Shopify has launched Shopify Chat, a native chat function that enables retailers to have real-time conversations with customers visiting their stores in order to drive sales. Shopify Chat runs inside Shopify Ping, a mobile app the company launched in 2018 that centralises all customer conversations, along with automated marketing workflows. Once Shopify Chat has been enabled […]
Facebook is reportedly has plans to integrate the messaging services of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. All three will remain as standalone apps, but the underlying messaging functions of each will become intertwined. Work to create a unified messaging infrastructure has begun and expected to be complete by the end of the year or in […]
Leading omnichannel conversation platform Smooch announced the release of its second annual report on conversational business, State of Messaging 2019. For the report, Smooch spoke with over 30 distinguished experts at the forefront of the conversational revolution — from channel gatekeepers and software vendors, to industry analysts, brand stewards and startup innovators. Companies involved include Google, […]
Instagram is rolling out video chat in addition to a number of other new features. According to the Facebook-owned app, video chat will be available to users in the “coming weeks.” The feature, which will support both one-on-one and group chats, will also give users the option to minimize the video and continue the chat […]
Facebook’s Messenger for Kids has courted its share of controversy in the short time it’s been on the scene. In an effort to clean up the app’s reputation, Facebook is adding a feature that parents have been asking for: making it inaccessible during certain timeframes. Specifically, during dinner, when they should be doing homework or […]
Chinese social media network WeChat, which is used for everything from chatting with friends to booking travel and making payments, has reached a billion user accounts globally, reports the Financial Times. The sheer number of accounts demonstrates the app’s dominance, though it’s important to note that user accounts means the number of accounts, not individual […]
Alphabet-owned Google sent a message to Slack on Wednesday, saying that its workplace messaging platform—Hangouts Chat—has officially launched. Hangouts Chat functions in similar fashion to Slack and other workplace messaging platforms, but also provides a slew of other Google products such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar and Cloud Search. Google also says it will use […]
Line, the messaging app with around 200 million monthly users, is embracing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to fend off increased competition from Facebook and others. The Japanese company has announced the creation of a new financial services division which will spearhead a move into cryptocurrencies and other services including loans and insurance. Line already operates […]
WhatsApp has launched a separate app designed for use by small businesses to more easily connect with customers. WhatsApp Business adds key features like dedicated business profiles for details like email address, business description, store addresses, and website; smart messaging tools like greetings, quick replies, and away messages; and metrics for how many messages were […]
Mobile messaging service Hike just launched Total, a new service that lets Android users in India make payments to businesses and transfer money, read news, book train tickets, and chat with their contacts on the platform – all without mobile data. The company, which claims 100 million users on its platform, has been working for […]