# External Chat Overview (Desktop App)

External Chat gathers the messages your customers send from different channels, SMS (Short Message Service) and social media among them, into a single workspace inside the Cloud Voice App. Instead of switching between apps, your agents read and answer every conversation from one desktop inbox.

![Cloud Voice App inbox showing external customer conversations grouped by channel](/images/pbx/conversation-preview-desktop.png)

## What you need first

Before agents can use External Chat, confirm the following.

**Phone system**

- Version 84.20.0.21 or later.
- An Enterprise Plan or Ultimate Plan subscription.
- At least one messaging channel configured on the system.

**Cloud Voice App (Desktop)**

- Windows: version 1.2.14 or later.
- macOS: version 1.2.10 or later.

:::caution
Every requirement above must be met before the feature appears. If an agent cannot see External Chat, check all three in order: the phone system is on a supported version, the account is on an Enterprise or Ultimate plan, at least one messaging channel is configured, and the desktop app is up to date. A single missing item hides the feature with no error message.
:::

## Channel types

Each conversation carries an icon that shows where the message came from:

- ![SMS channel icon](/images/pbx/sms.png) SMS
- ![WhatsApp channel icon](/images/pbx/wa.png) WhatsApp
- ![Facebook channel icon](/images/pbx/facebook.png) Facebook
- ![Live Chat channel icon](/images/pbx/live-chat.png) Live Chat

## Channel limits

Individual channels behave differently. Use the table below to see what each one supports.

| | SMS | WhatsApp | Facebook | Live Chat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat type | 1:1 conversations and group chats handled by an agent queue | Same | Same | Same |
| Session auto-closure | Set by your administrator | Set by your administrator | Set by your administrator | Set by your administrator |
| Who can start a session | Agent or customer | Agent (via an approved WhatsApp message template) or customer | Customer only | Customer only |
| Maximum file size | 100 MB | 100 MB | 25 MB | 10 MB |
| File retention | 72 hours | 72 hours | 72 hours | 72 hours |

:::note
For Facebook and Live Chat, agents can only reply to a message the customer sends first, they cannot open a new conversation. On WhatsApp, an agent can start a conversation only by sending a pre-approved WhatsApp message template. On SMS, an agent can start a conversation freely.
:::

Files that customers or agents share stay available for a limited time only, and the maximum file size differs by channel.

:::caution
Shared files are kept for 72 hours, then they are removed. If an attachment matters (an invoice, a photo, a signed form), download it before the retention window closes. Sending a file larger than the channel limit in the table will fail.
:::

## What External Chat gives you

- **One inbox for everything.** Every customer query, regardless of the channel it arrived on, lands in the same place so nothing gets missed.
- **Business identity stays intact.** Agents reach out using a company phone number, keeping personal numbers private.
- **Handoffs without friction.** Transfer a session to a colleague and they inherit the full chat history, so they can pick up mid-conversation with full context.
- **Full session control.** Turn a chat into a call, archive or restore sessions, and manage the queue as work demands.
- **Notifications on your terms.** Switch pop-up alerts and sounds for new messages on or off to suit how you work.

:::tip
Leave new-message notifications (pop-up and sound) turned on for agents who handle live customer queries. Inbound external messages do not ring like a call, so a muted inbox is easy to overlook.
:::

## Next steps

Once the requirements are in place, agents can start receiving and answering customer messages from external channels directly in the Cloud Voice App. See your contact center documentation for the step-by-step workflow of handling these conversations.