatsApp Business API on a virtual number?
Yes. Meta accepts virtual and landline-style numbers on the WhatsApp Business Platform. The number only has to receive Meta's verification code, and Meta can send it by phone call instead of SMS.
How does a number without a SIM get WhatsApp's code?
Choose Phone call as the verification method. Meta calls the number and reads a 6-digit code. On an Edesy number, that call is forwarded to your own phone, so you hear the code and enter it.
How long does Edesy forward the verification call?
20 minutes from the Connect step, enough to finish Meta's Facebook window. Afterwards the number's usual call routing comes back. The forwarded call is billed like normal call forwarding.
Can I use WhatsApp OTP on a landline number?
Not by SMS, because a landline can't receive SMS. But Meta's phone-call verification works on any number that can take calls, including landline-style virtual numbers.
Do I need a Meta Business account?
Yes. You connect the number through Meta's Facebook window and need to be a full-control admin of your business in Meta Business Suite, or invite that admin to finish the step.