# Inbox - chat with Shopper app customers from your phone

> Answer Shopper app chats, SMS, e-mail and WhatsApp in the SmartPOS Business inbox: take, assign, add notes, mark pending, close and block.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/inbox-and-chat/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

The **Inbox** in SmartPOS Business brings customer conversations to your phone: chats from customers who use the **SmartPOS Shopper** app, plus SMS, e-mail and WhatsApp conversations from your messaging channels. Staff can take a chat, reply with text and photos, leave internal notes and close it when done.

> **How to turn it on**
> 1. **Plan:** Messaging with app chat in your plan
> 2. **Switch:** Settings › Business Settings › Modules › Messaging and Shopper app chat; Online & apps › Inbox & chat › Messaging › App chat › Customers can message us; your store must be open in the Shopper app
> 3. **Permission:** View conversations (assigned to me / all / unassigned app chats), Send to reply, Manage to assign anyone and block
> - **Mobile app:** Inbox (More, Home card or notification)

## Before you start

- Your store is listed in the Shopper app and app chat is on. See [Website chat and app chat](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/website-chat-and-app-chat/) and the [App chat module](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/app-chat/).
- Optional: set routing, greeting and away messages on the web in **Online & apps › Inbox & chat › Messaging › App chat**.

## The inbox

Open **Inbox** from **More**, the Home card (*… unread conversations*, *… assigned to you*, *… unassigned*) or a notification.

- Boxes: **Mine**, **Unassigned**, **All** (what you see depends on your role).
- Status: **Open + pending**, **Open**, **Pending**, **Closed**, **All**.
- Filter by **Channel**: **Shopper app**, **SMS**, **E-mail**, **WhatsApp**, **Calls**.
- **Search name, number or message**.

Each row shows the customer, last message, channel, status and who it is assigned to.

![Inbox with Mine, Unassigned and All boxes, status chips and conversations from Shopper app, SMS, E-mail and WhatsApp](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/inbox-list.DdiCEXOI.png)
![A Shopper app conversation about a product with an automatic answer, an internal note, staff reply and the Reply / Internal note composer](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/inbox-thread.DkhpJPrf.png)
*All customer conversations in one list; a Shopper app chat with an internal note.*

## Reply to a chat

1. Tap a conversation. If it is unassigned, tap **Take it** – *This conversation is yours now*.
2. Read the messages. A chip such as **Product** or **Order** shows what the customer was looking at.
3. Choose **Reply**, type in **Write a reply**, optionally **Add photo** (**Camera** or **Gallery**), and tap **Send**.
4. To talk to your team, switch to **Internal note** – *Only staff can see this*.
5. From **⋮** choose **Assign** (to a colleague), **Mark pending**, **Close conversation**, **Reopen**, **Open contact** or **Block customer**.

Messages marked **Automatic answer** were sent by your greeting or “we are closed” settings. Your replies show **Sent**, then **Read** when the customer opens the chat.

![Unassigned Shopper app chat with a Take it button and a notice that the customer turned off messages from your store](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/inbox-take-it-blocked.BCZ7dq3B.png)
*Take an unassigned chat. If the customer turned off messages, you can only add notes.*

## Blocking

- **Block customer** (managers): the customer can no longer write to your store in the Shopper app. **Unblock customer** reverses it.
- If the **customer** turns off messages from your store, the app says *You can't reply until they write again*.

## Messages you may see

| Message | Why |
|---|---|
| The customer has to start this chat first. | Staff can't open new app chats. |
| Chat in the Shopper app is switched off for this business. | Turn on app chat on the web. |
| Your messaging quota is used up. | The owner tops up messaging. |
| You can read this conversation, but your role can't reply. | Ask for the send permission. |

## Related pages

  - [Website chat and app chat](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/website-chat-and-app-chat/)
  - [Messaging module](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/messaging/)
  - [Notifications](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/notifications/)
  - [Shopper app for your store](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/shopper-app-for-your-store/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I start a chat with a customer from the app?

No. Only the customer can start a Shopper app chat, by tapping Message store in the SmartPOS Shopper app. After that you can reply from the Business app, the web Inbox or the customer page.

### Is the chat real-time?

Nearly. Messages show when you open or refresh the inbox, and a phone notification tells you about new chats when push is on.

### Who sees a new chat?

It goes to the person picked by your App chat routing setting (nobody, one person or round robin). Staff allowed to see unassigned chats can tap Take it.

### Can the customer see internal notes?

No. Internal notes are only for your team and are never sent to the customer.

### Can I send photos?

Yes, in Shopper app chats when photos are allowed in your App chat settings. Photos up to 5 MB.

### What does Pending mean?

You replied and are waiting for the customer. A new message from the customer opens the chat again.

### Why can't I reply?

The customer may have turned off messages from your store, your role may only allow reading, or your messaging quota is used up. The app says which.