The integration with Apple Messages for Business allows you to receive and reply to messages sent from your customers via the Messages app on Apple devices. It comes with handy features to help you provide a better customer experience.
The service is seamless from your agent’s perspective. Chats, incoming from the Apple service, are managed within the LiveChat Agent Application. There is no need for customer service agents to learn a new interface.
For the full list of benefits of Apple Messages for Business and to test it out live with our support, skip to How the integration works.
Integration tutorial
To integrate LiveChat with Apple Messages for Business, you’ll need to set up and configure your Apple Messages for Business, connect your Apple Messages for Business account with LiveChat, and add a way for your customer to contact you via Messages. Here’s how to do it:
Create a Messages for Business Account
First, go to Apple Business Register and connect your Apple ID with Apple Business. We recommend using an Apple ID that is connected to your business email.
Add Business Account for Messages
Next, add a Business Account for Messages:
- Go to Manage connections.
- In the Messages section, find Business Accounts for Messages and click + Add service.
- Click Done at the bottom of the page.
Configure your Messages for Business Account
Next you will need to add a Messages for Business Account:
- In Your connections, select Messages for Business Accounts.
- In the new window, click on + Add new in the top left corner.
- Then, click on Get Started.
- Read and agree to Apple Messages for Business policies. Check all boxes and click Next to proceed.
Now you need to fill out your application. It will need to be reviewed by Apple before you can start using Messages for Business.
- The first part of the application consists of general questions about your business, such as basic company details and the contact person in your company. Fill out all mandatory fields, and click Next to move on to the next steps.
- In the second part of the application, you need to provide information that will be displayed on the Brand Information Card. For example, your website address and agent response hours.
- In the third part of the application, you’ll need to upload your brand logo that will be displayed in the Messages app.
In the last part of the application process, you need to select the messaging service provider – in this case it’s LiveChat.
To do so, click on the dropdown list, and select LiveChat from the list.
- Finally, check if all the information you provided is correct and click Send for review.
You will now enter the review process with the Apple QA Team. You will be provided with precise information about further steps. If you are setting up Apple Messages for Business for the first time, allow additional time for the review process.
You’ll need answers for the following questions:
- What are your use cases for Apple Messages for Business?
- Which entry points do you plan to use?
- Is your Support Team ready to use the integration?
Connect with LiveChat
- Once your application has been approved, you will be able to connect your Apple Messages for Business account with LiveChat. You will then be asked to test your Messaging Service Provider connection. You need to click on the link.
- Then click on the Connect button.
- Sign in using your LiveChat credentials and follow the instructions.
- Once you sign in with LiveChat credentials, you should see the below screen informing you which LiveChat license is going to be connected with your Apple Messages for Business. If you are ready to proceed, click Connect Messages for Business Account.
Set up entry points
Setting up entry points is a crucial part of your setup. It defines how your customers can reach you via Apple Messages for Business. Make sure your entry points match your business use-cases.
1. Starting a Chat from your App
If you have an app, you can add a button that will redirect the customer to start a chat with you in the Messages app. Keep in mind that the design must be approved by Apple, it must follow Apple’s design guidelines and include a call to action and context.
2. Adding a Messages for Business Button to Your Website
Make sure that the chat button is visible and well incorporated on your website. Without it, customers might miss out on the advantages of this communication channel. It’s a good idea to place the button on the contact information, support, order confirmation, product, and order history pages. Make sure that it also follows Apple’s design guidelines.
3. Enabling Message Suggest
Make sure that you have your company phone numbers connected with Apple Messages for Business. Contact the Messages for Business Team and they will set it up for you. This is an important entry point for your customers. You can use it to deflect your call volume and increase your agent’s productivity.
4. Starting a Chat from a URL
You can find your Conversational link in your Messages for Business account within the Apple Register portal
or by accessing the Apple Messages for Business settings in LiveChat, under Routing.
When customers land on the URL, they get redirected to the Messages app so they can contact your business. It can also be used to e.g. create QR codes. For the best user experience, make sure that the link opens up the Messages app or the URL directly, and there are no redirects in between.
To learn about the usage of Apple Messages for Business in LiveChat see this article.
Testing your Apple Messages for Business channel
Once you set up the connection with LiveChat, the next step is to add your testers, who will be able to send iMessage messages to your newly created Apple business account.
- To do this, go to your Messaging Service Provider section and select Edit next to Testers Apple IDs.
- Next, select +Add Apple IDs and add all Apple IDs of the users you’d like to have access to this channel, and then select Submit.
After hitting Submit, all the users you’ve added will receive detailed instructions over the email on how to test the Apple Channel.
Please note that Apple accounts should be added within a few minutes, but Apple reserves up to 48 hours for the new testers to be connected to the channel.
If you need more information, please refer to the Apples Testing Account guide.
Completing Apple’s experience review
Before launching your Apple channel to the public, you must pass Apple’s Experience Review (XP review) process. The experience review is where Apple reviews the user experience of interacting with your brand, ensuring all the user interaction guidelines and best practices are implemented before you launch to the public.
- Creating the user interactions
There is a collection of mandatory best practices you must follow, like welcome messages, initial trial messages, rich links, etc. We prepared a comprehensive guide at our Help Center to help you complete the process smoothly.
You can find it here.
- User experience screen recording
The user experience review process requires you to take a screen recording of your end user’s customer journey with the Apple Messages for Business channel to test the experience and adherence to Apple’s conversational guidelines.
The video should accurately represent the user journey that will occur when the account is in production (all use cases).
Please note that you should only upload a recording of the user’s point of view (user’s device). It is not necessary to send recordings from the agent console or the bot triggered on the backend.
You can split the video into more than one if needed. Please make sure to demonstrate the rich features you have integrated into the experience, the live agent interaction, as well as any out-of-hours messages.
- Submitting the XP review
Once you finish recording the experience, please email contact@livechat-integrations.com with the recording and the name of the brand you’ve added to Apple Register.
Our support team will review your video and give you some pointers on what needs to be corrected (if any). Once everything is in line with Apple guidelines, we will send the recording for the final Apple review.
Once we have Apple’s feedback, we will work with you to implement Apple’s recommendations.
After the Apple XP review is approved, your channel will be marked as live within two business days.
How the integration works
Once the integration is implemented, your customers can send you messages. Customers messaging you via Apple Messages for Business will appear in the Chats list with the integration logo, and will automatically be named according to the following format: Customer #<12 LiveChat CustomerID characters>.
The Apple Messages for Business messages will appear in the Chats tab, just like all chats do. You will find them in the Unassigned chats section on the chats list. To reply to a message, select the chat from the list and click on Assign to me. Then you can send a message as usual.
Unassigned messages stay on the Chat list until they are assigned to an agent and closed. So you can answer whenever it is convenient.
You can also use a few extra features that make for an even better chatting experience.
In order to use those features, select a chat coming from Apple Messages for Business integration and open the integration app from the details section on the right.
The integration app consists of 5 tabs, one for every message component or feature available, and a settings button. A message component is a rich message that you can send over chat. The Settings button is the gear icon in the upper right corner.
List picker
You can create a list of items, for example, a few similar products that might interest the customer.
To send a list:
