How to Turn On Messaging on Google Business Profile (and the New Google Maps Message Button, 2026)

To turn on messaging on Google Business Profile, open your verified profile, choose Edit profile, then Contact, select Edit next to "Chat", and pick either WhatsApp or Text message before adding your WhatsApp click-to-chat link or a phone number that can receive texts. According to Google's Business Profile help page on chat, only claimed and verified profiles can add a chat option, and it is available in select regions only. In early November 2026, Google also said customers on Android and iOS now see a prominent Message button next to "Call" on Google Maps listings, so a working chat setting now matters more than before.

Last updated: November 2026. Google changes Business Profile features often and some options are limited to certain regions, so confirm each step against the official help pages linked in this guide.

• Two chat channels: Google Business Profile lets verified businesses add either WhatsApp or text messaging (SMS) to their contact info.
• One channel shows at a time: if you add both WhatsApp and a text number, Google says only the text message option is shown to customers.
• New Message button on Maps: Google's November 2026 Small Business Bulletin says a Message button now sits next to "Call" on Google Maps listings on Android and iOS.
• Messages are measured: the Business Profile performance report includes a "Messages" metric that counts the number of different conversations through messages.
• Availability varies: Google says chat options are available in select regions and might not appear on every profile.

Google announced the change in its monthly Google Small Business Bulletin, posted in the Google Business Profile Community in early November 2026. The bulletin says that businesses already chatting with customers through Google Search can now reach them the same way on Google Maps. Customers using Google Maps on Android or iOS should see a Message button beside the Call button, whether they are looking at your profile, opening the expanded header or using the action bar at the bottom of the screen.

Before this update, Google says customers had to scroll a long way down a profile in Maps to find the chat option. Moving it next to Call turns messaging into one of the first actions a customer sees, alongside phoning you or asking for directions.

When a customer taps Message, Google routes the conversation to the channel you already use for business, including WhatsApp and SMS text. Industry site Search Engine Roundtable also reported the expansion and showed the button appearing next to Call in the Google Maps iOS app. The same bulletin lists "Enable customer messaging" in its holiday readiness checklist for local businesses, next to setting special holiday hours and updating menus, services or product catalogs.

These steps follow Google's official "Chat with customers from your Business Profile" instructions. You need to be signed in to the Google Account that owns or manages the profile, and the profile must be claimed and verified.

• Step 1 – Open your profile: go to your Business Profile while signed in to the managing Google Account.
• Step 2 – Edit contact details: click Edit profile, then open the Contact section.
• Step 3 – Find Chat: next to "Chat", select Edit.
• Step 4 – Choose a channel: open the "Chat" drop-down and select either WhatsApp or Text message.
• Step 5 – Add the destination: for WhatsApp, paste your WhatsApp click-to-chat URL; for text, enter a phone number that can actually receive text messages.
• Step 6 – Save and test: save the change, then use another phone to open your listing in Google Maps and tap Message to confirm the conversation reaches you.

If you choose WhatsApp, Google points business owners to WhatsApp's own help article on click-to-chat links for the correct URL format. Google also notes that different Business Profiles can use the same WhatsApp link, which is useful if you manage several locations from one shared inbox.

If you do not see a Chat field in your Contact section, the feature may not be available for your region or profile yet. Google's help page states that chat options are only available in select regions, so a missing option is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong with your account.

Google lets you add both, but it will only show one. Its help page says that if both options are added, only the text message option is displayed to customers. That means you should make a deliberate choice instead of filling in both fields and hoping for the best.

• Text message (SMS): works with almost any mobile number that can receive texts, needs no extra app for the customer, and is a natural fit for US service businesses such as contractors, salons, clinics and repair shops.
• WhatsApp: works through a click-to-chat link and suits businesses whose customers already use WhatsApp, such as those serving international or multilingual communities.
• WhatsApp Business app tools: WhatsApp says its Business app offers a business profile, product showcases and automatic greeting and away messages so customers get a reply when you are busy.
• Shared inbox: Google allows the same WhatsApp link on several profiles, which can simplify chat for multi-location businesses.
• Simplicity: a text number usually means one less app to monitor, which matters for owner-operators who already juggle phone calls and email.

