# iMessage is coming to Kanal: your brand will write first iMessage for business: coming soon Cart reminders, order updates, upsell, review requests and campaigns, in the Messages app on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Kanal will run the automations you know from WhatsApp on iMessage, and your store will send the first message. Coming soon: book a demo to hear first when it opens. Source: https://getkanal.com/imessage ## The automations of WhatsApp, in Messages Kanal will run the same automations on iMessage as on WhatsApp, from your Shopify data. Your store will send the first message, and the conversation will go on in Messages. ### Cart recovery A reminder with the product and a button to finish the order, sent after an abandoned checkout. Questions get answered in the same conversation. ### Order notifications Order confirmation, shipping and delivery updates, sent automatically from Shopify with a link to follow the parcel. ### Post-purchase upsell After the order, the product that goes with what the customer just bought, with a button to add it. ### Review collection After delivery, a review request with quick replies, so an unhappy customer reaches your team before posting. ### Back in stock Customers who asked for a product hear from you when it is available again, with a button to order it. ### Win-back A personal message for customers who have not ordered in a while, based on what they bought before. ### Campaigns A drop, a sale or a restock sent to the right segment of your Shopify customers, with images and buttons. ### AI agent Customer replies get an answer day or night: sizes, delivery, returns. Your team steps in whenever it matters. ## A cart reminder, sent first by your store A customer leaves a product at checkout. Kanal sends the reminder in Messages with the product and a button to finish the order, without waiting for the customer to write. The AI agent answers the reply. - **Trigger**: An abandoned checkout - **Writes first**: Your store, with Kanal - **Feature**: Product card and button ## Order updates, without a single question Order confirmed, shipped, delivered: each step goes out from Shopify in Messages, with a link to follow the parcel and quick replies for the rest. - **Trigger**: An order shipped in Shopify - **Writes first**: Your store, with Kanal - **Feature**: Rich link and quick replies ## An upsell after the order, in the same conversation Right after the order, Kanal suggests the product that goes with it, with a button to add it. The customer answers in Messages, and the AI agent takes it from there. - **Trigger**: A new order - **Writes first**: Your store, with Kanal - **Feature**: Product card and button ## Questions answered by the AI agent A customer replies to one of your messages with a question about a size. The AI agent answers from your catalog with the size in stock, and your team steps in whenever it matters. - **Entry point**: A reply to one of your messages - **Answered by**: The AI agent, your team when needed - **Feature**: Answers from your catalog ## Your store will write first. Your customer answers in Messages. With Kanal, your store will be able to send the first message, for example an abandoned cart reminder, without waiting for the customer to start the conversation. The rest of the conversation will happen in Messages, where your team answers. ## Who you reach on iMessage The conversation opens in the Messages app of Apple devices, with nothing to install. Customers on other phones hear from you on WhatsApp or by SMS, with Kanal today. ### On iPhone, iPad and Mac Your message opens in Messages, next to the customer’s other conversations. There is no app to download and no account to create. ### Your other customers on WhatsApp and SMS A customer on Android hears from you on WhatsApp or by SMS. Kanal runs WhatsApp and SMS today, and iMessage soon, from the same Shopify data. ### Replies handled in Kanal When a customer answers, the AI agent will reply day or night, and your team will take over the conversation whenever it matters. ## iMessage, SMS or WhatsApp: what each one does The three channels reach your customers’ phones. They do not follow the same rules and they do not reach the same people. | Criterion | iMessage | SMS | WhatsApp | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Where the customer reads it | In the Messages app on iPhone, iPad and Mac | In the phone’s messaging app | In the WhatsApp app | | Who writes first | Your store with Kanal (soon), or the customer | The store, to customers who gave their consent | The customer, or the store with an approved template and the customer’s opt-in | | Who can receive it | Customers on Apple devices | Any mobile number | Customers who use WhatsApp | | Marketing messages | With Kanal, your store will be able to write first, a cart reminder for example | With the customer’s consent | To customers who opted in, through approved templates | | With Kanal | Coming soon | Available | Available | Kanal runs WhatsApp and SMS for Shopify stores today, and iMessage soon, from the same data: iMessage reaches your customers on Apple devices, WhatsApp the customers who use it, SMS any mobile number. Sources: [WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy](https://business.whatsapp.com/policy) Read also: [WhatsApp for Shopify](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-shopify), [SMS marketing software](https://getkanal.com/sms), [SMS vs MMS vs RCS vs WhatsApp](https://getkanal.com/blog/sms-vs-mms-vs-rcs-vs-whatsapp) ## How to get ready for iMessage on Kanal Three steps: start with WhatsApp and SMS today, iMessage switches on when it opens. ### Install Kanal on Shopify Kanal installs from the Shopify App Store. The demo is there if you want a tour of the channels first. ### Connect your store Kanal syncs your customers, orders and carts. Consent is attached to each contact’s profile. ### Turn on iMessage when it opens Cart reminders, order updates, upsell, review requests, back in stock and win-back: the automations you run on WhatsApp will switch on for iMessage too. The AI agent will answer the replies. ## Questions about iMessage for business ### Can a Shopify store send iMessages with Kanal? Soon. iMessage is coming to Kanal: your Shopify store will send iMessages to your customers on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the same automations as on WhatsApp. Book a demo to hear first when it opens. WhatsApp, SMS and RCS are available today. ### Which automations will run on iMessage? The same as on WhatsApp: abandoned cart reminders, order confirmations and shipping updates, post-purchase upsell, review requests, back in stock alerts, win-back, campaigns to your Shopify segments, and the AI agent that answers replies. ### Will my store be able to send the first message? Yes. With Kanal, your brand will be able to send the first message on iMessage, for example an abandoned cart reminder, without waiting for the customer to start the conversation. The customer will answer in Messages, and the AI agent or your team will reply. ### How will iMessage work with WhatsApp and SMS? Once iMessage opens, the three channels will run side by side in Kanal, from the same Shopify data. iMessage reaches your customers on Apple devices, WhatsApp the customers who use it on Android and iPhone, and SMS any mobile number. ### Does it work on Android? No. iMessage is Apple’s messaging service: it works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. With Kanal, your customers on Android hear from you on WhatsApp or by SMS. ### Which Kanal plan will include iMessage? iMessage will be included from the Scale plan, like SMS and RCS. The details of each plan are on the pricing page.