Google Business Profile messaging just moved to the front of Google Maps. In its November 2026 small business bulletin, Google said customers on Android and iOS “can now find a prominent Message button right next to ‘Call’,” and that tapping it sends them to WhatsApp or text messages, according to Google’s November 2026 small business bulletin. If you’ve already linked a text number or WhatsApp to your profile, customers can now reach you that way in one tap. If you haven’t, setup takes a few minutes, and the real work is making sure someone answers.
This guide covers what changed, what replaced Google’s old chat, how to set up text or WhatsApp step by step, which number to use, how fast to reply, and what the new AI messaging pilot is. It’s written for local businesses in Tacoma, Puyallup and across Pierce County that get leads from Google Maps.
What changed on Google Maps?
The Message button now sits next to Call on Business Profiles in the Google Maps apps, instead of further down the profile. It opens whichever channel you’ve linked, either WhatsApp or text messages.
Google’s bulletin explains why this matters: “Previously, finding chat on Maps required scrolling deep down into your profile.” Now a customer comparing three plumbers or two dental offices sees Call and Message side by side, and some people would rather text than call, especially outside business hours.
Google’s suggested next step for businesses is to “double-check that your preferred messaging channel is properly linked in your Google Business Profile.” In other words, a Message button that leads nowhere, or to a number nobody checks, now sits in one of the most visible spots on your listing.
Didn’t Google shut down Business Profile chat?
It shut down its old built-in chat on July 31, 2024. What replaced it is a link to your own text messages or WhatsApp, so messages now land on your phone, not inside Google.
Google’s help page on the change says “as of July 31, 2024, the chat and call history features are no longer available in your Business Profile,” and that “for eligible accounts, customers can contact you from your Business Profile through text messages or WhatsApp,” according to Google Business Profile Help on the chat change. If you read older advice about answering messages inside your Google dashboard, it’s describing the chat that no longer exists.
“Google messaging” now means four different things, which is why so many articles contradict each other:
| What it is | Who can use it | Status as of November 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Text or WhatsApp chat link on your Business Profile | Businesses with a claimed and verified profile in supported regions | Live. Set up in Edit profile, then Contact |
| Message button next to Call in Google Maps | Profiles with a chat option set up | Live, according to Google’s November 2026 bulletin |
| AI messaging agent that answers routine questions | Businesses Google invites to a pilot | Pilot only. No public Google help page |
| Business Agent on Google Search | U.S. online stores with at least 50 approved free product listings | Retail only, not for local service businesses |
The Business Agent row comes from Google’s Business Agent help page, which says it’s for shoppers chatting with a brand and requires “a US-based e-commerce store.” It isn’t the same thing as the Message button on a local listing.
How do you set up text or WhatsApp chat on your Business Profile?
Go to your Business Profile, select Edit profile, then Contact, and next to Chat choose WhatsApp or Text message. Add your WhatsApp click-to-chat link or a phone number that can receive texts, then save.
These are the steps from Google’s help page on chat options:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Click Edit profile, then Contact.
- Next to “Chat,” select Edit.
- In the “Chat” drop-down, click the down arrow and select either WhatsApp or Text message.
- Add your WhatsApp click-to-chat URL, or a phone number that can receive text messages.
- Click Save.
A few things from the same page are worth knowing before you start:
- Your profile must be claimed and verified. Google says “businesses with a claimed and verified Business Profile can add a WhatsApp or text messaging option.”
- It isn’t available everywhere. Google says chat options “are currently available for select regions and might not be available for your Business Profile,” without listing the regions.
- Text wins over WhatsApp. “If you add both options, only the text message option will be shown to customers.”
- Several locations can share one WhatsApp link, which helps if one office handles messages for more than one location.
Once it’s live, track it. Google’s performance report help page lists “Messages” as “the number of different conversations through messages,” so you can see whether the button is being used.
Which phone number should you use?
Use a number that can actually receive texts and that someone checks during business hours. Google asks for “a phone number that can receive text messages,” so test your main line before you list it.
For a plumber, HVAC company or garage door business, the owner is often on a job when a message comes in. A shared office cell phone or a business texting app that the whole team can see is usually more reliable than one technician’s personal phone. For a dental office, the front desk is the natural owner of the inbox.
If your main number is a desk phone or a call-tracking number, ask your phone provider whether it can receive texts before you add it. A message that goes nowhere is worse than no Message button at all, because the customer thinks they’ve reached you.
How fast do customers expect a reply?
Fast. In EZ Texting’s 2026 survey of 959 U.S. consumers, “nearly 70% expect a business to respond within an hour.”