Whichever channel you choose, customers will be messaging from their phones. Pew Research Center's 2026 mobile fact sheet reports that 98% of U.S. adults own a cellphone of some kind and 91% own a smartphone, based on a survey of 5,511 adults conducted between January 30 and June 18, 2026. Pew also found that 16% of U.S. adults are "smartphone-only" internet users with no home broadband, so for some customers a phone is the only way they will reach you online.

The WhatsApp features above come from WhatsApp's Business app product page. Check WhatsApp's current terms and pricing for any paid features before you rely on them.

Google's Business Profile performance help page lists "Messages" as one of the interaction metrics and defines it as the number of different conversations through messages. Performance data is only available for verified profiles, and Google says it includes views, searches and actions from both organic search results and Google Ads.

• On Google Search: go to your Business Profile and select a time period at the top of the performance report.
• In the Google Maps app: tap Business at the bottom right, tap See more next to "Performance", then choose a time period.
• Compare with calls: review Messages next to Calls and Website clicks to see whether chat is adding new conversations or simply replacing phone calls.
• Check over time: set a date range before and after you turn on chat so you can judge the change with your own data rather than guesses.

Google also warns that only metrics that apply to your business appear and that not every metric is available to every profile. If Messages does not show up, confirm that chat is saved correctly and that the feature is offered in your area.

Google's bulletin frames the Message button as a way to catch leads when you cannot pick up the phone, for example when you are with a client or working on a job site. That only helps if someone actually answers. These practical habits keep the channel useful:

• Use a number someone checks: route texts to a phone that is monitored during business hours, not a landline or a forgotten device.
• Set an automatic first reply: on WhatsApp, use greeting and away messages; on SMS, use your phone or business texting tool's auto-reply so customers know when to expect an answer.
• Keep hours accurate: Google's holiday checklist recommends setting special hours, which also tells customers when a fast reply is realistic.
• Prepare short templates: write ready answers for pricing questions, availability, directions and booking links, then personalise each reply.
• Move bookings forward: answer the question, then offer a clear next step such as a booking link, a call-back time or a quote request page on your website.
• Respect privacy: do not ask for card numbers or sensitive personal data over chat, and only send promotional texts to people who have agreed to receive them.

Messaging works best alongside a complete, accurate profile. If you have not reviewed your categories, services, photos and reviews recently, start with our Google Business Profile optimization guide. You can also publish seasonal offers with Business Profile posts, which Google says appear to customers on Search and Maps.

Google does not say that chat is a ranking factor, and none of the official pages cited in this guide make that claim. Treat messaging as a conversion feature: it gives people who already found your listing one more easy way to contact you. It does not replace the fundamentals of local visibility, such as relevance, a complete profile, genuine reviews and a helpful website.

If your goal is to appear in more Google Maps results, read our guide on how to rank on Google Maps in Louisville KY. The advice applies to most local businesses, whether you serve customers in Louisville, elsewhere in Kentucky or across the US.

• Profile not verified: Google only allows chat on claimed and verified Business Profiles.
• Regional availability: Google says chat options are available in select regions and might not be available for your profile.
• Both channels added: if you entered WhatsApp and a text number, customers will only see the text option, which can look as if WhatsApp "disappeared".
• Wrong link or number: an incorrect WhatsApp URL or a number that cannot receive texts means customers cannot reach you even if the button appears, so test after every change.
• Check another device: ask a colleague on a different phone, ideally one Android and one iPhone, to open your Maps listing and confirm what customers actually see.

If everything looks correct and the option is still missing, post in the Google Business Profile Community or use the contact options on Google's help pages for profile-specific support.

• Google Business Profile Help: Chat with customers from your Business Profile – support.google.com/business/answer/15013580
• Google Business Profile Community: Google Small Business Bulletin – Holiday Checklist & New Features (November 2026) – support.google.com/business/thread/476642299
• Google Business Profile Help: Understand your Business Profile performance & insights – support.google.com/business/answer/9918094
• Google Business Profile Help: Create & manage posts on your Business Profile – support.google.com/business/answer/7342169
• WhatsApp Help Center: click-to-chat links (linked from Google's chat help page) – faq.whatsapp.com/5913398998672934
• WhatsApp Business: WhatsApp Business App product page – business.whatsapp.com/products/business-app
• Pew Research Center: Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026 (mobile fact sheet) – pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
• Search Engine Roundtable: Google Expands Business Messaging To Google Maps On iOS & Android (November 2026) – seroundtable.com/google-maps-messaging-android-ios-42472.html