--- title: "Apple Messages for Business 101: service chats inside the Messages app" summary: "How people on Apple devices message a business from the Messages app, what list pickers, time pickers and Apple Pay add, why a provider and Apple's review are required, and how it differs from RCS on the iPhone." canonical: https://cpaas.co/en/learn/apple-messages-101 kind: explainer depth: foundation origin: original published: 2026-10-13T16:26:18.899Z updated: 2026-10-14T16:26:19.893Z topics: ["Messaging", "Customer Experience", "Fundamentals"] language: en --- # Apple Messages for Business 101: service chats inside the Messages app ## At a glance - **What it is:** a way for people with an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch to chat with a business inside Apple's own Messages app.[^1] It launched in 2018 under the name Business Chat.[^9] - **Who runs it:** Apple. A business connects through an Apple-approved **Messaging Service Provider** (MSP), the company whose platform carries the conversations to your agents and bots.[^2] - **Reach:** only people on Apple devices. Apple reported more than 2.5 billion active devices, across all its products, in January 2026.[^17] - **Who starts:** the customer, always. The business can follow up only inside a conversation the customer opened.[^2] - **What it adds:** list pickers, time pickers, Apple Pay, sign-in, forms and custom iMessage apps.[^4] - **Privacy:** the business receives an anonymous identifier, not the customer's phone number, email address or Apple Account.[^3] - **Price:** Apple charges nothing for the service; the MSP charges for its platform.[^2] - **Best for:** support, bookings and payments for customers who already found you. - **Avoid for:** campaigns, reaching people on Android, or anything you must start yourself. - As of October 2026. ## How it works A customer taps a Messages button. A new conversation opens in the Messages app, under the business's verified name and logo. Apple's service relays the message to the business's MSP, which routes it to a bot or a person, and the reply travels back the same way. The buttons can sit almost anywhere a customer meets you: your website, your app, an email, a QR code, your Apple Maps listing, a registered phone number (when someone taps it, the phone can suggest messaging instead of calling) and a Wallet pass.[^2] People can also start from Safari, Siri and Search.[^1] ```diagram:path # One conversation, from tap to reply Customer | Taps a Messages button on your site, app, map listing or a QR code | A new conversation Apple's service | Relays it with an anonymous ID, never the phone number | The message Messaging Service Provider | Routes it to a bot or an agent and keeps the history | A reply or an interactive message Your agent or bot | Answers, or sends a list, a time slot or an Apple Pay request | The reply Customer's Messages app | Shows it under your verified name and logo | ``` **Privacy by design.** Apple creates an "Opaque ID" for each pairing of a customer's Apple Account and a business; the business does not receive the person's phone number, email address or Apple Account details. Messages are encrypted between the device and Apple's servers, decrypted in memory and passed to the business over an encrypted connection (TLS 1.2). Apple does not store conversation history; a message for a device that is offline is held, encrypted, for up to 30 days and then deleted.[^3] The business may receive a little extra context, such as which branch the customer picked in Maps.[^21] **Interactive messages.** Apple's interface for providers defines quick replies, **list pickers** (a menu of items with names, descriptions and images, allowing one or several choices), **time pickers** (appointment slots that show clashes with the customer's own calendar and can be added to it), **Apple Pay** requests, **authentication** (signing in to your own account system), **forms** and custom **iMessage apps**. Forms and iMessage apps work only on iPhone and iPad.[^4] Apple Pay needs your own merchant setup, including a merchant identifier and your payment gateway.[^5] There is no time limit for replying in an active conversation, but if the customer deletes the conversation, the business cannot message them until they come back.[^6] ### How RCS on the iPhone differs Since iOS 18, released in September 2024, the iPhone also supports **RCS** (Rich Communication Services, the operators' successor to SMS; see the [glossary](/en/learn/glossary#rcs)) for messages to non-Apple phones, in specific markets and where the carrier supports it.[^12] In the Messages app, iMessage conversations appear in blue bubbles; RCS and SMS conversations appear in green.[^14] RCS also carries **business messages**: Apple describes them as alerts and updates about orders and transactions, which iPhone users can switch off in Settings.[^13] End-to-end encryption for RCS between iPhone and Android began rolling out in beta with iOS 26.5 in May 2026,[^15] built on the GSMA's RCS Universal Profile 3.0, published in March 2025;[^16] whether a given chat is encrypted depends on both people's carriers.[^14] So the two are different channels that happen to share an app. Apple Messages for Business is Apple's service, started by the customer, with no phone number exchanged. RCS business messaging is the operators' channel, tied to a phone number, which a business can start within consent rules. Read [RCS 101](/en/learn/rcs-101) for the operators' channel itself, then [what RCS changed](/en/learn/what-rcs-changed) and [RCS adoption after iOS](/en/learn/rcs-adoption-after-ios). ```diagram:compare | Apple Messages for Business | RCS business messages on iPhone | iMessage Who runs it | Apple, with approved providers | Mobile operators, on GSMA standards | Apple Who it is for | Businesses serving people on Apple devices | Businesses messaging any compatible phone | People, not businesses Who starts | The customer | The business can, within consent rules | Either person Address used | An anonymous ID per business | The phone number | Phone number or Apple Account Reaches Android | No | Yes, where networks support it | No Priced by | Providers; Apple charges nothing | Per message, under operator agreements | Free to users Before the first message | Registration and Apple's review | Brand and sender verification | Nothing ``` ## A short history Apple showed Business Chat to developers at its June 2017 conference, as a developer preview.[^7] In January 2018 it previewed iOS 11.3 with Business Chat in beta and named early partners including Discover, Hilton, Lowe's and Wells Fargo.[^8] iOS 11.3 shipped on 29 March 2018, with Business Chat in beta in the United States, reachable from Maps, Safari, Search and Siri; Apple said businesses would not receive personal data by default.[^9] iOS 13, in 2019, added Chat Suggest, which offers messaging when someone taps a business's phone number.[^10] The service now carries the name Apple Messages for Business.[^18] With iOS 17.4 in 2024, Messages for Business began to deliver opt-in **business updates**: order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts and other transactions the customer chose to receive.[^11] iOS 18 added RCS in September 2024.[^12] In October 2024, Apple announced Branded Mail, showing a business's name and logo in emails, and said Business Caller ID would follow.[^22] In March 2026, it announced Apple Business, a single platform replacing Apple Business Connect, Essentials and Manager, available from 14 April 2026 in more than 200 countries and regions.[^23] In May 2026, encrypted RCS began rolling out in beta.[^15] ```diagram:timeline # From Business Chat to Apple Messages for Business June 2017 | Business Chat previewed to developers | WWDC developer preview March 2018 | iOS 11.3 ships Business Chat in beta | United States first 2019 | iOS 13 adds Chat Suggest | Message instead of calling a number 2024 | iOS 17.4 adds opt-in business updates | Orders, flights, fraud alerts September 2024 | iOS 18 adds RCS | A separate, operator-run channel April 2026 | Apple Business launches | Brand tools in one platform May 2026 | Encrypted RCS begins in beta | iOS 26.5 and Android ``` ## Where it is used The reach of Apple Messages for Business is simply the share of your customers who use Apple devices. Apple counted more than 2.5 billion active devices in January 2026, a figure that covers all its products and is not a count of people.[^17] It launched in the United States in 2018,[^9] and Apple's public guidance does not list the countries where it is now offered; providers arrange availability, and Apple asks for a single commercial account per business that covers its territories.[^2] - **Americas.** The first market, with launch partners in retail, finance and hospitality.[^9] - **Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific.** Usefulness varies by country with the share of Apple devices among your customers. Before investing, look at your own website and app analytics: what share of your visitors use iOS or macOS? - **Audiences.** Customers who already know your brand and come to you: shoppers, bank customers, travellers, guests and subscribers. ## What businesses use it for Apple describes the service as a way for customers to get help, schedule appointments and complete purchases with Apple Pay, without leaving Messages.[^18] - **Support.** Answers and handovers from a bot to a person, with the conversation kept on the customer's device. See [customer support](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/support) and [chatbots and AI agents](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/chatbot), and the glossary entry for a [chatbot](/en/learn/glossary#chatbot). - **Bookings.** A time picker offers slots and adds the chosen one to the customer's calendar. See [appointment booking](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/booking). - **Payments and sales.** A list picker shows products; Apple Pay completes the order. See [selling inside the conversation](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/commerce). - **Account tasks.** Sign-in through authentication lets an agent see the right account without asking for passwords. - **Updates the customer opted into.** Order status, flight changes and fraud alerts.[^11] See [notifications](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/notifications). ```diagram:blocks # What a business can send besides text List picker | A menu of items, one or several choices Time picker | Appointment slots, checked against the customer's calendar Apple Pay | Payment inside the conversation Authentication | Sign-in to your own account system Form | Several questions in one step, on iPhone and iPad iMessage app | A custom mini-experience, on iPhone and iPad ``` ## What it costs Apple provides Apple Messages for Business free of charge; the MSP may charge for its services, and an MSP is required.[^2] Apple's service terms say a business may not charge its own customers for access to the channel, and that Apple reserves the right to charge fees in the future.[^20] There is therefore no Apple rate card to quote. In practice the cost comes from three places: - **The provider.** MSPs usually price their platform per agent seat, per conversation or per month; ask for the model in writing. - **Building the experience.** List pickers, time pickers, authentication and payments need integration with your catalogue, calendar, account system and payment gateway.[^5] - **Payments.** Apple Pay in the conversation goes through your own payment gateway, so the usual processing fees of your payment provider apply.[^5] ## Rules and regulation This is a summary, not legal advice. Two layers apply: Apple's own platform rules, and the data-protection law where you and your customers are. **Apple's rules.** A business must work through an Apple-approved MSP and register at Apple Business Register.[^2] Before customers can see the button, each account must pass Apple's **Experience Review**, which checks, for example, that the privacy policy and terms of use are sent as rich links and that the product is named correctly.[^19] Proactive messages may go only to customers who have already started a conversation, and only when they are in the customer's direct interest, such as order updates or appointment reminders; promotional content needs the customer's explicit request; and when a customer ends a conversation, the business must stop until the customer starts a new one.[^2] **Data protection.** The anonymous ID does not take a conversation outside privacy law. Under the EU's [GDPR](/en/learn/glossary#gdpr), an online identifier that relates to a person is personal data, and this matters most once a customer signs in and you link the conversation to an account.[^24] Treat messages like any other customer record: a purpose, a retention period and access controls. Similar laws apply in many other countries. ```diagram:checklist # What Apple expects of a live account An Apple-approved provider | Required to connect A registered brand | Apple Business Register Experience Review passed | Before the button appears Customer-started conversations | Proactive messages only inside them Promotions only on request | The customer must ask [!] Messaging after the customer ends the chat | Stop until they return ``` ## Limits and pitfalls - **Apple devices only.** Everyone else needs another channel, so plan a web chat or a messaging app alongside it. - **No outreach.** You cannot start a conversation, run campaigns or message a list.[^2] - **Buttons do the work.** If customers never see a Messages button, nothing happens. Place entry points where people already look for help. - **Deleted conversations.** When the customer deletes the conversation, you cannot reach them there until they return.[^6] - **Not everything works everywhere.** Forms and iMessage apps are limited to iPhone and iPad.[^4] - **Two identities.** The anonymous ID is not linked to your customer record until the customer signs in; design for that. - **Confusion with RCS.** Business messages in green bubbles are RCS, a different channel with different rules and prices.[^13][^14] - **One more queue.** Without a [unified inbox](/en/learn/glossary#unified-inbox), Apple conversations become a separate silo. ## Strengths and weaknesses ```diagram:compare | Strengths | Weaknesses Trust | Built into Messages, with a verified brand name and logo | Only on Apple devices Privacy | No phone number shared; anonymous ID per business | Linking to your records needs sign-in Richness | Pickers, forms, sign-in and Apple Pay | Building them takes integration work Cost | Free from Apple | Provider fees, and Apple may charge in future Control | Customer-started, so every chat is wanted | No campaigns and no outreach ``` ## What comes next Only announcements and published changes are listed here. - **Brand tools in one place.** Apple Business, launched in April 2026, brings Apple's brand-management tools together; Apple's announcement does not describe changes to Messages for Business itself.[^23] - **Branded email and calls.** Apple announced Branded Mail in October 2024 and said Business Caller ID would follow.[^22] - **Encrypted RCS.** End-to-end encrypted RCS is rolling out in beta from iOS 26.5, with supported carriers.[^15][^13] - **No public roadmap.** Apple updates its developer documentation for the service but has not published a feature roadmap.[^18] ## When to choose it ```diagram:decision # Is Apple Messages for Business worth adding? Do many of your customers use Apple devices? | | Start with channels that reach everyone Do customers already come to you, on your site, app, map listing or phone number? | | It will not create demand on its own Do you need to start conversations or run campaigns? | Use SMS, RCS, email or WhatsApp templates for that | Would a picker, a time slot or Apple Pay save the customer a step? | A strong fit | A web chat may be enough ``` - **By need.