Apple recently launched iOS 11.3. While it has enhanced many of the existing features, it has also come up with some of the most innovative and useful features of time. Talk of the town have been some features like performance management, Augmented Reality, Health Records.
One feature that stood out is Apple Business Chat. Released as a beta version for US customers in its initial stage, this feature allows people to communicate directly with businesses.
Business Chat eliminates the need to contact customer service representatives and make users contact businesses directly through the Message app.
All About Business Chat in iOS 11.3
This article gives you an insight into the new Business Chat introduced in iOS 11.3. So, without further ado, let’s start discussing it point by point.
What is Business Chat?
An all-new tool introduced with iOS 11.3 that allows users to contact the business in real-time. This means that customers can contact businesses directly through iMessage app, without having to call the company’s customer representatives and wait for hours to have them respond to their queries.
A customer can easily look for businesses using Safari, Maps Siri etc. and then open the message app to contact the business.
“Now you can ask for information, schedule appointments, and even make purchases right in Messages on your iPhone or iPad. Which makes connecting with your favorite companies as easy as texting your favorite people.”
What can you do with Business Chat?
Businesses that you contact using Business chat using iPhone Message app are verified by Apple can be contacted for different purposes. It is like talking to a customer representative directly from the business. Below are some tasks that you can do using Business Chat:
- Chat with the customer representative of the business.
- Pay using Apple Pay.
- Schedule your appointments, etc.
Initial steps of Business Chat involve simple inquiries about the business but later may include providing personal information too. Well, no need to worry, all the messages that are sent using Message app are encrypted and hence are totally secure.
Steps to Set up Business Chat
The first and foremost step to set up Business Chat on your iPhone or iPad is to upgrade it to the latest iOS. To upgrade to the latest iOS, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update. This will check your phone for any available update. Once iOS 11.3 shows up, simply download the update and install it.
Now that iOS has been upgraded to the latest version, check whether iMessage is enabled or not. To do so,
- Navigate to Settings > Messages.
- Here, locate iMessage and toggle it on. You may be prompted to create your Apple ID if you don’t have one.
Know How to Start a Business Chat
Users can start a business chat using Spotlight search, Siri, Maps etc. Below we have tried to list down all the options using which you can easily initiate a Business chat.
1. Using Spotlight:
Spotlight is perhaps the easiest way to initiate a Business Chat.
Swipe right or swipe down from the Home Screen of your iPhone/iPad to open the Spotlight search. Once you have the Spotlight search bar, enter the name of the business you want to initiate a chat conversation using iPhone Message app.
Once you enter the business name, Apple’s Spotlight will show you available options for the business, simply click on message icon from the Maps or the Business field to initiate a conversation.
2. Using Maps:
While most people use Spotlight for Business chats, there are other options too. One such option you can use is Maps.
For this, launch Maps and enter the name of the business you wish to search. Once you have entered it, Maps will show you the distance from your location. Tap on it to see what is the average response time of the Business.
To initiate the Business chat simply swipe up and start your chat conversation.
3. Using Safari :
This is another method you can use to start a Business chat with the business of Interest. Launch Safari browser and then type the business name in the search bar.
Read Also : iPhone Allows Disabling CPU Throttling In iOS 11.3
Businesses Currently Supporting Business Chat
Since Business Chat is still in its Beta phase and has been rolled out only in USA, businesses that are supporting it are also minimal. We are expecting to see an increase in the number of businesses that join hands with Business chat in future. Currently, the companies listed below are supporting Business Chat:
Conversations with companies using iPhone Message App is the new way of communication. With Business Chat introduced in iOS 11.3, people can now easily eliminate the need to contact the company representatives to enquire. Business Chat helps people to join hand with different business directly through the Messages App.
Subscribe Now & Never Miss The Latest Tech Updates!