Banned number
Banned WhatsApp number: what to do and how to avoid it
Quick answer
My WhatsApp number was banned. What should I do?
If the WhatsApp number was banned, the app shows the notice "This number can't use WhatsApp". Tap Request review, in the app itself, and wait for the notification with the decision. According to the WhatsApp Help Center, most reviews finish within 24 hours. Without that button, the ban is final.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
What each notice means, how to request the review, what's no use trying and what WhatsApp says leads to a ban. All checked against the WhatsApp Help Center.
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Summary in 7 facts
- What each notice means, how to request the review, what's no use trying and what WhatsApp says leads to a ban.
- All checked against the WhatsApp Help Center.
- If the WhatsApp number was banned, the app shows the notice "This number can't use WhatsApp".
- Tap Request review, in the app itself, and wait for the notification with the decision.
- The steps come from the articles "About account bans" and "About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app" in the WhatsApp Help Center.
- Open the app and read the notice The ban notice is "This number can't use WhatsApp", followed by the phone number.
- The notices are in quotation marks as they appear in the WhatsApp Help Center.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 24 hours | According to the WhatsApp Help Center, most reviews finish within 24 hours. |
Restricted, temporarily banned or banned: the difference
There are three situations, with three notices. Only the last one asks for a review.
Restricted account
You still talk to the people you already talked to, but you can't start a conversation with a new contact or create a group. The restriction ends on its own when the period is over.
Temporarily banned account
According to the Help Center, it is likely due to use of an unofficial app or automatic data collection. Switching to the official app avoids a permanent ban.
Banned account
The number can no longer get into WhatsApp. The path is the Request review button. Without the button, there is no appeal.
See how it looks in your industry
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How to request a review of a banned number, step by step
The steps come from the articles "About account bans" and "About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app" in the WhatsApp Help Center.
Open the app and read the notice
The ban notice is "This number can't use WhatsApp", followed by the phone number. If the notice is different, see the table below.
Tap Request review
The request exists only inside the app, and WhatsApp reviews one number per request.
Follow progress in the app
Progress shows in WhatsApp itself, and the decision arrives by notification. Most reviews finish within 24 hours.
If the ban is canceled, confirm the number again
The notice changes to "This account can now use WhatsApp". To get back in, you have to verify the phone number again.
What each WhatsApp notice means
The notices are in quotation marks as they appear in the WhatsApp Help Center.
| Notice in the app | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Your account is restricted at the moment" | Restriction with an end date, not a ban | Nothing: it ends on its own, and WhatsApp notifies you when it's over |
| "Account temporarily banned" | Probable use of an unofficial app or data collection | Switch to the official app and stop the collection |
| "This number can't use WhatsApp" | Banned account | Tap Request review |
| The same notice, without the Request review button | Permanent ban | There is no appeal |
| "Account blocked due to inactivity" | The account sat idle | Confirm the phone number again, as soon as possible |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Why WhatsApp bans a number
According to the article About account bans, WhatsApp may ban accounts that, in its assessment, violate the Terms of Service, and it gives as examples sending spam, running scams and any activity that puts the safety of people using the service at risk. The ban is based on the account's activity, not on the Wi-Fi network it is on.
The article How to use WhatsApp responsibly lists the practices that can result in a ban: unwanted messages, automated or bulk messages, third-party contact lists, excessive use of broadcast lists, automatic data collection and violation of the Terms of Service. The same article says WhatsApp uses machine learning and user reports to find these accounts, and that accounts reported many times are banned.
For a business, the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy also applies. According to the article How to follow the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, a business may only contact people who provided their phone number and agreed to receive messages from it on WhatsApp. And, according to the article About how we detect violations, when someone blocks or reports a business, WhatsApp receives the last five messages it sent to that person.
The risk of bulk sending is covered in does bulk messaging on WhatsApp get you banned?, and what makes customers block you themselves, in the mistakes that make customers block your business. The question about AI replies has its own page: can my WhatsApp be banned for using AI?. To reach out without risking the number, see the sales outreach message on WhatsApp.
What doesn't help with a banned number
Everything on this list is stated in the articles About account bans and About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app.
- Sending an email or opening a chat with support: it does not reverse the ban or change the result of the review. The request is only accepted through the app.
- Asking through someone else's account: it does not speed up the process or influence the decision.
- Paying someone who promises to unban you: third-party services cannot ban or cancel the ban on an account. Only WhatsApp can.
