Throughout the day, one receives numerous WhatsApp messages—be it from friends, the office, or family members. Responding to everyone individually is not only difficult but also time-consuming. However, AI has arrived to relieve you of this burden. AI acts like a computer brain that drafts and sends responses on your behalf. If you are asleep or busy in a class, the AI will automatically send an appropriate reply; you won’t have to type a thing.
An Easy Solution: The Auto-Reply Feature
The simplest way to handle this is by using WhatsApp’s ‘Auto-Reply’ feature. Enabling this feature ensures that a pre-written message is automatically sent to the person contacting you, even when you are busy. They won’t even realize that you didn’t send the message yourself. The auto-reply feature is not available in standard WhatsApp; it is found in the WhatsApp Business app, which is available on the Play Store and App Store. Shopkeepers, freelancers, and small business owners make extensive use of it.
How to set it up on Android and iPhone?
For Android phones:
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and set up your business profile.
- Tap on the three dots located at the top right corner of the screen.
- Go to ‘Business Tools’.
- Select ‘Away Message’ or ‘Greeting Message’.
For iPhone:
- Open the WhatsApp Business app.
- Tap ‘Settings’ at the bottom right.
- Go to ‘Business Tools’, select ‘Away Message’ or ‘Greeting Message’, and toggle on the ‘Send Away Message’ option.
How to set the message and schedule?
Write a brief and direct response; for example: “I am busy right now. I will speak to you after 6 PM.” You can decide whether this message is sent always, on specific dates, or only outside of business hours. You can also choose whether to send it to everyone or only to new numbers. Finally, don’t forget to tap the ‘Save’ button.
What is the difference between a Greeting Message and an Away Message? This triggers when a new person contacts you for the first time or when you are unavailable. You can choose to have both options active simultaneously. If you want your business account to automatically respond to customers, the ‘Meta Business Agent’ option is available for certain accounts; simply open the ‘Tools’ tab in WhatsApp Business and check for the AI agent option. This feature is currently available only in select countries and for specific business accounts. Therefore, it is advisable to always review the AI-generated responses to ensure no incorrect information is sent out.
