Engineering
WhatsApp error 131060 (message currently unavailable): why it's expected on coexistence numbers
Why incoming messages sometimes fail with code 131060, how it ties to WhatsApp Business app coexistence and unsupported linked devices, and why it usually needs no fix.
By Broadchat teamPublished 5 min read
In short
WhatsApp error 131060 ("message currently unavailable") appears mostly on coexistence numbers, where a number stays on the WhatsApp Business app while also connected to the Cloud API. It typically shows up on a user's first message after onboarding, or on a message sent from a linked device the API does not support. It is not a problem with your account, template or recipient; the message is usually still visible to a person using the WhatsApp Business app on the phone. There is nothing to fix on your side beyond waiting or checking with the customer directly.
Key takeaways
- 131060 is reported mostly on coexistence numbers, where the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API share one number.
- The two common triggers are a user's very first message right after a business onboards to coexistence, and a message sent from a linked device the API cannot read.
- It is an incoming-message limitation, not a send failure caused by your template, account or the recipient's number.
- The message is normally visible to staff in the WhatsApp Business app on the phone, even when the API cannot show it.
- 131060 is separate from 131051 (unsupported message type), though both describe content the Cloud API cannot represent.
WhatsApp error 131060 shows up on an incoming message with the title "Message currently unavailable". Unlike most of the codes on our WhatsApp API error codes cheat-sheet, this is not something you caused by sending badly; it describes a message the Cloud API could not retrieve or display at that moment, and Meta's changelog ties it mainly to coexistence numbers.
What triggers 131060
Coexistence keeps a number active on the WhatsApp Business app on a phone while the same number is also connected to the Cloud API, so a team inbox and the phone app both see the conversation. Meta's changelog describes two situations where an incoming message can come back as 131060 instead of its normal content:
- A user's first message after onboarding. Right after a business connects a number to coexistence, the very first message from a given customer can arrive as unavailable before the sync between the app and the API settles.
- A message sent from an unsupported linked device. WhatsApp lets a phone number use a small number of linked companion devices. If a customer's message was composed or sent through a linked device type the Cloud API does not support, the API side reports 131060 even though the message exists on the phone.
In both cases the limitation sits between the WhatsApp Business app and the API side of a shared number, not between your business and the customer.
Why it is expected behaviour
Coexistence is a deliberate trade-off: a business keeps using the free app on the phone and gets the API's team inbox, chatbot and automation on the same number, instead of needing a second number. Meta's own documentation for onboarding WhatsApp Business app users lists several things that do not fully work across the app and the API together, and early or edge-case messages on a newly connected number are one of them.
What to do about it
There is little to fix in your own code or account for a genuine 131060:
- Do not treat it as a delivery failure to chase. It describes an incoming message your side could not read, not an outgoing send that failed; nothing was charged and nothing needs resending from your business.
- Check the WhatsApp Business app on the phone for the message, since it is usually visible there even when the API could not surface it.
- If it keeps happening on messages from the same customer, ask them what device or feature they used to send it (for example a linked tablet or desktop app); some linked-device types stay outside what the Cloud API shows.
- If it happens right after you connect a new coexistence number, give the sync a little time rather than assuming the integration is broken; Meta's onboarding guidance notes the sync between app and API runs in phases after a number is connected.
- If it is frequent and unrelated to coexistence or new onboarding, treat it like any unexplained Cloud API issue: check Meta's own platform status and your webhook logs before contacting support.
How 131060 differs from similar codes
A few other codes also describe messages the Cloud API cannot fully show, and it helps to tell them apart:
| Code | What it means | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| 131060 | Message currently unavailable | Mostly coexistence: a first message after onboarding, or from an unsupported linked device |
| 131051 | Unsupported message type | Incoming content of a type the Cloud API cannot represent at all (arrives as type: unsupported) |
| 131026 | Message undeliverable | An outgoing message you sent could not reach the recipient |
131060 and 131051 both sit on the receiving side of the API rather than on your sends, which is why neither one is something a template fix or a retry resolves.
Finding it in Broadchat
If your number uses coexistence, Broadchat's Inbox shows a clear notice instead of an empty bubble whenever an incoming message cannot be rendered through the API, including for 131060, so your agents know a message exists even when its content is not shown in the panel. Read the basics of connecting a number this way in WhatsApp coexistence explained, and see the plain-English guide to the WhatsApp Business API if you are still deciding between the app, coexistence and a dedicated API number. For the full list of codes, see the WhatsApp API error codes cheat-sheet; if you run numbers for clients, the white-label partner program lets you offer the same inbox under your own brand.
Sources
- WhatsApp Business Platform changelog — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Cloud API error codes — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Onboarding WhatsApp Business app users (coexistence) — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
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Frequently asked questions
What does WhatsApp error 131060 mean?
It means an incoming message is currently unavailable to the Cloud API. Meta's changelog ties it mainly to coexistence numbers: a customer's first message right after a business connects to coexistence, or a message sent from a linked device the API does not support.
Is error 131060 my fault?
No. It describes a limitation in reading an incoming message on a shared coexistence number, not a problem with your account, template or the recipient's number. There is usually nothing to fix on your side.
Can I still see the message anywhere?
Usually yes. The WhatsApp Business app on the phone connected to the number normally has its own copy of the conversation, so check there if your API-based inbox shows a message as unavailable.
Does 131060 only happen on coexistence numbers?
Meta's documentation describes it mainly in that context, covering a user's first message after coexistence onboarding or a message from an unsupported linked device. If you see it often on a number that never used coexistence, treat it as an unexplained issue and check Meta's platform status.