End User guide: WhatsApp Messaging in Teams

Read on to learn about how to send WhatsApp messages from MultiLine Messaging app in Microsoft Teams.

Overview

The MultiLine Messaging app from Microsoft Teams allows you to send WhatsApp messages and group messages.

The WhatsApp Messaging Connector allows compliant WhatsApp messaging directly inside MultiLine.

MultiLine users can send WhatsApp messages to contacts, and they can read and reply to WhatsApp messages on the MultiLine messages screen alongside SMS and Voicemail messages.
WhatsApp users receive messages from the MultiLine user as coming from an official WhatsApp business account.
Picture messaging allows MultiLine users and WhatsApp users to share picture messages.
Group messaging allows multiple MultiLine users to contact a single WhatsApp user. You can transfer the user to another MultiLine user, leave a conversation with that user, remove participant, or restart a conversation with that user.

Before you start

Your organization has to enable WhatsApp Messaging Connector for it to be available in MultiLine. If not, you won't see the green WhatsApp messaging icon.
You must add users to your contacts before you can send them a message.
Due to WhatsApp Business policies to prevent spam:
- To start messaging a user you haven't messaged before, you'll need to request consent, and the user must reply with consent to receive your messages. Learn more.
- If no messages are received from the WhatsApp user within 24 hours, messages from the MultiLine user will be paused until the WhatsApp user resumes the conversation. Learn more.

Send a WhatsApp Message

You can send a WhatsApp Message from the new message icon or from contacts details.

Send from New Message

Select the New Message icon at the bottom of your message threads.
Select WhatsApp.
Start typing the name (if the person is in your Contacts) or number of the person you want to send a WhatsApp message.
If you're messaging with the user for the first time select Confirm to send the Opt-In message. This requests permission to message the contact. The user has 24-hours to respond before you can send a reminder message.
Once the user replies you can send a message.
You can freely message until there has been a 24 hours since the last message. After which, your messages will be paused and held in a queue until the WhatsApp user resumes the conversation.
Draft your message and then select the send icon.

Message from an existing message thread

Use the search bar to search for user you want to send a message to.
Select the user, and then select the WhatsApp icon.

WhatsApp Message Queuing

WhatsApp Message Queuing is available for the MultiLine Messaging for Teams app in Version 2.1.1. Coming soon to mobile apps.

When messaging begins with a WhatsApp user, the user is asked to opt-in with the following notice:

MultiLine users will see the following notice, but will be able to compose and send their messages so that they deliver after the WhatsApp user opts in.

Once the WhatsApp user opts in, if the MultiLine user had not sent any messages during the pause, they'll be alerted they can start the conversation with the following notice:

New reinitiating after 24-Hours Flow

When a MultiLine user sends a message after has been more than 24-hours since the last message received from the WhatsApp user, MultiLine users see the following notice:

The WhatsApp user will see the template message and can select "Resume conversation" to allow the conversation to continue.

When the WhatsApp user selects "Resume conversation", if there are no messages queued, the MultiLine user will see the following notice:

[Auto Message] The contact has resumed the conversation. You can now continue messaging with them.

Leave a Conversation

WhatsApp limits the number of business users who can speak with WhatsApp users. To allow other people in your business to message with a WhatsApp user, you can leave the conversation when you're done with your interaction.

Go to the Message menu.
Select Leave Conversation.
Confirm you want to leave the conversation.

When complete, both users will see an automessage letting them know you left the conversation.