AED 499 / month
For a small team that wants one shared inbox this week.
- Unified inbox — WA, IG, Messenger, email, live chat
- Assign, labels, notes, conversation status
- Saved replies and search
- Multiple agents
WhatsApp shared inbox
WhatsApp Shared Inbox for Your Entire Team
Multiple employees share one WhatsApp Business number from one inbox. Assign chats, leave notes, use saved replies and labels, and see collisions before two people reply. Instagram and email sit in the same queue once connected. AI suggested replies are coming soon — a person still sends every message.
Keep WhatsApp Business. Meta bills template and marketing message fees. We do not mark them up.
Inbox5 open
OpenMineClosed
Maya ChenWhatsApp · Sara Malik · Sara is viewing
LabelAssign
Canned
Write a reply, or pick a canned response your team already trusts.
Inbox mock — assignment, notes, and saved replies on a WhatsApp thread. Not a customer screenshot and not a live feed.
Definition
What is a WhatsApp shared inbox?
A WhatsApp shared inbox is one queue several people can see and work. Incoming chats from a WhatsApp Business number land there. Someone assigns the conversation, or the team picks it up. The customer still writes the number they already have. The inbox does not become a new chat identity.
That is a narrower claim than “omnichannel platform.” It is the job that matters when the public number is on the shop window and a second person needs access after six o’clock. InboxBay’s version connects the Business account you already have and puts those threads in a workspace, next to the other channels you connect.
How it works
Four steps from a phone to a team queue
- 01
Connect WhatsApp
Keep the Business account and the number. InboxBay connects to it. It does not replace WhatsApp Business.
- 02
Add your team
Invite the people who actually answer. They sign in to the workspace, not to a shared phone PIN.
- 03
Route and assign
Give each thread an agent or a team, or let automations and round-robin spread new chats so they do not sit unowned.
- 04
Reply and track history
Answer from the inbox. Leave a note. Search the thread later. Status tells the next shift what is still open.
Benefits
What a shared WhatsApp inbox changes for the team
The job is coverage and ownership, not a new chat identity. Several employees see the same Business number. Someone assigns the thread. A note and a label travel with it. Collision detection shows a teammate already typing. Saved replies cover the daily questions. Instagram and email can sit in the same queue once connected.
Several employees, one number
Agents sign in to the workspace. They do not each need WhatsApp on their phone.
Assignment
A named owner — or a team queue — so follow-up is someone’s job.
Notes and labels
Private context and filters the next shift can trust. Customers never see notes.
Collision and saved replies
See who is already in the thread. Reuse the answers you already trust.
One number
Multi-agent WhatsApp: devices versus a workspace
Most teams start with WhatsApp on one handset. It works until the person who holds the phone is in a meeting, on leave, or asleep. Then messages sit. A second login, if you even have one, creates a second history. Nobody can tell who already answered. The customer gets two replies — or none.
Official companion devices are still WhatsApp’s own app. Meta’s multi-agent FAQ documents up to four linked devices by default, or up to ten with Meta Verified multi-agent, and linked devices drop if the primary phone is unused for more than 14 days. That is extra screens on one account — not a workspace with permissions, notes, and a history that survives a lost phone. The longer distinction is how multiple agents can use one WhatsApp number.
InboxBay sits on top of WhatsApp Business. It does not replace it. Agents sign in to the workspace. They do not pass a phone around the shop. The WhatsApp team inbox is the shorter one-number / multi-agent spoke. The broader explainer is the WhatsApp shared inbox guide.
Ownership
Team assignment — agent, team, or the unassigned queue
“Anyone can take it” is how chats sit for three hours. Assignment makes follow-up someone’s job. In InboxBay a conversation can have a team and/or an individual assignee. If team auto-assign is off, the chat sits in that team’s unassigned queue until a person takes it. Status — open, pending, resolved — keeps the same thread from being “done” in one head and “still waiting” in another.
Unassigned work stays visible instead of hiding in a pocket notification. That is the same model as the rest of the shared inbox, not a WhatsApp-only switch.
