The old SIM is gone
The number was lost, cancelled or given back to the carrier, or you set up WhatsApp Business on the new number from scratch. Your chats are in a backup made under the old number.
WhatsApp Business · Change number
Change your WhatsApp Business number. Keep every customer chat.
Open WhatsApp Business, go to Settings, then Account, then Change number, enter your old and new numbers with their country codes, and verify the code sent to the new number. Your chats, groups, business profile and settings move with you. It is free, it takes about five minutes, and it works on Android and iPhone. The one condition: the app must still be running on your old number when you start.
- Free, inside WhatsApp Business
- Android and iPhone
- About five minutes
By Ram Velmurugan, Founder & Lead Developer, 1dot.ai · Updated 22 October 2026
What to check before you start
Change number only works while WhatsApp Business is still running on your old number. Check these four things first. It takes two minutes and it is what keeps your history safe.
WhatsApp Business still opens on your old number. Do not delete the app or register the new number from scratch. Either one breaks the link to your history.
The new number can receive an SMS or a call. WhatsApp sends it a code. It does not have to be in the same phone, as long as you can read the code.
A fresh backup. Go to Settings, then Chats, then Chat backup and tap Back up, so there is a safety copy from today.
The new number is not already on WhatsApp. If it is, that account and its chats are removed when you move your old account onto it.
New phone too?
Change the number on your current phone first, then move WhatsApp Business to the new phone with your usual transfer or backup. Doing both at once is how history gets lost.
How to change the number in WhatsApp Business
The steps are the same on Android and iPhone.
Open Change number
In WhatsApp Business, go to Settings, then Account, then Change number, and tap Next.
Enter both numbers
Type your old number, then the new one, both with the country code, and tap Next.
Choose who to tell
Pick whether to notify all your contacts, only the people you have chats with, or chosen contacts. Groups you are in are always told about the new number.
Verify the new number
Enter the code WhatsApp sends to the new number. Your chats, groups, business profile and settings are now on the new number.
Update everything else
Change the number on your website, Google Business Profile, invoices, ads and click-to-chat links. Customers who still message the old number will not reach you.
If your business has a verified badge or uses the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) through a provider, check with that provider before changing. Those are handled separately from the app.
When Change number cannot help
The built-in tool needs your old account to still be running. In these three cases your history is stuck in an old backup, and WhatsApp will not restore it to a different number.
Two numbers, two histories
You ran WhatsApp Business on two numbers and want one account with everything. WhatsApp has no way to combine two accounts’ chats.
Moving to the API
Moving a number from the Business app to the WhatsApp Business Platform through a provider can leave the app’s chat history behind.
What to do right now
Do not delete anything. Keep the old phone, the WhatsApp Business folder on it, and your Google Drive or iCloud account as they are.
Stop new backups from replacing the old one. A new account backing up to the same Google account or folder can overwrite what you need.
On Android, copy the folder to a computer. Copy
Android/media/com.whatsapp.w4boff the phone. It holds your local backups and media.Keep your backup password or 64-digit key if you used end-to-end encrypted backup. Without it, nobody can open that backup.
In development
Recovering old-number chats into your new number. 1dot Transfer already reads WhatsApp Business backups on your own computer to move them from Android to iPhone. We are now testing whether it can bring an old number’s history into a new number’s account. We will only offer it once it works on real restores.
Your customers’ messages stay on your computer.
Everything 1dot Transfer does happens on your own Mac or PC. Your chats are not uploaded to us or anyone else, and there is no account to create.
- Read and converted locallyNothing about your chats is sent to a server.
- Your backup key stays with youIt is used on your computer to open your own backup, and never saved.
- Originals untouchedThe app works on copies and never edits your backups.
Questions
Does WhatsApp Business let you change your number?
Yes. Settings, then Account, then Change number moves your account, chats, groups and settings from the old number to the new one, on the same phone. It is free.
Will I lose my chats if I change my WhatsApp Business number?
Not if you use Change number while the app still runs on the old number. Chats are lost when people delete the app or set up the new number from scratch instead.
Will my customers know I changed my number?
Groups you are in are always told. For individual chats, you choose: all contacts, only people you have chats with, or specific contacts. Customers who only have your old number saved should be told separately, for example with a broadcast message.
Do I need the old SIM in the phone?
You need WhatsApp Business to still be set up and working on the old number on that phone. The verification code goes to the new number.
Can I restore a backup from my old number on my new number?
Generally not. WhatsApp restores a backup for the number it was made with, which is why using Change number before you lose the old number matters so much. If it is already too late, keep the backup safe and do not let it be overwritten.
I am changing both my phone and my number. What order?
Change the number first, on the phone you have now. Then move WhatsApp Business to the new phone. If the new phone is an iPhone and the old one is Android, WhatsApp’s own transfer does not cover Business accounts, and that is what 1dot Transfer is built for.
Does this work for the WhatsApp Business API?
No. Numbers on the WhatsApp Business Platform are managed through your provider (a BSP) and Meta tools, not the app Change number. Ask your provider.
Lost chats when your number changed?
Leave your email and we will write once, when old-number recovery has passed real-device testing. Meanwhile, keep your old backups exactly as they are.