Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Apple Business Chat offers you a new way to talk to your customers

Lulu Chang
By

apple file system
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sending iMessages isn’t just for friends. It’s for business owners and their customers, too. That’s the case now more than ever thanks to Apple’s new Business Chat, described as a “powerful new way for businesses to connect with customers directly in Messages.” If you’re peddling goods or services and need to stay in touch with your users, Business Chat can be crucial in helping you answer questions, resolve issues, and complete transactions on any one of your Apple devices (yes, including the Apple Watch).

While plenty of businesses currently use social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter to communicate with their customers, Apple is hoping to become the messenger of choice. The new feature will come as part of iOS 11, and with it, customers will be able to open an iMessage window from Safari, Maps, Spotlight, or Siri, and strike up a conversation with you, the business owner. At the most basic level, Business Chat will allow for conversations to take place, but Apple also offers support for other relevant interactions, like appointment scheduling. After all, Apple points out that a number of customer service platforms have already integrated with Business Chat, including LivePerson, Salesforce, Nuance, and Genesys. Customers could even make purchases with Apple Pay via the new feature.

Recommended Videos

The interface of Business Chat looks familiar, of course. At least, on Apple’s Develop Preview page, it appears that chat bubbles are shades of grey, instead of the customary blue and grey. Otherwise, however, the chat bubble format is the same as it would be for any other chat exchange through iMessage.

Related

Already, you can sign up and apply for early access to Business Chat, though developers can go ahead and preview the feature. If you’re up for it, you can start getting connected, integrating with your contact center, and otherwise preparing for Business Chat’s public release.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The DOJ has sued Apple over the iPhone. Here’s what it means for you
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro seen from the back.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you're reading this article, chances are you have an iPhone. It's also quite likely that your friends and family members also use an iPhone. The iPhone is the smartphone of choice for millions of people in the U.S., and now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Apple over the iPhone monopoly it has established over the years.

Read more
Why you shouldn’t buy a new Apple Watch right now
The curved screen on the Apple Watch Series 9.

It has been over six months since the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 launched, and they are still considered two of the best smartwatches on the market. However, there are two significant reasons why you might not want to purchase either of these models.

Those reasons are the Apple Watch Series 8 and the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. That's right — buying a 2022 Apple Watch over the newer models might be a better choice for you.
Why now's a great time to buy an old Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Series 9 (top) and Apple Watch Series 8 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
We may have just learned how Apple will compete with ChatGPT
An iPhone on a table with the Siri activation animation playing on the screen.

As we approach Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, the rumor mill has been abuzz with claims over Apple’s future artificial intelligence (AI) plans. Well, there have just been a couple of major developments that shed some light on what Apple could eventually reveal to the world, and you might be surprised at what Apple is apparently working on.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is in talks with Google to infuse its Gemini generative AI tool into Apple’s systems and has also considered enlisting ChatGPT’s help instead. The move with Google has the potential to completely change how the Mac, iPhone, and other Apple devices work on a day-to-day basis, but it could come under severe regulatory scrutiny.

Read more