Enable voice on a WhatsApp number

A WhatsApp business number starts out able to send and receive messages. Calling is a separate switch you turn on per number, from your Dashboard.

Connect a business number first. If the number isn’t in your Space yet, start with Connect a WhatsApp business number.

Turn on calling

Open your WhatsApp connection

In your SignalWire Dashboard, open Integrations and select your WhatsApp Business Account under Connected Integrations.

Find the number

Open the WhatsApp Numbers tab. Each number shows a status of Registered, Pending, or Unregistered, and a SIP Calling column.

A Pending number hasn’t finished registering with Meta. Enabling calling registers it as part of the same step, so the attempt can fail with a Meta error until that setup is complete. Finish the setup in the Meta Business dashboard, then select Sync with Meta to refresh the status before you try again.

Enable calling

In the SIP Calling column, select Enable SIP Calling and confirm. SignalWire registers the number for calling with Meta on your behalf.

Enabling calling from the API isn’t supported. The WhatsApp number endpoints list numbers and their status; they don’t change them.

Confirm it worked

The SIP Calling column shows Enabled once the number is ready. To check programmatically, list your WhatsApp numbers:

GET

/api/messaging/whatsapp/numbers

curl https://{your_space_name}.signalwire.com/api/messaging/whatsapp/numbers \
     -u "<project_id>:<api_token>"

Try it

Each number reports two fields:

Field	Meaning
`voice_enabled`	Calling is turned on for the number.
`voice_capable`	The number can take calls: `voice_enabled` is true and a calling handler is attached.

voice_enabled turns true as soon as this guide’s steps succeed. voice_capable stays false until you attach a Resource to answer the call.

If calling doesn’t turn on

Two failures account for most attempts:

“Two-step verification is already enabled for this number in Meta with a different PIN.” The number has a two-step verification PIN that SignalWire doesn’t hold. Reset it in WhatsApp Manager, then try again.

“SIP calling was attempted recently. Please wait before trying again.” Each attempt starts a five-minute cooldown. The button stays disabled until it passes, and its tooltip shows how long is left.

Calling can switch off

SignalWire renews the number’s calling registration with Meta before it expires. If Meta refuses a renewal, voice_enabled returns to false and calls stop arriving. Check this field if calls stop unexpectedly, then enable calling again from the SIP Calling column.

Next steps

Receive WhatsApp calls

Attach a Resource to answer inbound calls, and find them in your logs.

List WhatsApp numbers

The full response schema, including every voice field.