To create a WhatsApp Business account, download the free WhatsApp Business app from the App Store or Google Play and open it. Accept the terms, enter your business phone number and verify it with the 6-digit code sent by SMS or call. Then add your business name, category, logo, description and opening hours to create your profile.
Last updated: 6 November 2026
At a glance
- The WhatsApp Business app is free to download on Android and iPhone (App Store listing).
- Setup takes four actions: download the app, accept the terms, enter your business number and verify it with a 6-digit SMS or call code (WhatsApp onboarding guide).
- Profile details you can add include business name, category, logo, description, address, email, website and opening hours.
- Built-in tools include greeting messages, away messages, quick replies and labels.
- Separate from the app, the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) is Meta’s route for larger teams and CRM connections (WhatsApp FAQs).
What is a WhatsApp Business account?
WhatsApp Business is a free app owned by Meta. It works like the WhatsApp you already know, with extra tools for running a business. You can read how the two compare on WhatsApp’s own comparison page.
The main tools are:
- A business profile with your details
- Greeting messages for new conversations
- Away messages for when you are busy or closed
- Quick replies for answers you send often
- Labels to sort chats
The app suits sole traders and small UK teams who handle customer chats from one phone. Think of a plumber taking enquiries between jobs, or a small salon confirming appointments. Larger teams need something else. That’s the WhatsApp Business Platform (often called the API), which we cover further down.
How do I download and install WhatsApp Business?
Search for WhatsApp Business in the App Store or Google Play and install the official app. It costs nothing to download.
Official listings are available for iPhone or Android. Before you tap install, check two things:
- The publisher is WhatsApp LLC
- The icon has a green background with a white B
Copycat apps exist, so a quick look at the publisher name is worth the few seconds. The Business app can sit on the same phone as personal WhatsApp, so you do not need to delete anything first.
How do I create a WhatsApp Business account step by step?
Open the app, accept the terms, enter your business number, verify the 6-digit code, then set up your profile. Here is the full order.
One thing to do before you start: if the number is already on personal WhatsApp and you want to keep those chats, back them up first. Use the backup option in your personal WhatsApp settings. Without a backup you could lose that history when the number moves.
- Step 1: Open the app. Tap the WhatsApp Business icon after installing.
- Step 2: Accept the terms. Read the terms and tap to agree.
- Step 3: Enter your business number. Choose United Kingdom as the country, which adds +44. Then type the number without the leading 0. So 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123.
- Step 4: Verify the number. WhatsApp sends a 6-digit code by SMS or call. Type it in when it arrives.
- Then set up your profile. Add your business name, category, logo, description and opening hours (more on this below).
What about landlines?
If your business number is a landline, it cannot receive an SMS. Choose the call option instead, and WhatsApp will phone the number and read out the code. Make sure someone can answer at that moment.
Can I create a WhatsApp Business account on iPhone, Android or without a phone number?
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android, and you need a number that can receive an SMS or a call. You cannot set up an account without a phone number.
On iPhone or Android
Both versions of the app follow the same four actions: download, accept terms, enter the number, verify the code. Menus may look slightly different, but the process does not change.
With a phone number
Any number you control that can get a text or a call will do. That might be your existing business mobile, or a number you have set aside for the business.
Without a phone number
A number is always required, so we cannot point you to a workaround. What you can do is get a number that is separate from your personal one. Options include:
- A spare SIM in a cheap handset or a second slot
- An eSIM, if your phone supports one
- A landline, using the call verification option
Whichever you pick, keep it active. If you lose access to the number, you may lose access to the account.
How do I set up my WhatsApp Business profile?
Complete these fields: business name, category, logo, description, address, email, website and opening hours. Add them when you first set up and edit them later in the app’s settings. The WhatsApp Business features page lists what the profile can hold.
- Business name: use the name customers know you by.
- Category: pick the one closest to what you do.
- Logo: a clear, square image that still reads when small.
