When does the 24 hours start?
When the person messages you or calls you. If they message again before the timer ends, the 24 hours start over from that new message.
Free tool
Can you still reply in the chat?
The window stays open for 24 hours after their last message or call. Inside it, you can type a reply. Outside it, you need an approved template.
When did they last message you?
Uses your browser’s clock. A new message or call from them starts the 24 hours again.
Checking the window…
An open window means you may type a reply. It does not make the reply free. Meta’s charge for that reply is on the message cost page.
How the window works
What can I send while the window is open?
A normal reply in the chat. You do not have to use a template. When the window is closed, a business on the WhatsApp Business API can only reach them with an approved template, and only if they opted in.
Is a reply inside the window free?
No. The window is permission to type a reply, not a promise that Meta will not charge. From 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service messages each month on a business number are not charged. After that, a service message delivered to an Indian number is ₹0.1150, before tax.