Assign to an agent
Give the thread a named owner so the next reply is that person’s job.
Assign to a team
Put the chat on a team. If auto-assign is off, it waits in that team’s unassigned queue.
Unassigned queue
Work with no owner stays in the list. It does not disappear into a personal badge.
Open, pending, resolved
Status is how the next shift knows whether the customer is waiting.
One reply
Prevent duplicate replies
Two people opening the same unread chat is the usual failure. Both draft a confirmation. Both send. The customer now has two slightly different answers and no idea which one stands.
Assignment makes ownership visible. Collision detection shows when a teammate is already viewing or typing. A shared inbox does not make two replies impossible; it makes the second person visible before they hit send.
Context
Internal collaboration — notes, mentions, and context
Leave a private note the customer never sees — VIP, billed, waiting on a supplier. Mention a teammate when a specialist should look, instead of forwarding a screenshot into a staff chat. Notes and @mentions live on the conversation, so the next shift does not start from “did anyone reply to Fatima?”
The thread
Customer history the team can search
When a customer says “you already confirmed Tuesday,” the next agent should find that message without unlocking last month’s phone. Previous messages that land in the workspace stay on the conversation, with labels and notes.
Do not plan on a full history import the day you connect. Once the Business account is linked, new chats land in the inbox. Ask before you assume the archive moves.
Find the work
Search, tags and status
Search is for the promise someone made last Tuesday. Labels mark the work the team actually filters on — billing, VIP, waiting on a supplier, first contact from an ad. Twelve unused labels are worse than two that change what the next agent does. Status keeps open, pending, and resolved apart so the pile is honest.
AI assistance Coming soon
AI assistance is coming soon — a person still sends
Suggested replies and autonomous answering are not live. White-label is not live either. We mark those Coming soon. Routing, tags, saved replies, and round-robin are live today — rules you already understand, running without a person clicking every time.
A person still sends every reply in InboxBay. If a vendor’s demo cannot show the AI they are selling, treat the copy as a roadmap.
Routing
Automation and routing that are live
Automations can label a new chat, change its status, or hand it to a team. Round-robin spreads new conversations so they do not all land on the first person who opened the tab. That is the routing InboxBay has today. We do not sell skill-based routing we do not ship.
Same queue
WhatsApp + Instagram in the same inbox
Connect WhatsApp first if that is the number customers already saved. When Instagram, Messenger, email, or the website widget are connected too, those threads sit in the same list with the same owner, notes, and labels. Each channel still belongs to its provider. InboxBay sits on top.
You do not have to connect every channel on day one. The Instagram shared inbox is the keyword page for that channel. Instagram DM inbox stays live for DMs in the queue. The omnichannel inbox is the same claim written across five channels.
WhatsApp
Connects to WhatsApp Business. Meta still runs the channel.
Instagram
Direct messages in the same team queue.
Messenger
The Facebook Page inbox, shared with the team.
Email
A mailbox several people can see and assign.
Live chat
The website widget, next to the DMs — not a separate product.
What it looks like
A labeled inbox mock — not a customer screenshot
We do not have live product screenshots on this page yet. The mock below is the same interface sketch as the hero: a WhatsApp thread with an assignee, a private note, and saved replies. Names and orders are invented. It is not a customer feed.
Inbox5 open
OpenMineClosed
Maya ChenWhatsApp · Sara Malik · Sara is viewing
LabelAssign
Canned
Write a reply, or pick a canned response your team already trusts.
Inbox mock — assignment, an internal note, and a WhatsApp thread. Labeled as a mock because it is not a captured workspace.
Use cases
Teams that already share one public number
If one person still owns every chat and will keep doing so, stay on the phone. A shared inbox is the next step when coverage, not a new number, is the job.
Ecommerce
Order questions already arrive on WhatsApp. They should not sit on a manager’s phone overnight.
Real estate
The same lead often writes WhatsApp first and Instagram or email next. One owner on the thread.
Clinics
One public number. Several people on reception across a day. The next shift should see the appointment note.