- Description: two or three plain sentences on what you do and where.
- Address: add it if customers visit you.
- Email: a monitored address, not one nobody checks.
- Website: add your link so people can read more before they message.
- Opening hours: keep them current, including bank holiday changes.
Check that everything matches your Google Business Profile. If your hours say one thing in one place and something else in another, customers lose trust quickly.
How do I set up greetings, away messages and quick replies?
These tools sit in the Business tools section of the app. They send automatic or saved replies so customers hear back quickly, even when you cannot pick up your phone.
Greeting message
This goes to people who message you for the first time. Here is a sample for a trade business:
“Hello, thanks for contacting Smith Plumbing. Tell us what the job is and your postcode, and we will reply as soon as we can.”
Away message
This covers times when you are closed or busy. A sample for a clinic:
“Thanks for your message. Our clinic is closed right now. We reopen at 8:30am tomorrow and will reply then. For anything urgent, please call 999 or NHS 111.”
Quick replies
Save the answers you type again and again, then call them up with a short shortcut. Good ones to start with:
- Prices or how you quote
- Opening hours
- How to book
- Where you are and where to park
Labels
Labels let you tag chats, for example New lead, Quote sent, Booked or Existing customer. It is a simple way to see who still needs an answer.
What is the 24-hour rule and what are message templates?
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, you can reply freely within 24 hours of a customer’s last message. After that, you need an approved message template to start the conversation again.
This applies to the Platform (API), not the basic app. Anyone who only uses the free app on their phone does not need to worry about it.
A template is a pre-approved message, such as an appointment reminder or a delivery update. The wording is submitted to Meta for approval before you can use it. Meta’s pricing and rules for the Platform change from time to time, so check Meta’s current pricing page rather than relying on figures from an old article. For a good starting point, see the WhatsApp FAQs.
When should you move beyond the WhatsApp Business app?
Look beyond the app when several people need to answer chats, messages arrive out of hours, or the same questions keep repeating. One phone and one inbox can only stretch so far.
The limits of one phone
- Only a small number of people can share the account, so a busy team can trip over each other.
- Messages that land overnight sit unanswered until someone picks up the phone.
- The same questions about prices, hours and availability take up your day.
Where a website chatbot helps
An AI chatbot on your website can answer visitors from your own content, show where each answer came from and hand the chat to a person when it is not sure. That takes the repeat questions off your plate without leaving customers stuck.
That is what we built Chati to do. Our chatbot is trained on your own data, with custom integration, and it covers branding, lead capture and bookings. Our team has been developing apps since 2009 and we aim to be great value for money for UK small businesses. See how it works or check our pricing.
WhatsApp Business and a chatbot are not either-or. Plenty of businesses start with WhatsApp Business and add more tools as they grow. To talk through what suits your business, get in touch with Chati and we will be happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
Is WhatsApp Business really free?
Yes, the app is free to download and use on Android and iPhone. The separate Business Platform has its own pricing set by Meta, so check their current pricing page.
Can I use WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business on the same phone?
Yes. Both apps can be installed on one phone, as long as each uses a different phone number.
Can I use a landline number for WhatsApp Business?
Yes. Choose the call option when verifying, and WhatsApp will phone the landline and read out the 6-digit code.
Can more than one person use a WhatsApp Business account?
WhatsApp Business is designed around one phone and one inbox, so it suits very small teams. If several people need to answer chats, look at the Business Platform or a tool built for shared inboxes.
Can I move my existing WhatsApp chats to WhatsApp Business?
Back up your chats first if you reuse a number from personal WhatsApp. Check WhatsApp’s own guidance for the current steps before you move the number.
Do I need a website to use WhatsApp Business?
No, a website is optional. Adding one to your profile does help customers learn more about you before they message.
What is Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business?
It is a paid subscription from Meta that adds a verified badge and extra features to a business profile. Details and costs change, so check WhatsApp’s current information before deciding.
