applebusinesschatOn Apple's Developer site, there's a section outlining an upcoming iOS 11 Messages feature called "Business Chat."

Business Chat wasn't mentioned during the keynote event, but based on the text that describes the feature, it's going to allow businesses to make themselves available for quick chats directly in Messages for customer service purposes. Customers will be able to find businesses using Safari, Maps, Spotlight, and Siri, and then initiate iMessage conversations.

Business Chat is a powerful new way for businesses to connect with customers directly from within Messages. Using Business Chat, your customers can get answers to questions, resolve issues and complete transactions on their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Customers can find your business and start conversations from Safari, Maps, Spotlight, and Siri.

As The Verge points out, Business Chat will allow Apple to compete with social networks like Facebook and Twitter, where businesses use direct messaging functionality to interact with customers.

Features like Apple Pay and calendar integration will be added to the Business Chat option, allowing customers to make purchases right in a chat session, and it will also support third-party apps so businesses can develop custom features.

Apple plans to provide more details on Business Chat during a developer session that will take place on June 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

nabeel24 Avatar
105 months ago
Great gateway to connect with customers for businesses.
Unfortunately I'm guessing this only works for people with iPhones (iMessages)?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TwoBytes Avatar
105 months ago
Is this a way for business to get your number and spam you then?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ra.skill Avatar
105 months ago
This is only going to work if it's cross platform... otherwise, communicating with only 20% of your customers and not the other 80% (android) is useless.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
autrefois Avatar
105 months ago
This is only going to work if it's cross platform... otherwise, communicating with only 20% of your customers and not the other 80% (android) is useless.
Maybe this will be their toe in the water for bringing Messages support to Android? We can always hope...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ra.skill Avatar
105 months ago
Maybe this will be their toe in the water for bringing Messages support to Android? We can always hope...
Fingers Crossed
Ive been awaiting the day I can delete WhatsApp, LINE, Messenger, Viber, WeChat and Signal and use only 1 APP.... iMessage!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Altis Avatar
105 months ago
I was hoping this would just be an iMessage app without the clutter of stickers, doodles, GIFs, and whatever else they manage to stuff in.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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