If WhatsApp shows "This phone number can't use WhatsApp", tap Request review in the app: WhatsApp says most reviews are completed within 24 hours and you get a notification with the decision. If there is no review option, WhatsApp treats the ban as final. A "temporarily banned" message is different: it usually points to an unofficial app or scraping, and switching to the official app is the fix.
- Message, meaning, route and timeline at a glance
- What a WhatsApp ban means
- How to request a review, step by step
- What to write in the review request
- Temporarily banned: unofficial apps and scraping
- Restricted account: what you can and cannot do
- What happens to your chats and backups
- When a WhatsApp ban cannot be reversed
- Scams to avoid
- Frequently asked questions
Message, meaning, route and timeline at a glance
| What you see | What it means | Official route | Published timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| "This phone number can't use WhatsApp" | The number is banned for a suspected breach of the Terms of Service. | Tap Request review in the app; you get a notification with the decision. | WhatsApp says most reviews are completed within 24 hours. |
| No review option on the ban screen | WhatsApp considers the ban final. | None in the app; WhatsApp says it can't be appealed. | Not applicable. |
| "Temporarily banned" | Usually an unofficial version of WhatsApp or scraping. | Uninstall the unofficial app and install the official one. | WhatsApp publishes no duration. |
| "Your account is restricted right now" | Signs of spam, automated or bulk messaging. | No action needed; the restriction ends by itself. | The remaining time shows when you try to message a new contact. |
| "This account can now use WhatsApp" | The ban was lifted after review. | Verify your phone number again to log in. | Immediate. |
What a WhatsApp ban means
A WhatsApp ban is a decision to stop a phone number from using the service. When it happens, WhatsApp shows this message when you open the app: "This phone number can't use WhatsApp: [phone number]. You can request a review of this number. Most reviews are completed within 24 hours." It applies to the number, not to your phone, and it applies to the WhatsApp Business app in the same way.
WhatsApp's Help Center says it bans accounts when it believes their activity breaks the Terms of Service, for example when it involves spam, scams or puts other users' safety at risk. The Terms list examples such as bulk messaging, auto-messaging and auto-dialing, creating accounts through unauthorized or automated means and submitting fraudulent or groundless reports or appeals.
There is one case that surprises people: if you recently got a new number, WhatsApp notes that the previous owner may have broken the Terms and caused the ban. Say so in your review request.
How to request a review, step by step
- Do not uninstall or reinstall repeatedly. Open WhatsApp on the phone where you normally use it and read the full message.
- Take a screenshot of the ban screen with the date. It is your only record.
- Tap Request review. WhatsApp may ask you to confirm the number or add a short explanation; keep it factual (see the template below).
- Wait for the notification. WhatsApp says you will receive a notification once the account has been reviewed, and you can check the status by opening the app.
- Do not contact WhatsApp through other channels or another person's account. WhatsApp states that this will not speed up the review or change the decision.
- One number per appeal. WhatsApp reviews only one phone number per request, so a business with several banned numbers has to request each review separately.
What to write in the review request
If the app lets you add text, a short, honest note works better than a long story.
Hello, I use WhatsApp with the number [number] for [personal use / my business, name]. On [date] the number was banned. I believe this is a mistake because [one concrete fact: I only message my own customers who contacted me first / I got this number on [date] and it was previously used by someone else / I have never used an unofficial app].
I have read the Terms of Service and I will only use the official app. Please review the decision. Thank you.
Do not threaten, do not invent facts and do not paste the same text from several numbers at once: WhatsApp's Terms forbid groundless reports and appeals.
Temporarily banned: unofficial apps and scraping
A "Temporarily banned" message is not the same as a ban. WhatsApp says it usually means you are using an unofficial version of WhatsApp or harvesting information from the platform, which it calls scraping. Unofficial apps are third-party copies of WhatsApp, often sold as "Plus" or "GB" versions with extra features, and WhatsApp does not support them because it cannot validate their security.
The fix is in your hands: uninstall the unofficial app, download the official WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app from the official stores and register your number again. WhatsApp warns that if you keep using the unofficial app, the account may be permanently banned.
Restricted account: what you can and cannot do
If you see "Your account is restricted right now" or "Your account may be restricted soon", WhatsApp says you do not need to do anything: the restriction ends automatically when the time passes, and you get a notification. While it lasts you can keep chatting with people and groups you already talked to, but you cannot start chats or calls with new contacts, create groups, add members or use linked devices.
To see how much time is left, tap New chat and pick a contact you have never written to: a pop-up shows the remaining time. WhatsApp links restrictions to signs of spam, automated or bulk messaging, so use the time to review how you send messages, especially from a business number.
What happens to your chats and backups
WhatsApp's Help Center is clear: you cannot access your chat history or backups while the account is banned. A backup becomes available again only after the phone number linked to it is unbanned. When that happens, WhatsApp shows "This account can now use WhatsApp" and you verify your number again to log in.
For a WhatsApp Business account there is an extra consequence: a banned account automatically loses its Meta Verified subscription, and if the ban is for breaking the business policies the subscription is cancelled without a refund.
When a WhatsApp ban cannot be reversed
- There is no Request review option. WhatsApp says this means the ban is final and cannot be appealed.
- The review was rejected and the app offers nothing else.
- The activity continues. WhatsApp warns it can reinstate a ban if the account keeps breaking the Terms after being unbanned.
The Terms also say that if your account is disabled you agree not to create another one without WhatsApp's permission. If the number was essential, the realistic path is to understand which rule was applied and move your contacts to a new channel that complies with the rules.
Scams to avoid
WhatsApp states that third-party services cannot ban a WhatsApp account or remove a ban: only WhatsApp can. Anyone who sells an "unban", asks for your verification code or offers a modified app that "cannot be banned" is either mistaken or trying to take your money or your account. Never share the six-digit code WhatsApp sends you by SMS.
For a business that depends on the number, the honest kind of help is someone who explains the case, checks that the review request is clear and helps you adapt your messaging so it does not happen again.
Frequently asked questions
How long does WhatsApp take to review a banned number?
WhatsApp's ban message says most reviews are completed within 24 hours. You get a notification with the decision and can check the status by opening the app.
Can I contact WhatsApp support by email about a ban?
The route WhatsApp describes for bans is the Request review button in the app. It states that contacting it outside the review process, or through another user's account, will not speed up the review or change the decision.
Why was my new number banned if I never used it?
WhatsApp says the previous owner of a recycled number may have broken the Terms of Service. Mention it in the review request, with the date you got the number.
Does the WhatsApp Business app work differently?
The ban message and the Request review button are the same. A banned business account also loses its Meta Verified subscription automatically.
Will I lose my chats if WhatsApp bans me?
You cannot open your chats or backups while the ban lasts. The backup becomes available again only after the number is unbanned.
Official sources
- WhatsApp Help Center: About account bans
- WhatsApp Help Center: About temporarily banned accounts
- WhatsApp Help Center: About account bans for unofficial apps
- WhatsApp Help Center: About restricted accounts
- WhatsApp Help Center: About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app
- WhatsApp Help Center: After your account is unbanned
- WhatsApp Terms of Service
If you have followed these steps and the platform rejected the appeal, or the account earns you money and you cannot risk another mistake, we can review your case. Send the username, the ban notice and the date on Telegram and we will tell you, before you pay anything, whether we can take it. No service can guarantee reinstatement: the decision always belongs to the platform.