A number can’t be verified
The verification call that never produces a code, a recording that cannot be read, a number WhatsApp says is already registered, attempts that run out, and regulatory details stuck in review.
- Who
- Owners and admins
- Plan
- All plans. Renting a number needs an active paid subscription.
- Role
- Owner or Admin
Before you start
- A number purchase that has already been paid for, or a number of your own being connected
- The number in full international format
Verification is the step where WhatsApp satisfies itself that whoever is registering a number controls the line. It is also the step with the least room to improvise: WhatsApp counts attempts per number, and pressing a button again is rarely the fix. Work out which of the two paths you are on first, because the symptoms look similar and the answers are not.
A number rented from OMAI is verified by a phone call: WhatsApp rings the new line and speaks a 6-digit code, and OMAI answers, records and reads it. A number you already own is verified inside Meta’s own sign-in window, and the messages come from Meta rather than from us — those are covered in What Meta’s errors mean.
The call and the code
The activation screen sits on WhatsApp is calling your new number now and nothing happens.
Likely causes
- The call has been placed but its recording has not been transcribed yet — the transcript becomes available a few minutes after the call ends.
- The screen has been open for more than 7 minutes and has stopped checking on its own.
- The verification call was never requested, because the request failed right after the purchase.
- All three verification calls for this number have already been used.
What to do
- Leave the page open. It re-checks by itself every 8 seconds.
- When it says it is taking longer than usual, choose Check again.
- Leave and come back — reopening the WhatsApp screen resumes the same purchase exactly where it stopped.
- If the screen says the number was bought but the verification call has not gone out yet, choose Try again.
- If Call me again is disabled with a message about the limit, stop pressing and let the 72-hour window reset.
How to check it worked
The wizard reaches Your new number is connected and live! and the connection card on the WhatsApp screen shows Connected.
When to contact us
After 15 minutes with no change, write to us with the number in full international format, the time you bought it, and everything under Technical details on the card.
The call happened, but the screen switches to One small step left and asks you to type the code.
Likely causes
- The recording contains an automated menu that asks for a keypress before it will read out the code. OMAI answers and records; it never presses keys, so the recording holds the menu and no digits.
- The recording is silence, or the call was cut before the code was spoken.
- The transcript was too unclear to trust. A code is only accepted when at least two readings agree, or when exactly one possible code was found.
What to do
- Choose Listen to the call recording, play it, and write down the six digits.
- Type them into Verification code (6 digits) and choose Confirm and activate.
- If there are no digits in the recording, choose Call me again — once.
- If a second call sounds exactly the same, stop and write to us rather than spending the rest of the call budget.
How to check it worked
The button reads Checking the code…, then the screen moves on to activating the number.
When to contact us
After two calls that produce no readable code, send us the number, the time of each call, and what you could hear on the recording.
The code is refused, or the attempts run out.
Likely causes
- A digit was misread from the recording —
0andO,5and6are the usual pair. - The code came from an earlier call. Only the code from the most recent call is valid.
- All three code submissions for this number have been used, so the screen says the verification attempts are spent.
- The code was right and the registration step afterwards failed. The connection then shows Action required with a technical detail rather than a wrong-code message.
What to do
- Replay the recording and re-read the digits before submitting again.
- Ask for a fresh call with Call me again and use only that code.
- Open Technical details on the error card and read the value.
two_step_pin_mismatchmeans the number already carries a two-step verification PIN; reset it in WhatsApp Manager and reconnect the number. registration_rate_limitedmeans WhatsApp’s own attempt allowance for this number is spent — wait for its window to reset rather than retrying.- If the attempts are exhausted, wait for the reset within 72 hours or write to us and we finish the registration.
How to check it worked
The connection card shows Connected with no action line under it.
When to contact us
Send the number, and the technical detail string copied exactly — it names the step that failed and saves a round of questions.
When the block is not the code
You are told the number is already registered.
Likely causes
- Meta says so during the connection of a number you already own. This is normal and not a failure — an already-registered number is treated as a success and setup carries on.
- The number is already connected to another OMAI organization. We refuse it so that two accounts can never answer on one number.
- An earlier setup for the same number is still open on our side, and the panel asks for a quick review.
- The number already has a two-step verification PIN set in WhatsApp, and the one used during setup does not match it.
