# WhatsApp Business multiple users: your options > How many people can share one WhatsApp Business number, what Meta One’s multi-agent adds and when a team needs the API and an inbox tool. Branko Conjic · October 9, 2026 · https://wibbu.com/blog/whatsapp-business-multiple-users **In short:** The free WhatsApp Business app lets one phone and up to four linked devices share a number, and everyone sees the same chats. A Meta Verified or Meta One subscription raises the limit to 10 devices and adds chat assignment. Bigger teams, or teams on several channels, use the WhatsApp Business Platform with an inbox tool. Yes, several people can use one WhatsApp Business number. The free app lets you link up to four devices to your phone, and each one shows the same chats. A Meta Verified or Meta One subscription raises that to as many as 10 devices and lets you assign chats to people. For a larger team, or one that answers on more channels than WhatsApp, the WhatsApp Business Platform connects your number to an inbox tool. These limits come from WhatsApp's help pages as of October 2026. ## Linked devices in the free WhatsApp Business app According to [WhatsApp's linked devices page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/647349420360876), you can use up to four linked devices and one phone at a time. A linked device can be WhatsApp Web, the desktop app, an Android tablet or a second phone set up as a companion. You link each one by scanning a QR code with your phone. Broadcast lists, live location and status stay on the phone. The catch is that every device sees every chat. There's no way to give a chat to one person, and no record of who sent which reply. That works for two or three people in one room. Once people work from different places, two of them answer the same customer, or each assumes the other did. ## What multi-agent adds with Meta Verified or Meta One Multi-agent is WhatsApp's name for its team features. The full version comes with a Meta Verified or Meta One subscription, and [WhatsApp's multi-agent page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/395911122612120) lists what it adds: - **More devices.** Up to 10 linked devices instead of four. - **Chat assignment.** Assign a chat to yourself or a teammate, then filter for the chats assigned to you. - **Who sent what.** Tap and hold a message to see which agent and device sent it. The page says your subscription's benefits set the device limit, and that this version may not be available to you yet. Tablets don't work with multi-agent. [Meta's plans page](https://www.meta.com/meta-one-plans/) hides the device limits under each business plan's "See more features" link. When we checked on October 9, 2026, they were: | Meta One plan | Linked devices | Price per month (US) | | ------------- | -------------- | -------------------- | | Essential | Not listed | $14.99 | | Advanced | Up to 6 | $49.99 | | Expert | Up to 8 | $149 | | Max | Up to 10 | $499 | You pay for each Page, profile or number. The same plans raise the Instagram Shared access limit, as our [Instagram Shared access guide](/blog/instagram-shared-access) explains. Past four devices, calls ring only on your phone. If you cancel, your four most recently active devices stay linked and the rest drop off. To link a device, open the app on your phone and tap **Tools**, then **Subscriptions**. Tap **Meta One** (or **Meta Verified**), then **Linked devices** and **Link device**. Scan the QR code and name the device after the person who uses it.
## The WhatsApp Business Platform and a team inbox The [WhatsApp Business Platform](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/overview), often called the WhatsApp API, is a set of APIs for developers. Your team doesn't work in the API itself. You connect your number to an inbox tool through a provider, and everyone answers there with their own login. Seats, assignment and other channels depend on the tool you pick. You can even keep the app on the same number. Meta calls this [coexistence](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/embedded-signup/custom-flows/onboarding-business-app-users). A provider sets it up, it syncs the last six months of one-to-one chats, and it turns off some app features such as broadcast lists. Your linked devices are unlinked during setup, so you relink them afterwards. ## WhatsApp Business API pricing Since July 1, 2025, Meta has charged the platform [per message](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) instead of per conversation. You pay for messages your business sends, when they're delivered. Templates, the pre-approved messages you need outside a conversation, come in three main categories: marketing, utility and authentication. A customer's message opens a 24-hour window for free-form replies. As of October 1, 2026, each number gets 1,000 of those replies free per month, and Meta charges for the rest. Utility templates sent inside the window are charged again from that date too. Each message's price depends on its category and the country code of the customer's number. Your inbox tool or provider charges its own price on top. ## WhatsApp Business app vs API: which fits your team | Option | Devices | Assign chats | Cost | | --------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------- | | WhatsApp Business app | 1 phone and 4 linked devices | No | Free | | App with a subscription | Up to 10 devices, by plan | Yes | Meta Verified or Meta One | | Business Platform and inbox | Set by the inbox tool | Depends on the tool | Per message, plus the tool | **Stay on the free app** if two or three people answer from one place, mostly on WhatsApp. **Add a subscription** if you need more devices or keep losing track of who owns a chat, and your team answers on phones. **Move to the platform** if more than 10 people answer, or customers also reach you by email or website chat. If your other channels are Messenger and Instagram, try Meta Business Suite first. It's free and can bring your WhatsApp Business account into the same inbox. Our post on [whether the Meta Business Suite inbox is enough](/blog/meta-business-suite-inbox) covers where it stops. ## How Wibbu fits a shared inbox Wibbu, the inbox we're building, answers routine customer messages from your own information, day or night. When a message needs a person, it passes the conversation to your team with the full history and a drafted reply. Your rules decide what AI may send. Our guide to [which customer messages AI should answer](/blog/which-customer-messages-should-ai-answer) helps you draw that line. For WhatsApp away messages, see our [auto-reply examples](/blog/auto-reply-message-examples). ## Common questions **How many users can use WhatsApp Business?** Five devices on the free app, your phone plus four linked ones. A subscription raises that to 10, and on the platform your inbox tool sets the limit. **Can WhatsApp Business be used on multiple phones?** Yes. Link a second phone as a companion by scanning a QR code from your main phone. It takes one linked device slot. **Do linked devices need my phone online?** No. They work while your phone is off, but log out if it goes unused for 14 days. **Can I assign WhatsApp chats to team members?** Not without a subscription. Assignment comes with multi-agent on a Meta Verified or Meta One subscription, or with an inbox tool on the platform. **Can I use WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business on the same number?** Not at the same time. Both apps can run on one phone, but [each needs its own number](https://faq.whatsapp.com/665643701880397). If you move a number to the Business app, your chats come along, but [contacts saved only in WhatsApp are lost](https://faq.whatsapp.com/3059780464322392), so save them to your phone first. **Do customers see which team member replied?** No. Messages come from your business account. With multi-agent, only your team can see who sent each one.