Service businesses
Bookings, “are you open?”, and follow-ups while the person with the phone is on a job.
Sales teams
A named owner on each lead so two people do not send two quotes.
Customer support teams
A shared queue, a status, and a note — the same habit as a mailbox, on WhatsApp.
Agencies
More than one client number. Assignment without mixing histories. White-label is coming soon — not sold as live.
App versus inbox
WhatsApp Business App vs a shared inbox
The WhatsApp Business app is Meta’s own app for small businesses. You can link companion devices, and Meta Verified multi-agent can assign chats inside that app. A shared inbox is a workspace login with ownership, notes, and a history that is not tied to a handset. Device caps below come from Meta’s About multi-agent FAQ (checked 20 August 2026). Confirm the live FAQ before you treat a cap as permanent. This table does not claim the Business app is broken — it describes a different job.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| WhatsApp Business App | Shared inbox (InboxBay) | |
|---|---|---|
| Team members | Up to 4 linked devices, or 10 with Meta Verified multi-agent. Tablets are not supported. | Workspace logins. Agents do not each need WhatsApp on their phone. |
| Ownership | The primary phone owns the account. Unused for 14 days, companions disconnect. | A conversation owner in the queue. The number stays on WhatsApp Business. |
| Assignment | With multi-agent, chats can be assigned inside the Business app. | Assign to an agent and/or a team. Unassigned work stays in that queue. |
| Internal notes | Not a helpdesk-style private note on the thread. | Private notes and @mentions the customer never sees. |
| Automation | Quick replies and in-app business tools. Not a routing workspace. | Automations and round-robin that are live. No invented skill-based routing. |
| History | On the devices signed into the account. | In the workspace, once chats land there. No full archive import promised. |
| Analytics | In-app business tools on the phone. We do not invent extra dashboards. | Conversation status and search. We do not invent a reporting suite. |
| Multi-channel | WhatsApp. | WhatsApp plus Instagram, Messenger, email, and live chat once connected. |
Source: WhatsApp Help Center — About multi-agent. Device numbers checked 20 August 2026.
Fit, not a trophy
InboxBay vs other WhatsApp inboxes
This is a fit table from public pages, not a scorecard. InboxBay does not win every column. ChakraHQ publishes prices and ships live AI-assisted replies. Periskope is built around linked devices and groups. WATI and respond.io are broader messaging suites. InboxBay may be a better fit for teams that want a shared inbox — assignment, collision, notes — across WhatsApp and the other channels they already run, without buying a BSP or a campaign platform.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| InboxBay | ChakraHQ | Periskope | WATI | respond.io | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp connect | Official Business connect. Not a BSP. | Official Meta partner / WABA. | QR / linked-devices. They say no API required. | Official BSP + API. | WhatsApp among a broader omnichannel set. |
| Team inbox | Shared inbox. Assign, team, collision, notes. | Shared team inbox on a WhatsApp-first CRM. | Groups + 1:1. Multi-number. Personal numbers are part of the pitch. | Team inbox plus broadcasts and chatbots. | Team inbox plus campaign, voice, and TikTok tools. |
| Other channels | Instagram, Messenger, email, live chat in the same workspace once connected. | Website widget. More channels marked coming soon on some help pages. | WhatsApp-first (groups and 1:1). | WhatsApp-led. Instagram / Messenger secondary and plan-dependent. | Those plus voice/calls and TikTok, per their public site. |
| AI | Suggested replies coming soon. A person still sends. | AI-assisted replies live. | Gemini AI — they disclose it. | Chatbots live. | AI Agents listed from Growth upward. |
| Broadcasts / bots | Not the InboxBay pitch. | Broadcasts and chatbots are core. | Not verified here beyond their inbox + CRM integrations. | A core WATI motion. | Broader campaign tools on the platform. |
| Pricing | AED 499 / 999 / 1,999 per workspace / month. Not per agent. 7-day trial, Ziina. | Published $12.49–$49.99 on their pricing page. | ~$20/user — they label it approx. | Regional subscription plus Meta fees. Confirm with WATI. | Public plans scale with Monthly Active Contacts. |
| Meta fees | Billed by Meta. No markup. | Zero markup on Meta template rates, per their pricing page. | Not independently verified here. | Billed by Meta, plus the WATI subscription. | Billed by Meta, not included in the subscription. |
Pricing
Starter AED 499. Growth AED 999. Business AED 1,999.
