Desktop app
WhatsApp availability today
Which countries, devices, and number types support Cradle WhatsApp Business right now, and what's on the roadmap.
Important
WhatsApp is in private beta. We expect a general release of WhatsApp in mid-2026.
Cradle WhatsApp Business is rolling out in stages. Here's what works today, and what's coming.
What works today
| Item | Available |
|---|---|
| AU sender numbers | Yes |
| UK sender numbers | Yes |
| NZ sender numbers | No, planned for mid-2026 |
| Messaging WhatsApp users worldwide | Yes, once your sender number is enrolled |
| Cradle desktop app (Windows and macOS) | Yes |
| Cradle iOS app | No, planned for mid-2026 |
| Cradle Android app | No, planned for mid-2026 |
| Sending text messages | Yes |
| Sending or receiving images, video, or files | No |
Reach is global once your sender is enrolled
Unlike SMS, WhatsApp doesn't enforce country boundaries on who you can message. Once Cradle has enrolled your sender number with WhatsApp Business, that number can message any WhatsApp user, anywhere WhatsApp operates. A single Cradle WhatsApp number can reach clients in different countries.
Sender numbers today
Cradle provisions AU and UK numbers as WhatsApp senders today. Most Cradle numbers can be the sender, including a firm's existing landline. There's no need to use a separate mobile the way SMS requires.
The 24-hour reply window still applies. See The WhatsApp 24-hour window for what that means.
WhatsApp in New Zealand
NZ WhatsApp sender numbers are planned for mid-2026. If you have an NZ Cradle number and want to use WhatsApp before then, the path is to talk to your admin about whether an AU sender number makes sense for the conversations that need it. We'll update this article when NZ goes live.
For more on what WhatsApp Business is and how it fits a professional services firm, see the WhatsApp Business feature page.
Mobile apps
WhatsApp on the Cradle iOS app and Cradle Android app is on the roadmap for mid-2026. Until then, send and reply to WhatsApp messages from the Cradle desktop app.
Why it's private beta today
The reason WhatsApp isn't generally available yet isn't templates or app features. Templates are built and lined up to ship with general release; the desktop messaging surface works.
The piece we're still finishing is the Meta onboarding flow for new customers. Meta has a specific enrolment process that every business has to go through to use WhatsApp Business, and Cradle is working through the implementation of that flow so it's smooth for any customer who asks for WhatsApp on switch-on. Until that flow is in place, we're onboarding customers one at a time in a private beta and learning where the rough edges are.
We expect to come out of private beta and into a general release in mid-2026.
Templates
WhatsApp message templates are part of the general-release package. See About WhatsApp message templates for what they are and how the workflow looks once you're set up.
Getting WhatsApp turned on
WhatsApp is enabled per Cradle number, not per user. An admin from your org logs a ticket with Cradle support, we walk you through the WhatsApp Business enrolment with Meta, then activate WhatsApp on the chosen Cradle number. There's no self-serve toggle in the admin portal today. Once activated, every user in your org sees the messaging area in the Cradle desktop app.