In short: Meta launched the WhatsApp Business Calling API in July 2025. It lets businesses make and receive WhatsApp voice calls through the API, on the same number that handles their text conversations. It is built for support and sales teams, not consumers.
WhatsApp is where many customers already are. The Calling API closes the gap between text-based support and voice. A customer who starts a support chat can move to a call on the same number, without switching apps or swapping phone numbers. On the customer’s side, calls and chats sit in one thread. If your team is still setting up its WhatsApp support, start with how to set up WhatsApp for a support team.
What is the WhatsApp Business Calling API?
The WhatsApp Business Calling API is part of the Cloud API on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta describes it as a way to make and receive calls with WhatsApp users over the internet (VoIP), in its Calling API overview. It lets businesses:
- Receive WhatsApp voice calls from customers on their business number
- Make WhatsApp voice calls to customers who have given permission to be called
- Keep chatting during a call, because messages can still be sent and received while a call is in progress
- Get call events through webhooks, such as when a call comes in, whether it is answered, and when it ends, with the call’s duration
The customer takes the call in the WhatsApp app on their phone, and the call is free for them. On the business side, the call goes to whatever platform is connected to the Calling API. That platform connects to the call with WebRTC or SIP and handles the audio.
When was it launched?
Meta announced calling for larger businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform on 1 July 2025, in its newsroom post. Its developer changelog lists the WhatsApp Business Calling API as available on 15 July 2025. It is part of the Cloud API only. The On-Premises API was switched off on 23 October 2025 (Meta’s sunset notice).
How it differs from regular WhatsApp calls
Regular WhatsApp calls go from one WhatsApp account to another. A call to a business on the WhatsApp Business app works the same way. It rings in the app, and one person answers it.
The Calling API sends calls to a platform (your CRM, helpdesk or team inbox) instead of a single phone. Meta provides the call audio, and the platform decides what happens next. This means:
- Several teammates can take calls without sharing a phone
- The platform can keep a call log next to the chat history
- The platform decides which teammate gets each call. Meta’s Calling FAQ says Meta does not know about the agents on the business side.
- When a call ends, including one nobody answered, Meta sends a webhook, so the platform can flag it for follow-up
What it is used for
The main use cases are customer support and sales:
Support escalation: A customer starts a text conversation about an order issue. The agent sees the issue needs a talk and sends a call permission request in the chat. Once the customer agrees, the agent calls from the same number they were texting. No new contact, no app switch.
Inbound call handling: A customer who has your WhatsApp number calls instead of texting. The call reaches your team in the platform connected to the number, so a teammate can answer it with the chat history at hand.
Sales callbacks: A lead asks to be called back. Your team sends a call permission request, and once the lead accepts, a salesperson calls from the same WhatsApp number the lead already knows. A customer can also give permission by calling you first, if you turn on the callback permission setting.
Meta limits calls to protect customers from unwanted calls. As of October 2026, a business can send a customer at most one call permission request in 24 hours and two in 7 days. Four unanswered calls in a row cancel a permission. Temporary permission lasts seven days, and customers can also give permanent permission and take it back at any time (Meta’s call permissions guide).
Who can use it?
The Calling API is available to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). As of October 2026, Meta’s Calling API overview lists these needs:
- A number in use with the Cloud API, not the WhatsApp Business app. A number connected by QR code is a linked device, not an API number, so it cannot use the Calling API.
- A daily messaging limit of at least 2,000 unique recipients
- Calling turned on in the number’s call settings
- A platform that supports the Calling API
Two more limits matter, as of October 2026:
- Coexistence numbers: Meta’s coexistence page says voice and video calls keep working in the Business app but are not supported through the API.
- Calling customers: Business-initiated calls are not available for business numbers with a country code from the United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam or Nigeria. Customers can still call businesses wherever the Cloud API is available.
Not all team inbox platforms have built Calling API support yet. It needs extra work on the platform side, because the platform must handle the call audio itself. Check whether your platform supports it.
Pricing
Meta prices calls separately from messages. As of October 2026, Meta’s Calling API pricing page says:
- Calls from customers are free. You pay nothing when a customer calls your business.
- Calls you make are charged by length. Meta counts call time in six-second pulses. The rate depends on the country code of the number you call and your monthly calling volume.
- Call permission requests are messages. They are charged under Meta’s per-message pricing.
- Calls open the 24-hour customer service window. The window starts or refreshes when a customer calls you, even if you do not answer, and when a customer accepts your call.
You need a valid payment method to place calls. Rates change by country and over time, so check Meta’s page for current rates.
The WhatsApp Business Calling API vs click-to-call ads
The Calling API is sometimes confused with Meta’s call ads, which have a “Call now” button. They are different:
| Calling API | Call ad (“Call now” button) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of call | WhatsApp voice call over the internet | Regular phone call |
| Who starts the call | Customer, or your team with the customer’s permission | Customer, by tapping the ad |
| Where the call goes | Your WhatsApp API number, in the platform connected to it | The phone number in the ad |
| Needs a WhatsApp API number | Yes | No |
Click-to-WhatsApp ads are different again. They open a WhatsApp chat with your business, and Meta’s ad docs say they can include a call prompt.
What it means for WhatsApp-first businesses
The Calling API makes WhatsApp a more complete customer communication channel. Before it, a team on the API that wanted to talk to a customer by voice had to use another channel, such as a separate phone line. That break in the conversation meant losing context.
With the Calling API, text and voice can happen on the same number, in the same conversation thread, with the same team. For businesses that run most of their customer communication on WhatsApp, this can mean fewer channels to manage. Some teams may still need a phone line, for example for customers who are not on WhatsApp, or to call out from a country where Meta does not offer business-initiated calls.
Interested in managing WhatsApp calls alongside your team’s text conversations? Calling is a newer feature in Risponse, so check that it is turned on for your workspace. Read the Risponse calling docs to see how it works, or see how team access works.
