Summary
WhatsApp was a working built-in channel in v2026.3.13. After upgrading to v2026.3.22, it silently breaks. openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp throws Error: Unsupported channel: whatsapp and WhatsApp no longer appears in openclaw channels status.

Root Cause
In v2026.3.13, WhatsApp shipped as a bundled extension:

• extensions/whatsapp/index.ts
• extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
• extensions/whatsapp/src/runtime.ts

In v2026.3.22, this directory was removed. The compiled runtime still exists in dist/ (whatsapp-core-BxmLm1zq.js, runtime-whatsapp-boundary-CWceJs-_.js) but there is no loadable extension wrapper. The docs reference @openclaw/whatsapp as a separate npm package but it does not exist:

npm view @openclaw/whatsapp
→ 404 Not Found

Steps to Reproduce

1. npm install -g openclaw (installs v2026.3.22)
2. openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp
   → Error: Unsupported channel: whatsapp
3. openclaw channels status
   → WhatsApp not listed

Evidence

• v2026.3.13: extensions/whatsapp/ bundled in package (TS source present)
• v2026.3.22: no dist/extensions/whatsapp/ directory
• @openclaw/whatsapp on npm: 404 Not Found
• WhatsApp runtime files confirmed in dist/: whatsapp-core-BxmLm1zq.js, runtime-whatsapp-boundary-CWceJs-_.js, whatsapp-DiZX3r_W.js

Expected Behavior
Either:

1. Restore dist/extensions/whatsapp/ with compiled index.js (matching pattern of dist/extensions/discord/, dist/extensions/telegram/)
2. Publish @openclaw/whatsapp to npm so openclaw plugins install @openclaw/whatsapp works

Environment
OpenClaw v2026.3.22, Node.js v22.22.0, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

cc @steipete