Read the whole warning
Some screens only say to install official WhatsApp. Others add a date or a countdown. A warning you can dismiss and still send messages is earlier than a logout that blocks the chat list.
Write down the wording before you uninstall anything. A countdown you can still read is a temporary limit. A logout that will not show chats is a harder stop.
Do this while the app still opens
- Send one test to yourself or a close contact. If it stays on the clock icon, treat the account as already limited.
- Export important chats. Use the in-app export if your build has it. Save photos from those threads to the gallery. A text export will not import later, but you keep the words.
- Do not request a pile of new codes. Extra SMS attempts do not clear a client warning.
When you should switch
If this number is how you get bank codes or work messages, move it to official WhatsApp from the Play Store. Switching this number to official WhatsApp often keeps the number and loses some GB-only chat history. Plan for that before you delete the mod.
Do not install a random “fix” APK that claims to bypass the banner. Those files are a common way people pick up a tampered package on top of an already limited number.
When it is not this warning
If registration never finishes and you simply never receive a text, you are in a different problem. Use checks for a GB WhatsApp code that never arrives instead of treating every login screen as a ban.