You can step into any WhatsApp chat and answer the customer yourself. Tap Reply myself (or just send a message) and the assistant pauses in that chat. When you're done, tap Hand back to assistant so it answers again.
Take over a chat
- Open the chat in Conversations.
- Above the message box you'll see AI responding. Tap Reply myself. You can also use the … menu at the top of the chat and choose Reply myself.
- The chat now shows Team handling at the top, and the list shows it as Team.
- Write your message and send it.
You don't have to tap Reply myself first: sending a message in a chat the assistant is handling also pauses the assistant there.
How long the assistant stays paused
- When the assistant normally answers WhatsApp, it stays out of that chat for 24 hours after your last message. If you don't hand it back, it starts answering again on its own after that.
- If your inbox is set to Team only, it doesn't come back on its own; it stays off until you tap Hand back to assistant. See Who answers first on WhatsApp.
Write and send
- Type in the box at the bottom and press Enter to send. Use Shift+Enter for a new line. On a phone, tap the send button.
- Tap the smiley (Emoji) to add an emoji.
- To answer a specific message, hover over it (or tap it on a phone) and choose Reply. The quoted message appears above the box; remove it with Cancel quote.
- To send a photo, see Send photos and attachments.
Your messages show your name in the chat, so your team knows who replied. The customer receives them on WhatsApp from your business number.
Check that your message arrived
Under each message you send:
- Sending... means it's on its way.
- One tick: sent. Two ticks: delivered to the customer's phone. Two blue ticks: read.
- Not sent means it failed. Tap Retry to send it again.
Hand the chat back
When the customer no longer needs a person:
- Tap Hand back to assistant above the message box, or in the … menu.
- The chat shows Assistant again in the list.
The assistant answers the customer's next message, with the whole conversation in view, including what you wrote.
Good to know
- More than 24 hours since the customer wrote? WhatsApp limits what you can send. Your text goes out in an approved message format, and photos can't be sent until the customer writes again. See The WhatsApp 24-hour window.
- Several people can reply in the same chat. Agree among your team who takes each chat so the customer doesn't get two answers.
- Need context fast? Check the Summary and the Staff note in the customer panel before replying. See Team notes and contact names.
- Taking over one chat doesn't change the others. To hand all chats to your team at once, change Answers first: at the top of the list.