- Looking for the button when it doesn't appear: without the Request review option, the ban is final and can't be appealed.
- Trying to open the history: while the account is banned, you can't access conversations or backups.
My WhatsApp Business was banned: what changes
The review request is the same, made in the WhatsApp Business app. The article About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app adds three points.
- Subscription: a banned account automatically loses its Meta Verified subscription. If the reason is a policy violation, the subscription is canceled with no refund.
- More rules apply: besides the Terms of Service, the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and the Commerce Policy. Selling a product they prohibit is also grounds for a ban.
- WhatsApp Business Platform: a number connected there, the so-called official API, has its own appeals process, described in Meta's developer documentation, not the app's button.
An unofficial app also gets you banned
According to the article About unofficial apps, unofficial apps and sites are versions of WhatsApp made by third parties, and using one or connecting the account to one violates the Terms of Service. The article names GB WhatsApp, FM WhatsApp, TeleMessage and TM WhatsApp as examples, and says the account can be banned temporarily or permanently or be blocked from linking devices.
What to do, according to the article About account bans due to use of unofficial apps: uninstall the unofficial app and download WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business from the official site or the app store. WhatsApp may ban the account again if the activity keeps violating the terms.
How to keep the number from being banned
The best practices come from the article How to use WhatsApp responsibly.
- Write only to people who messaged you first or asked for your contact on WhatsApp. The ideal, the article says, is to give your number to the person so they send the first message.
- If they asked you to stop, stop: remove the person from your contact list and don't message them again.
- Ask permission before adding someone to a group and respect those who leave.
- Use broadcast lists sparingly: they only reach people who saved your number, and frequent sending leads to reports.
- Don't use third-party contact lists, bought or taken from a group.
- Use the official app, downloaded from the store or from WhatsApp's site.
What about automatic replies? What the source says, and what CertuAI does
WhatsApp's list includes "automated or bulk messages", and it's worth reading carefully. The WhatsApp Business app itself has automatic messages: the greeting, the away message and Meta Business Agent, which the Help Center describes as automatic replies run by AI. The target of the rules, in the articles read, is the message the person did not ask for, sent in volume.
To connect a business's number to a system or an AI, the formal path is the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta's official connection. CertuAI is a Tech Provider of that platform, and CertuAI's AI replies to people who wrote to the business. No system, CertuAI's included, cancels a number's ban or guarantees it won't happen: what weighs most is who you send messages to. See how the official WhatsApp connection works.
Frequently asked questions
How do you recover a banned WhatsApp number?
Tap Request review on the notice that appears when you open the app and wait for the notification with the decision. If the review shows the ban was a mistake, it is canceled and you confirm the number again.
How long does the review of a banned WhatsApp account take?
WhatsApp's own notice says most reviews are completed within 24 hours. Progress shows in the app.
Is a WhatsApp ban permanent?
It depends. If the notice shows the Request review button, you can appeal. According to the Help Center, when the button doesn't appear, the ban is final.
What's the difference between a restricted account and a banned account?
A restricted account keeps talking to the people it already talked to and returns to normal on its own when the period ends. A banned account can't get into WhatsApp and depends on the review request.
Does emailing WhatsApp support help?
No. The Help Center says contacting them by email or through the support chat does not reverse the ban or change the result. The request is made only through the app.
Can anyone unban my WhatsApp from the outside?
No. According to the Help Center, third-party services cannot ban or cancel the ban on an account. Anyone who promises that has no way to deliver.
Do I lose my conversations if the number is banned?
While the account is banned, you can't access the history or backups. The backup only becomes accessible again when the number's ban is lifted.
What gets a WhatsApp number banned?
According to the Help Center: spam, scams, automated or bulk messages, third-party contact lists, excessive use of broadcast lists, automatic data collection and an unofficial app.
Where to go next?
Got your number back? Message only people who asked
No tool cancels a ban: that is up to WhatsApp alone, through the app. What you can change is how you use the number. At CertuAI, the AI replies to people who wrote to your business, using what you taught the Brain, and Meta's official connection is the formal path to connect the number to a system.
From US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentIn short
My WhatsApp number was banned. What should I do? If the WhatsApp number was banned, the app shows the notice "This number can't use WhatsApp". Tap Request review, in the app itself, and wait for the notification with the decision. According to the WhatsApp Help Center, most reviews finish within 24 hours. Without that button, the ban is final.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent