This article details the instructions for adding and using Apple Messages for Business with Freshchat. With this integration, you can offer rich, interactive messaging experiences to Apple users directly from your Freshchat inbox.
This article contains:
- Overview of Apple Messages for Business
- Key Features
- Onboarding with Apple Messages for Business
- Create a support ticket
- Configure settings for your Apple Messages for Business
- Supported Message Types
Overview of Apple Messages for Business
Apple Messages for Business enables businesses to engage with customers using the native Messages app on Apple devices.
Once the onboarding is successfully completed and your business account is added to Freshchat, your agents can easily manage customer conversations received via Apple devices directly on the Freshchat Inbox.
Benefits:
By integrating Apple Messages for Business with Freshchat, you can:
- Experience a fully managed onboarding by Freshworks. This includes business case submission, experience reviews, and the go-live process, ensuring minimal effort on your part.
- Use interactive features like list pickers, quick replies, rich links, Apple Pay, and more.
- Manage Apple messages along with other support channels within the Freshchat Unified Inbox.
- Ensure a secure and compliant channel with Apple that enforces strict user privacy and data protection guidelines.
- Implement bots for instant responses, route messages to the right teams, and apply threading logic to maintain context.
Key Features
The following table shows the key features of Apple Messages for Business you can use:
| List picker | Display a list of items (with images, names, descriptions) in the Messages app. | Help customers choose from a product or service category. |
| Quick replies | Offer customizable response options for users to tap and proceed quickly. Note: Quick reply options with more than five buttons will be automatically converted to a list picker (images will be ignored). | You can use this to set CSAT questions. |
| Rich Links Messages | Sends the URL as a rich link with an inline image | Link users to FAQs, product pages, or booking portals. |
| App Clips | A small part of the app that’s discoverable when it’s needed and lets users complete a quick task from the app, even before installing the app. | Allow users to track an order or book an appointment using a mini-app. |
| Forms | Send interactive forms to your customers. | Use this for CSAT surveys or feedback.  |
| iMessage Apps | Extensions that run within Apple’s Messages app, allowing users to interact with third-party services without leaving their chat. These apps can provide stickers, games, payment options, media sharing, and more. | Allow customers to complete payments, share documents, etc. |
| Receiving closed conversation messages | Provides an option to customers to stop receiving messages from the business. When a conversation is closed by users, agents or bots can no longer send messages to the customers. | Set up this option to allow users to opt out of the conversation. |
| Apple Pay | Request payments via Apple Pay directly in the chat. | Customers can use this to secure payments via Apple Pay. |
| Authentication message | Enable secure, seamless customer verification for personalized interactions and account access. | Use this to enable secure account access directly through Apple Messages for Business. |
| Time picker | Allows customers to pick a time slot for appointments, get directions on a map, or view calendar conflicts. | Schedule a delivery or service.
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| Routing based on entry parameters | Allow customers to start a conversation with your business. You can use plain URL, web button, in-app button, QR code, or NFC, and pass three values - intent, group, and body. For more details, see: | Add a button to allow customers to easily contact you. |
| Tap back reactions | Allow users to respond to messages with expressive feedback. | User reactions to the Agent Messages. |
| Device capabilities | Detect end-user device capabilities to deliver optimized messages based on supported features. | Personalise the customer interactions based on the device. |
| Typing indicator | Shows an indication when an agent or bot is actively composing a response. Note: The typing indicator will be visible for 60 seconds. (maximum limit) | |
| Media and attachments | Allows agents/bots and customers to share files and media. The supported files and formats are:
Note: The default size limit is 35 MB per conversation and the maximum limit that can be extended is 100 MB. | Customers can use this feature to share supporting files, images. Agents/bots can share calendar invites. |
Onboarding with Apple Messages for Business
Apple requires businesses to go through a structured onboarding process to ensure a secure experience for end users.
- Create a Freshworks support ticket
To initiate the onboarding process and add the Apple Messages for Business account in Freshchat, create a Freshworks support ticket. For details, see Create a support ticket.
Note: Once you create a Freshworks support ticket, Freshworks manages the entire onboarding process (the following steps) from start to finish. This means there’s no complicated setup required from your end. Freshworks takes care of your business registration, use case planning, Apple reviews, and go-live configurations. - Planning your customer journey
This includes sharing your business usecase and end-user design with Freshworks. - Submission Review
Freshworks reviews the submission to ensure Apple compliance and provides you with feedback if revisions are needed. - Initiating the onboarding process with the Apple team
Freshworks submits your finalized use case to the Apple team. - Finalizing the scope
Once Apple approves the use case and plan, the team will align on launch timelines and milestones. - Register your test account at Apple Business Register.
Create your Apple Messages for Business account, upload your branding, and select Freshworks as your Messaging Service Provider (MSP). - Enabling Apples Features
Freshworks activates the Apple Messages for Business account in Freshchat. - Adding your test account in Freshchat
On your Freshchat account, go to Admin > Channels > Apple Business > Add account and add your test account Business ID (registered in step 6).
- Building the customer journey
Build your finalized and approved customer journey. For example, create bot flows for your business use case and submit them to Apple for experience review. - Experience Review
Apple conducts a mandatory review of the test journey at least 3 weeks before the public launch. Please note that the Approval is required per Apple QA guidelines.
Go Live
After final approval, Apple converts your internal test account to a commercial AMB account. You can then configure your commercial account setup. For example, add your brand name, colors, etc.
For end-to-end information about Apple onboarding, see Apple Onboarding Checklist.
Create a support ticket
To add Apple Messages for Business to your Freshchat account, you need to create a support ticket to initiate the onboarding process.
To do this:
- Log in to your account as an Admin and go to Admin > Channels > Apple Messages for Business.
- Click I’m interested.
- In the confirmation box, click Proceed.
This automatically creates a Freshworks support ticket. Our onboarding team will reach out to assist you with Apple’s onboarding process.
Note: Freshworks handles all steps, from planning and approvals to integration, and ensures minimal setup efforts on your end.
Configure settings for your Apple Messages for Business
After the Apple Messages for Business account is successfully integrated into your Freshchat, you can configure various settings. For example, you can create and assign a bot to automatically handle conversations.
To configure settings:
- Go to Admin > Channels > Apple Messages for Business.
- Choose the Apple Business ID for which you want to configure settings and click the configure button.
- You can see the different configuration settings here.
- Once you make all the changes, click Save.
Configuration Settings
Setting | Description |
| Topic Info | Add a channel name to easily manage assignments and reporting. |
| Deflection (Trigger a bot) | Set up a bot for your Apple Business Messages account and enable this option to trigger the bot to effectively manage customer conversations. With bots, you can provide personalized solutions to your customers, enhance self-service by answering the most frequently asked questions without agent intervention, and relieve your agents from answering repetitive customer queries. For more details, see How to build a simple bot flow with the bot builder. |
| Chat Assignment (Assign Group) | Enable this option to route conversations from Apple devices to specific groups in your account. For example, you can route all conversations related to orders to the “Procurement Team''. For details on creating and assigning groups, see Organizing your team using agent groups. |
| Resolution (Send CSAT surveys) | Enable this option to automatically trigger surveys to customers after a conversation is resolved. For more details, see CSAT surveys. |
| Threading interval | Enter the time interval after which you want to start a new conversation thread with customers on Apple Business Messages. You can set the interval in days, hours, and minutes. With the threading logic, you can decide if a new conversation should be created based on the incoming customer message. Based on the interval, you can either continue from the last conversation or start a new conversation. For more details, see Threading logic. |
Advanced Configurations | |
| Assignment Rules | Automatically assign conversations to agents based on predefined rules, events, filters and keywords. For example, you may have multiple support teams distributed across different regions or have different support teams to handle specific queries. With Assignment Rules, you can redirect your customer to the right team. For more details, see Assignment Rules. |
| Advanced Automations | Create automation workflows to automate and simplify daily tasks and enable agents to quickly finish repetitive tasks. |
Supported Message Types
The list of message types supported on WhatsApp with Freshchat/CSS integration are:
| Message Type | Direction | Available? |
|---|---|---|
| Text | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | Yes | |
| Image | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | Yes | |
| Audio | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | No | |
| Video | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | Yes | |
| File | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | Yes | |
| Emoji | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | Yes | |
| GIFs | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Bot to user | No | |
| Stickers | User to agent | Yes |
| User to bot | Yes | |
| Agent to user | No | |
| Bot to user | No | |
| Structured Messages | ||
| Articles | Bot to user | No |
| Carousel | Bot to user | Via API |
| Buttons | Bot to user | Yes |
| Drop-down list | Bot to user | Yes |
| Timepicker | Bot to user | Via API |
| Tap Back Reactions | Agent to user | Yes |
| User to agent | Yes | |
| App clips | Bot to user | Via API |
| User to bot | NA | |
| Message Events | ||
| Delivered | User to agent | Yes |
| Agent to user | NA | |
| Read | User to agent | NA |
| Agent to user | NA | |
| Typing | User to agent | Yes |
| Agent to user | Yes | |
| Customer Profile | ||
| User Name | Yes | - |
| User Image | No | - |