Amounts are AED per workspace, per month — not per agent. Checkout is on Ziina at demo.inboxbay.work/pricing after a 7-day trial. The full plan cards are on pricing. Meta still bills WhatsApp per delivered template or marketing message. Conversation-based pricing was deprecated as of 1 July 2025. InboxBay does not collect those fees and does not mark them up. You keep the WhatsApp Business number.
AED 999 / month
For a busy queue that needs routing when volume goes up.
- Everything in Starter
- Automations and round-robin
- Collision detection and mentions
- Walkthrough from us
AED 1,999 / month
For agencies and multi-brand operators. White-label is on the way.
- Everything in Growth
- Multiple teams and inboxes
- White-label options when they ship
- A named contact for rollout
Prices are AED per workspace, per month, charged on Ziina. The first 7 days are a trial. Meta bills WhatsApp per delivered template or marketing message (conversation-based pricing was deprecated as of 1 July 2025). InboxBay does not collect or mark up Meta’s fees. You keep the WhatsApp Business number. AI assist and full white-label are coming soon and are not sold as live features today.
- Same WhatsApp Business number
- Multiple agents in one queue
- Assign to an agent or a team; unassigned stays visible
- Collision detection, notes, saved replies
- Meta message fees billed by Meta, not marked up
FAQ
Straight answers
Can multiple agents use one WhatsApp number?
Yes. InboxBay connects to your WhatsApp Business account so several agents work the same number from one shared inbox. Customers still write the number they already saved. Agents sign in to the workspace — they do not each need WhatsApp on their phone.
What is a WhatsApp shared inbox?
One queue several people can see and work. Incoming chats from a WhatsApp Business number land there. Someone assigns the thread, or the team picks it up. The inbox is not a new chat identity.
Can I assign WhatsApp chats to team members?
Yes. A conversation can have a team and/or an individual assignee. If team auto-assign is off, the chat sits in that team’s unassigned queue. Status is open, pending, or resolved.
Can my team see customer history?
Yes — previous messages that land in the workspace, plus labels and notes on the conversation. Do not plan on a full history import the day you connect. Once the Business account is linked, new chats appear in the inbox.
Can InboxBay manage Instagram and WhatsApp together?
Yes, once both are connected. Instagram DMs sit in the same queue as WhatsApp, with the same assignment, notes, and labels. InboxBay does not replace Instagram or WhatsApp.
Does InboxBay replace the WhatsApp Business app?
No. InboxBay connects to WhatsApp Business. It does not replace the Business account, the number, or Meta’s rules. InboxBay is not a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.
Can AI help reply to WhatsApp customers?
Not as a live product yet. Suggested replies and autonomous answering are coming soon. A person still sends every reply. Saved replies and automations — including round-robin — are live today.
How long does setup take?
Workspace login is immediate. Connecting WhatsApp Business is a separate step and depends on that account. Invite agents after the number is linked. We do not promise a fixed number of minutes.
How much does it cost?
Starter is AED 499 per workspace per month, Growth is AED 999, Business is AED 1,999. Checkout is on Ziina at demo.inboxbay.work/pricing. The first 7 days are a trial. Plans are per workspace, not per agent. Meta WhatsApp fees are extra and not marked up.
Who pays Meta’s WhatsApp message fees?
Meta bills WhatsApp per delivered template or marketing message. Conversation-based pricing was deprecated as of 1 July 2025. InboxBay does not collect or mark up Meta’s fees. You keep the WhatsApp Business number.
Keep reading
Related pages
Put the team
on one number.
Start the live demo, then connect WhatsApp Business when you are ready.
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