The same survey found that “87% check a new text within 15 minutes” and that “54% are comfortable with automated text assistants,” according to EZ Texting’s 2026 Consumer Texting Behavior Report. EZ Texting sells texting software, so read the numbers as a strong signal rather than a neutral study, but the direction is clear: a reply the next morning is too late for a homeowner with no heat.
If you can’t answer during jobs, set an away message if your phone or texting app supports one, so customers at least know when you’ll reply.
What is Google’s AI messaging agent, and can your business get it?
It’s an invitation-only pilot in which an AI agent answers routine customer questions for you. Google hasn’t published a help page for it, so what’s known comes from invite emails shared by local SEO specialists.
According to Search Engine Roundtable’s report on the pilot, the agent “will answer routine questions from customers, instantly and at no cost,” hands off questions it can’t answer, and lets you take over a conversation at any time. The invite email quoted in that report offers “early access to the AI-powered messaging pilot on your Business Profile on Search and Maps at no cost,” and its example is a restaurant answering questions like today’s specials. A local SEO quoted in the same report says the agent only works for customers whose phones and networks support RCS messaging, and that other customers’ texts go straight to your phone.
Google has tested this before. In June 2026, a version of the feature “was live for a few hours on Thursday morning and removed later,” according to Search Engine Roundtable. If you get an invite, an AI agent can only answer as well as your profile does, so get your hours, services and FAQs right first.
Why are some businesses being asked for an EIN and a privacy policy?
One business owner reported that Google asked for an EIN and a privacy policy link while setting up the Message button, followed by a partner review of about three to four working days. Google hasn’t confirmed this as a requirement, so treat it as a possible step, not a rule.
The report, from a reader quoted by Search Engine Roundtable, says Google was “asking for an EIN and an additional Privacy Policy URL” and that the review “takes about three to four working days.” It isn’t clear whether that applied to the regular text or WhatsApp link or to the AI pilot. Either way, having a privacy policy page on your website is good practice, and it means you won’t be stuck if Google does ask.
What should dental and medical offices watch for?
Keep messages to scheduling and general questions, and move anything clinical to a secure channel. Google’s own Maps help lists health records among the sensitive details customers should think twice about sharing in a message.
That warning is in Google Maps Help on messaging businesses. For a dental or medical office, the practical rule is simple: a patient can text to book or ask about hours, but treatment questions belong on the phone or in your patient portal. Check with your compliance adviser before you turn messaging on.
How do you test your Message button before the holiday rush?
Send yourself a message from an iPhone and an Android phone, signed out of Google, and confirm it arrives where your team will see it. Then decide who answers, and how fast.
- Open your listing in the Google Maps app on two different phones and look for Message next to Call.
- Tap it and send a test message. Confirm it reaches the right phone or WhatsApp account.
- Check after hours. Send one at night and see what the customer experiences.
- Name one owner for the inbox and agree a reply target, such as within an hour during business hours.
- Check Messages in your performance report after a few weeks to see whether customers use it.
For the rest of your listing, Around29 Digital Media Solutions’ Google Business Profile optimization checklist covers every field, and its guide to Google AI Mode booking for home services covers the Book Online button that sits beside Call and Message on many service businesses’ profiles.
What else do owners ask about Google Maps messaging?
Here are short answers to common questions about messaging from Google Maps.
Can customers message my business on Google Maps?
Yes, if you’ve added a text or WhatsApp chat option to a claimed and verified Business Profile. Google says chat options are available in select regions, and its November 2026 bulletin moved the Message button next to Call in the Google Maps apps.
Where do Google Maps messages go?
To the channel you linked: your WhatsApp account or the phone number you added for text messages. Google’s old built-in chat inbox ended on July 31, 2024.
Can I use both WhatsApp and text messages?
You can add both, but Google says only the text message option will be shown to customers.
How do I see how many messages I get?
Check your Business Profile performance report. Google counts Messages as the number of different conversations through messages.
Is Google’s AI messaging agent available to every business?
No. It’s an invitation-only pilot, and Google hasn’t published a help page for it. What’s known comes from invite emails that local SEO specialists have shared.
Want a quick check of your business details?
Around29 Digital Media Solutions’ free Business Info Check confirms the name, address and phone number on your website are correct and consistent with what customers see on your Business Profile. It takes about a minute for businesses across Tacoma, Puyallup and Pierce County, and Around29 also offers local SEO and Business Profile management if you want help setting this up. Get a free local SEO and Business Profile check.
