WhatsApp Business Calling lets your business receive and place voice calls with WhatsApp users using your Telnyx numbers.
Users can call directly from the WhatsApp app to your numbers and Telnyx will route these calls to your SIP connection or Programmable Voice application.
Similarly, you can initiate calls from your connection or application to WhatsApp numbers.
Rather than routing through the PSTN like traditional calls, WhatsApp Business Calls are routed directly and securely between Telnyx and Meta.
By enabling WhatsApp Calling through Telnyx, you can leverage Telnyx platform capabilities, including Programmable Voice, AI Assistants, call recording, and real-time analytics, all from Mission Control Portal or the API.
Who it's for
Businesses already using WhatsApp for customer communication that want to extend their interactions to voice, on a secure, widely adopted channel, without building a separate integration or managing a different infrastructure.
Requirements
A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)
A Telnyx phone number that will be linked to your WABA
Availability
Call Type | Availability |
User-initiated calls | Available wherever WhatsApp Business is available |
Business-initiated calls | Not available for business numbers in: USA, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, Nigeria (based on the phone number's country code).
⚠️ Important: Before placing a call, you must obtain the user's calling permission. More details on how to obtain permission below. |
Enable Whatsapp Business Calling in Mission Control
These instructions will help you enable Whatsapp Business Calling in Telnyx Mission Control Portal.
If you already have a Telnyx number configured in the portal for messaging purposes and you just need to enable Whatsapp calling you can skip to step 5.
Step 1 - Connect Your WhatsApp Business Account
In Mission Control, navigate to Real-Time Communication → WhatsApp.
Click "Connect WhatsApp Business" which will trigger the embedded signup windows for the integration with Meta.
Select the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) you want to associate with WhatsApp Calling.
Step 2 - Associate your Telnyx number
Select the Telnyx phone number you want to enable for WhatsApp Calling.
Your Telnyx number must be active and able to receive calls or SMS (mobile numbers only) — Meta will send a verification code to confirm ownership.
Enter the verification code once received.
Step 3 - Confirm your configuration
Review and confirm your WhatsApp configuration in Telnyx.
You'll see a confirmation screen indicating your Meta account has been successfully connected to Telnyx.
Navigate to Real-Time Communication → WhatsApp → Business Account — your WABA should now appear with an Active status. You can view and edit account details and settings from here.
It can take up to 2 minutes for this information to show up.
You can view and edit account details and settings from here.
It can take up to 2 minutes for this information to show up.
Step 4 — Enable WhatsApp Calling in Telnyx
In Mission Control, navigate to Real-Time Communication → WhatsApp → Manage Numbers.
Select your number — it should show a Connected status.
Open the Calling tab and toggle WhatsApp Calling to enabled.
Place and Receive Calls
Consumer-Initiated Calls (User-Initiated)
Once WhatsApp Calling is enabled on your number, your business is ready to receive calls from any WhatsApp user.
WhatsApp users can reach you in the following ways:
Call button in chat — if enabled, a call icon appears directly in the WhatsApp chat interface with your business.
Click-to-call button — via an interactive message or template you send to the user.
Deep link — a call link you embed on your website, app, or QR code that launches a call directly.
Regardless of how the call is initiated, it connects through WhatsApp and is routed to your Telnyx number, handled by your existing SIP connection or Programmable Voice application, just like a regular inbound call. No additional setup is required.
Business-Initiated Calls (WABI)
You can initiate a call to any Whatsapp Number as long as you meet these requirements:
You’re initiating the call from one of your SIP connections or Programmable Voice applications
You’re using the Whatsapp Calling number as the From number
The user has granted permission for you to call them
Your Whatsapp Calling number is not from any of these countries: USA, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, Nigeria
To place a call to a WhatsApp user from your Telnyx number, use the following dial string format:
<destination_number>@whatsapp-<your_telnyx_number>.sip.telnyx.com
Where:
<destination_number>is the WhatsApp user's phone number in E.164 format (e.g.+447911123456)<your_telnyx_number>is your WhatsApp-enabled Telnyx number in E.164 format, without the leading +
Example: If your Telnyx number is +447418613982 and you want to call +447911123456, the dial string is:
This dial string applies across all connection types — SIP, Voice API, and TeXML.
Obtaining calling permission
Before placing a call to a user, you must first obtain their calling permission.
Here's how the flow works:
Callback — when a user calls your business number through WhatsApp, temporary calling permission is automatically granted.
Business profile — users can grant permission directly from your WhatsApp Business profile at any time by following these steps:
Save your Telnyx number as a WhatsApp contact
Open the contact — it will appear as a Business Profile
Tap View Contact → Business Call Permission
Select the desired permission option
Send a permission request — Send a permission request to the user via the WhatsApp Cloud API, either as a template or free-form message
Keep in mind the following rate limits:
Maximum 1 request per 24 hours per user
Maximum 2 requests per 7 days per user
These limits reset automatically once a connected call (business- or user-initiated) takes place between you and the user.
Wait for approval. Once the user grants permission, you can place the outbound WhatsApp call from your configured Telnyx workflow.
Understand permission duration. Permissions can be:
Temporary — valid for 7 days
Permanent — granted by the user indefinitely
Important: Unanswered call behaviour
WhatsApp monitors consecutive missed business-initiated calls on a per-user basis:
After 2 consecutive unanswered calls, WhatsApp sends the user a nudge notification.
After 4 consecutive unanswered calls, permission is automatically revoked and you'll need to request it again.
To avoid hitting this limit, only call users who are expecting to hear from you.
Connected call limit
There is a cap of 100 connected calls per 24 hours per business phone number. Plan your call volume accordingly.
Troubleshooting
Calling toggle — Confirm "Calling" is enabled for the number in Mission Control.
Geo eligibility — If business-initiated calling fails, check the business phone number's country code against the exclusions listed above.
Permission state — For business-initiated calls, verify user permission (temporary or permanent). If absent, send a permission request first.
Still stuck? — Confirm your number is a Telnyx number under your WABA.
FAQs
Can I bridge WhatsApp calls to PSTN? No. WhatsApp Calling is on-net to WhatsApp users only.
Do calls count against messaging limits? No. Calling has separate limits. However, Meta requires the WABA to have a ≥ 2,000 daily messaging limit to enable Calling.
Is there a limit to how many calls I can receive at once? Yes. Meta's maximum is 1,000 concurrent calls per business number.
What's the difference between consumer-initiated and business-initiated calls?
Consumer-initiated: The user calls your Telnyx number through WhatsApp, no special permission needed.
Business-initiated: You call the user, but must first request their permission either through a template message or a free-form message during an active customer service window.
How do business-initiated calling permissions work? Send a permission request (max 1 per 24 hours, 2 per 7 days per business+user). Temporary permission lasts 7 days; permanent permission is also supported. If 2 consecutive business-initiated calls go unanswered, WhatsApp notifies the user. After 4 consecutive unanswered calls, permission is auto-revoked.