Connecting a New WhatsApp Number to Mumble

Summary

This article explains how to connect a new phone number, one that isn’t yet on any WhatsApp app, to a Mumble account through the WhatsApp Business API. The whole process is done from Meta’s connection screen inside Mumble, takes about ten minutes, and ends with adding a payment method to the Meta account so the number can send messages.

Background: when to use this path

The “new number” path is the right one when the number you want to bring onto the API isn’t connected to any regular WhatsApp app or to the WhatsApp Business app. Meta requires the number to be “clean” in order to register it directly to a WABA, which is why this is the shortest path. If your number is currently active in one of the WhatsApp apps, you need to migrate it through a different path. See the article on connecting an existing WhatsApp number in the links at the end.

Before you start

Have the following four things ready:

• An available phone number. It must be a number that isn’t registered on regular WhatsApp or on the WhatsApp Business app. If it is registered, you need to remove it from the app before you start.
• Access to Facebook Business Manager. The number will be linked to an existing business portfolio, or to a new one you create along the way. You should have management access to the portfolio you choose to connect to.
• The ability to receive an SMS or a call. Meta sends a one-time verification code to the number itself. You need a device or a phone system that can receive the code in real time.
• A payment method for Meta. A credit card to be registered on the Meta account. Meta charges directly for every conversation that opens, and this is separate from your Mumble plan. Without a card set up in Meta, the number will be connected but won’t send messages.

The connection steps

1. Opening the WABA Onboarding popup. When you log in to Mumble without a connected number, a popup called WABA Onboarding appears. Click it and choose “Start connection through Meta.”
2. Logging in to Meta and Facebook. You’ll be taken to Meta’s connection screen. Log in with your Meta account and approve the permissions Mumble requests. If you’re logged in to several Facebook accounts in the same browser, log out of the others beforehand so you don’t accidentally select the wrong business portfolio.
3. Choosing a business portfolio. On the selection screen, mark the business portfolio you want to associate the number with. If you don’t have an existing portfolio, Meta will let you create one on the same screen.
4. Choosing “New number.” At the step where you choose the connection type, choose “New number.” This is the step that separates this path from the path for an existing number migrating from an app to the API.
5. Entering the number and verifying it. Enter the phone number with its country code, choose whether to receive the code by SMS or by phone call, and then type in the code you received. If no code arrives within a minute, try switching to the other method.
6. Finishing the connection. Meta will confirm the connection and return you to Mumble. The number should appear as connected in the WhatsApp account status card on the main screen.

Adding a payment method in Meta

The connection itself isn’t enough to start sending. Meta requires a payment method linked to the account in order to charge for active conversations. As long as there’s no card, messages won’t go out, even if everything looks fine in Mumble.

How to add one:

1. In Mumble, go to “Settings.”
2. Scroll to the billing and payments area.
3. Click “Add payment details.” You’ll be taken to Meta’s payment screen.
4. Add a credit card or another payment method and save.

After the card is saved, it’s a good idea to test a send to an internal number (a team member’s phone) before launching a large campaign.

How to know the connection succeeded

On Mumble’s main screen, in the WhatsApp account status card, four data points will appear that come directly from Meta:

• Display name. The name customers will see when you message them.
• Account quality. Meta’s quality rating. At the start, it usually shows High.
• Meta messaging limit. The number of new customers you can initiate a conversation with in 24 hours. It usually starts at 1,000 and grows automatically with a healthy sending volume and good quality.
• Sending status. If the card is loaded and the settings are correct, it will show “Active.”

Troubleshooting common issues

The verification code doesn’t arrive

Reason: there’s sometimes a delay on the SMS networks, mainly during peak hours or on certain numbers. Solution: click “Resend” and choose the other delivery method. If you chose SMS, try a call. If the call didn’t come through, make sure the number isn’t blocked from receiving international calls, since Meta calls from foreign numbers.

Meta refuses to register the number

Reason: usually, the number is still registered on WhatsApp or the WhatsApp Business app. Solution: open the app on the device the number is registered on, go to settings, and perform a “Delete account.” Wait a few minutes and try again. If the number was never registered on the app, check that you didn’t enter it in the wrong format. You need an international country code without the 0, that is 972501234567 and not 0501234567.

The business portfolio selection screen shows the wrong account

Reason: the browser is logged in to several Facebook accounts at once. Solution: log out of all Facebook accounts, log in only with the account that manages the business portfolio you want, and start the process again from the popup in Mumble.

The connection finished but messages aren’t being sent

Reason: in most cases, a payment method is missing from the Meta account. Solution: Settings in Mumble, the billing area, “Add payment details.” After the card is saved, try sending again. If the problem persists even with a valid card, check the WhatsApp account status card on the main screen. You’ll likely see a specific reason there: poor quality, a temporary block from Meta, or a Display Name that hasn’t been approved yet.

Related articles

• Guide: connecting an existing WhatsApp number to Mumble
• How to create a message template in WhatsApp
• General account settings in Mumble
• Sending your first campaign in Mumble

The bottom line

Connecting a new number to Mumble is a short, ten-minute process from a single screen, but it isn’t finished until the Meta card is saved and one test send has gone through successfully.