What to do
- Note where the message came from — Meta’s own window, or an OMAI card. They mean different things.
- If an OMAI panel says the number needs a quick review, use Talk to support on that panel. Trying again will not clear it.
- For a PIN mismatch, reset the two-step verification PIN in WhatsApp Manager, then reconnect the number from the WhatsApp screen.
- If the number is live in the WhatsApp Business app today, follow the path for that case rather than a plain connection — see Keep using WhatsApp on your phone.
How to check it worked
The number appears once on your WhatsApp screen with the status Connected.
When to contact us
Send the number, a copy of the message you saw, and tell us whether that number is currently in use in the WhatsApp Business app or on another platform.
The purchase is stuck at Your details are in review, or the details were rejected.
Likely causes
- The country you chose requires business documents before a number can go live, and the local regulator is still reviewing what you submitted.
- The submission was rejected because the business name or the company registration number does not match your official registration exactly.
- You are looking at a country that needs a full document bundle. Countries that only need a contact address are approved straight away.
What to do
- Choose Check status on the review panel. Reviews normally take a few business days, and the result appears on that same panel.
- If it reads The submission wasn’t approved, choose Edit and resubmit and compare every field against your registration certificate, character by character.
- Do not start a new purchase while the review is open — nothing has been charged and nothing is lost by waiting.
- Remember the submission limit: three regulatory submissions per organization per day.
How to check it worked
The number-type card shows Instant setup and the wizard lets you move on to picking a number.
When to contact us
Send the country, the business name and the registration number exactly as you submitted them, and the date you submitted. We can read the rejection reason back from the regulator.
The number was bought, but activation never finishes.
Likely causes
- The 7-minute waiting window elapsed without a result.
- WhatsApp refused the final registration step after the code was accepted.
- The number you picked was taken by someone else a moment before the purchase completed.
- There was no WhatsApp capacity for a new number at that moment.
What to do
- Choose Check again first — this clears the plain timeout.
- If the screen says the number is bought and reserved but activation stalled, write to us. The line stays reserved for you in the meantime.
- If it says the number was just taken, pick another one from the refreshed list. Your payment carries over and you are not charged twice.
- If it says there is no capacity and that you have not been charged, that is accurate — the first month is returned automatically and you can try again later.
How to check it worked
The connection card shows Connected, and sending a WhatsApp message to the number produces a reply in your inbox.
When to contact us
Send the number, the time of the purchase, and the contents of Technical details. Tell us if the Add-ons card on the billing page shows a paid row with no number attached.
What runs out, and when it comes back
| Budget | Allowance | When it resets |
|---|---|---|
| Verification calls (Call me again) | 3 per number | Within 72 hours |
| Code submissions | 3 per number | Within 72 hours |
| Automatic re-checks while the screen waits | Every 8 seconds, for up to 7 minutes | Reopening the page starts a fresh window |
| Call recording | Up to 45 seconds of the call | Each new call is recorded again |
| Regulatory submissions | 3 per organization per day | The next day |
What to send us
Verification failures are traceable, but only if we can find the right attempt. These five items are enough to locate it without a second round of questions.
- The number in full international format, for example
+972…. - The time you started, with your timezone.
- Everything under Technical details on the error card, copied rather than described.
- Which path you are on: a number rented from OMAI, or a number you already own.
- Whether you heard a menu, silence, or spoken digits on the recording.
Can I get the code by SMS instead?
No. Numbers rented from OMAI are verified by voice call only, and the number-picking step filters out any line that cannot receive one. Israeli carrier lines cannot receive inbound SMS at all, so a call is the only route to them.
Do I lose the number if verification never completes?
No. The line is bought and stays reserved for your organization, and it counts against your plan’s number limit until it is released. Support can finish the registration from our side.
Was I charged for a number that never activated?
If the provisioning failed after the charge, the first month is returned automatically. If the number was simply taken by someone else first, your payment is kept and used for the number you pick instead — the wizard says so on the number step.
The regulator rejected my documents. Was I charged for that?
No. Nothing is charged when you submit regulatory details — money only moves at the purchase step, which happens after approval.
How do I know verification actually worked?
The connection card shows Connected with no action line, and the assistant starts answering on that number straight away. Send it a WhatsApp message from another phone and read what comes back.