** Choose it for support, bookings and payments started by the customer; not for codes, alerts to people who never wrote, or marketing. - **By location.** Worth most where Apple devices are common among your customers; check your own analytics country by country. - **By audience.** Consumer brands with an app or busy website gain most; for business-to-business work, email and meetings usually matter more. See the [Apple Messages for Business channel page](/en/ecosystem/channels/apple-messages) for providers, and [which channel for which need](/en/learn/which-channel-for-what) to compare it with every other channel. ## Sources [^1]: [How to use Messages for Business](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102053) — Apple Support, accessed 2026-10 [^2]: [Apple Messages for Business: Frequently Asked Questions](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/messaging-documentation/faq) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^3]: [Secure Apple Messages for Business](https://support.apple.com/guide/security/secure-apple-messages-for-business-sec1c603aab4/web) — Apple Platform Security, accessed 2026-10 [^4]: [Type Interactive (Messages for Business REST API)](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/msp-rest-api/type-interactive) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^5]: [Apple Pay (Messages for Business API tutorial)](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/msp-api-tutorial/applepay) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^6]: [Messaging: receiving and sending messages](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/msp-api-tutorial/receiving-sending-messages) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^7]: [Introducing Business Chat (WWDC17 session 240)](https://devstreaming-cdn.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2017/240nyzp1eit4xt84w4/240/240_introducing_business_chat.pdf) — Apple Developer, June 2017 [^8]: [Apple previews iOS 11.3](https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2018/01/apple-previews-ios-11-3/) — Apple Newsroom, January 2018 [^9]: [iOS 11.3 is available today](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/03/ios-11-3-is-available-today/) — Apple Newsroom, 29 March 2018 [^10]: [Business Chat FAQs: Chat Suggest](https://register.apple.com/resources/business-chat/faq/business-chat-suggest-faqs.html) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^11]: [About iOS 17 Updates](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118723) — Apple Support, accessed 2026-10 [^12]: [iOS 18 is available today, making iPhone more personal and capable than ever](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/ios-18-is-available-today-making-iphone-more-personal-and-capable-than-ever/) — Apple Newsroom, 16 September 2024 [^13]: [Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/122195) — Apple Support, accessed 2026-10 [^14]: [What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS?](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104972) — Apple Support, accessed 2026-10 [^15]: [End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging begins rolling out today in beta](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/05/end-to-end-encrypted-rcs-messaging-begins-rolling-out-today-in-beta/) — Apple Newsroom, May 2026 [^16]: [GSMA RCS Universal Profile 3.0 specifications](https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/gsma_resources/gsma-rcs-universal-profile-3-0-specifications/) — GSMA, March 2025 [^17]: [Apple reports first quarter results](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/01/apple-reports-first-quarter-results/) — Apple Newsroom, January 2026 [^18]: [Apple Messages for Business (documentation)](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/messaging-documentation/) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^19]: [Pass the Experience Review](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/messaging-documentation/xp-review) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^20]: [Service Terms for Messages for Business](https://register.apple.com/tou/bca/latest/en) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^21]: [Apple Messages for Business & Privacy](https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/messages-for-business/) — Apple Legal, accessed 2026-10 [^22]: [Apple expands tools to help businesses connect with customers](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/10/apple-expands-tools-to-help-businesses-connect-with-customers/) — Apple Newsroom, October 2024 [^23]: [Introducing Apple Business: a new all-in-one platform for businesses of all sizes](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/introducing-apple-business-a-new-all-in-one-platform-for-businesses-of-all-sizes/) — Apple Newsroom, 24 March 2026 [^24]: [Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng) — EUR-Lex, 27 April 2016 --- Published by the company behind five products in this category. 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