Based on your beta feedback, we have brought together the best of the new and previous Messenger experience.
This new design continues to prioritize the conversation, enabling customers to have quicker access to better, faster support that seamlessly passes between Fin AI Agent, Workflows, and human support. These improvements also promote self-serve capabilities with easy access to help articles, news and tickets.
Key improvements
While we recommend you read the entire article, the following are the main improvements:
How Fin AI Agent answer cards are formatted and labeled
How to customise the home screen, including configurable apps and spaces
How to customise the Messenger settings, including Special Notices and branding
Important note for mobile SDK users: To enable these updates, you must upgrade to the latest mobile SDK versions on iOS and Android and release an app update.
If you have any feedback on these improvements, please contact eve.ladeji@intercom.io.
Customize the new Messenger
We have brought back the configurable home screen you know and love, supporting multiple use cases and apps. This means that when you go to review and update settings for your Messenger, it will reflect how it used to work in the previous Messenger experience.
Read the article here for more detail on these settings.
Brand Color Options
Where before in the beta, you could customize the conversation screen with a background gradient and more, the conversation screen will now be white, prioritizing readability for your customers. You will now be able to customize your home screen as you did in the previous Messenger, and the branded navigation bar will no longer be available.
To update your home screen branding, please read the instructions here.
Messenger settings
Within Messenger settings, you will still be able to set the following:
Configure home screen spaces
Set a welcome message
Set your team introduction in the conversation
Control inbound volume for visitors and users
Choose supported languages
Keep your Messenger secure
Set other preferences
And more
To learn how to update these settings, please see this article.
Special Notices
We've brought back Special Notices, allowing you to communicate unexpected delays to your customers. If you had this previously configured and on, this will be enabled within your conversation screen.
In Messenger settings, you can switch Special Notices on or off, pending your needs.
Important settings notes:
If you had used 'Greetings' during the beta, it will be updated to reflect what you had previously configured in settings, i.e. for Team Intro, etc.
Where before you had the option to 'Show Help Center' as an icon in the conversation, this is no longer available. Instead, customers can access the Help Center from the home screen.
Where before there was a 'three dot menu' available to access previous conversations, this is no longer available.
Customer experience
Home screen
When a customer opens the Messenger on your website or app, they will now reach the home screen based on your beta feedback. This home screen experience is configurable, so you can tailor exactly what you want to be on display when your customers reach you.
To learn how to customize your home screen with apps, read this article.
Fin AI Agent
We've updated the formatting for Fin AI Agent answer cards, including increased width, making it easier for customers to read the solution to their query.
We also added clear labels within the Messenger to emphasise who your customer is getting support from. Whether it’s Fin AI Agent, Workflow or a human support agent, your customer will know exactly who is providing a helping hand.
Responses from Fin AI Agent will be clearly labeled.
Responses from Workflows will appear in a grey text bubble, without a label.
Responses from your human support team will be clearly identified with their name and profile.
Everything in the conversation experience remains the same as what you've previously set (i.e. any Workflows you've set up will work as normal).
Known limitations
We know that there are some features that you loved from the previous Messenger experience, which is why we've either brought them back or are in progress of reintroducing them:
Feature to feature availability comparison
Feature | New Messenger (beta) | Previous Messenger |
Web & Mobile SDKs | Yes | Yes |
Home space | Yes | Yes |
Home space apps | Yes | Yes |
Tickets | Yes | Yes |
Help Center | Yes | Yes |
News | Yes | Yes |
Tasks / Checklists | Yes | Yes |
Special notice | Yes | Yes |
Reply time expectations | Coming Soon | Yes |
Multi-brand | Yes | Yes |
Workflows | Yes | Yes |
FAQs
Do I need to use Fin AI Agent to use the new Messenger experience?
While the new Messenger experience is optimized for AI-first support with Fin AI Agent, you don’t need to use Fin to use the new Messenger. It works well for conversational human support and Workflow powered conversations too.
Does it cost extra to use the new Messenger?
No. The new Messenger experience is included in current pricing plans.
Will Workflows still work in the new Messenger?
Yes. All existing Workflows are carried across to the new Messenger at opt-in.
Can I opt out of the new Messenger?
No. You are not currently able to opt out of the new Messenger beta. Instead, we have updated the Messenger experience to reflect the best of both the new and previous Messenger experience. In the coming months, these improvements will be made available to all Messenger users.
Can I still send outbound messages?
Yes, outbound messages work with the new Messenger experience. As we have brought back configurable apps to your Messenger experience, including the Tasks app, your can still send outbound messages that trigger Tasks.
Can I still use News?
Yes, the News feature is now supported in the new Messenger experience. Based on beta feedback, you can now benefit from versatile Messenger ‘spaces’ that provide intuitive navigation for your customers - from news to tasks.
Can I still use Checklists?
Yes, Checklists can be accessed using the Tasks app. To learn more about the different apps available within the home screen, see here.
Can I still use home screen apps?
Yes, home screen apps are now supported in the new Messenger experience.
How do I change my brand identify?
Brand identity users can still configure this by going to Settings>AI&Automation>Automation>Choose an identify for your bots.
Will mobile Messenger users get access to the above improvements?
Mobile Messenger users will initially not have access to these improvements. To ensure your customers benefit from these enhancements on mobile, you must upgrade to the latest mobile SDK versions on iOS and Android and release an app update.
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