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What is WhatsApp Calling?

WhatsApp Calling lets your business make and receive voice calls with your customers, right inside WhatsApp. Every call sits alongside the chat history in your Gallabox inbox — so whoever takes the call always has full context. When a customer calls your business, you choose who picks up:
  • A real person on your team — calls are routed to a User or team.
  • A Voice AI Agent (Alpha Stage) — an AI answers your calls automatically, 24/7.
Note that currently in Gallabox an incoming call can be either handled by an Human or an Voice AI Agent and not both for the same call. And calls go in two directions:
  • Incoming calls (User Initiated) — a customer calls your business on WhatsApp. → see the Incoming Calls guide.
  • Outgoing calls (Business Initiated) — your team calls a customer from within the conversation, once that customer has given permission. → see the Outgoing Calls guide.

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How It Works

Incoming: When calling is enabled, customers see a call button in your business chat and can call you for free. You decide who handles the call — a Human Agent (routed to a User or team by your assignment rules) or a Voice AI Agent (answers automatically, around the clock). Outgoing: Because WhatsApp protects users from unwanted calls, your business must have the customer’s permission before calling. Once permission is active, your team clicks the call button, confirms, and the call connects.

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Before You Start: Prerequisites

1. An eligible Gallabox plan WhatsApp Calling is available on eligible plans. If your current plan doesn’t include it, you’ll see the Calling page with an option to upgrade. 2. The right permission inside Gallabox Only team members with the Can manage WhatsApp, Instagram and Web channel permission can turn calling on and manage its settings. Owners and Admins have this permission by default. 3. Your WhatsApp number must be eligible for calling This is determined by Meta. When you open the Calling page, Gallabox checks your number, and gates you based on it. If your channel doesn’t support calling, you’ll be asked to contact support. 4. A messaging volume threshold Meta requires your WhatsApp number to reach a daily limit of 2,000 unique recipients before calling can be activated. Until you cross it, the Calling configurations can’t be set up. Once you do, calling becomes available automatically. 5. Message credits (for outgoing calls only) Incoming calls are free. Outgoing calls carry a charge, deducted from your Gallabox message credits. Keep enough credit to cover your expected outgoing calling.
Region availability:
  • Fully unavailable: WhatsApp Business Calling is not yet available for numbers in GCC regions like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Oman.
    These numbers can neither make nor receive calls for now.
  • Outgoing restricted: Meta currently restricts outgoing (business-initiated) calls for numbers in the USA, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, and Nigeria. These numbers can still receive incoming calls.
If any of these prerequisites isn’t met, the Calling page shows a message telling you which one — see Calling Setup Restrictions for what each message means and what you can do about it.

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Setting Up Calling

  1. Go to WhatsApp → Calling in Gallabox.
  2. Switch on Enable WhatsApp Calling.
  3. Choose who handles incoming calls — Human Agent or Voice AI Agent.
    • For a real person, select Human Agent and set your routing.
    • For automated answering, select Voice AI Agent and pick the agent (built in AI Agents & Bots).
  4. Set your Call Assignment Rules (how incoming calls reach your team — see the Incoming Calls guide).
  5. Write a Busy Message — sent automatically when no agent can take the call.
  6. Save Changes.
Once enabled, Human Agent configuration lets your team receive incoming calls and place outgoing calls. Human-handled incoming calls are always free.

Voice AI Agent supports incoming calls only.

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Calling Setup Restrictions

When you open the Calling page, Gallabox checks your plan, your permission, and your WhatsApp number against Meta’s rules. If a check doesn’t pass, you’ll see a message explaining why instead of the setup form. The checks run in a fixed order and only the first failing one is shown — so clearing one restriction can reveal another behind it. Each check applies to a single WhatsApp number, not to your whole account. If you have more than one number connected, use the channel selector at the top of the Calling page to switch between them. If none of these apply, the Calling page opens on the Enable Calling screen and you can follow the steps above.

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Raising Your Messaging Limit

The messaging limit is the one prerequisite you can influence. Meta raises it on its own — there’s no request to make in Gallabox — based on how your number is used:
  • Message more unique customers. Meta looks at how many different customers your number messages in a rolling 24-hour window.
  • Keep your quality rating healthy. A Low quality rating holds the limit back and can bring it down. Keep your templates relevant and give customers an easy way to opt out.
  • Complete Business Verification with Meta. Unverified numbers stay on the lower limits.
Your current limit is shown in the message on the Calling page, and Gallabox re-checks it every time you open the page.
Outgoing calls restricted: Numbers in the USA, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, and Nigeria can be set up for calling, but Meta restricts outgoing (business-initiated) calls for them. Calling still turns on and incoming calls work as usual — you’ll see a note on the Calling page, and the call button won’t appear in conversations.

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Quick Reference

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Where to next

  • Human Calling — handling calls with a real person on your team.
  • Voice AI Agent Calling — letting an AI answer your calls automatically.
  • Incoming Calls — routing, assignment rules, agent availability, busy/missed handling.
  • Outgoing Calls — permissions, requesting consent, placing calls, limits, charges.