Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies are now live in the Bigin iOS app, and if you are a small business owner who handles customer enquiries from your iPhone, this update changes your daily workflow meaningfully. Until now, WhatsApp Business Messaging in Bigin was more structured on desktop. This update brings the full power of pre-approved templates and quick reply responses to iOS – so you can respond professionally to a customer enquiry in seconds while still in a meeting, on a site visit, or traveling between appointments. Here is what every small business owner and Bigin user needs to know.

What is new in Bigin iOS Business Messaging?

Zoho has announced the addition of Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies to the Business Messaging section of the Bigin iOS app. This update is available from iOS 18.0 and above, and it brings feature parity between the Bigin web app and the mobile experience for one of the most important customer communication channels small businesses use. The update is specifically for the Contacts module within Bigin Business Messaging.

Before this update, Bigin users on iPhone could read and send basic WhatsApp messages but could not access the full capabilities of WhatsApp Business API messaging from their phone. Now, with interactive WhatsApp templates and quick replies accessible in the iOS app, a small business owner on the road can respond to a new enquiry with a professional, media-rich template message in seconds — without switching to a desktop or delegating the response to someone at a computer.

7 new Bigin WhatsApp features explained

1Rich media interactive WhatsApp templates in Bigin iOS

Bigin WhatsApp template messages now support rich media headers on iOS. A template can carry a text header, an image, a video, or a document at the top of the message — making the business communication significantly more effective than a plain text message. A services company can attach a brochure PDF, a real estate agent can attach a property walkthrough video, and a retailer can attach a product image, all within a single WhatsApp template that is pre-approved by the WhatsApp Business API. The WhatsApp templates for small business feature is the core of what makes interactive WhatsApp templates Bigin distinctive from standard WhatsApp messages: the rich content is part of the template design, not a manual attachment.

2Interactive footer buttons — call to action and instant reply

The interactive footer is the feature that converts a WhatsApp template from a message into a conversion tool. Bigin WhatsApp templates now support two types of interactive footer buttons in the iOS app. Call to action buttons let the customer tap directly to visit a URL (your website, landing page, or product page) from within the WhatsApp message — eliminating the step of the customer copying a link manually. Instant reply buttons let the customer send a pre-defined reply (such as “Yes, interested” or “Send me the price list”) with a single tap, starting the conversation without typing. Both button types are configured when the template is created in the Bigin web app and are fully rendered in the iOS send preview.

3Quick replies for fast customer responses

Bigin WhatsApp quick replies are short, pre-written responses that you save in advance for situations that come up repeatedly — “Thank you, we will call you back shortly”, “Your order has been dispatched”, “Please share your address to arrange delivery”. In the iOS app, quick replies are accessible through the same More icon as templates, and sending one is a two-tap action from within the chat. For a small business owner handling 20-50 customer chats daily, quick replies eliminate the typing time on the most common responses and ensure consistent, professional wording across every customer interaction regardless of who on the team is responding.

4Voice messages up to 2 minutes

The Bigin iOS Business Messaging update adds voice message capability directly in the chat. Users can record and send voice messages of up to two minutes as replies to customers. The option is under the Attachment tab. Audio messages and other audio and video attachments can also be played directly within the conversation page — without downloading the file. For service businesses where a quick verbal explanation (directions, instructions, clarification) is faster than typing, voice message support in Bigin’s WhatsApp Business Messaging changes how efficiently field teams can communicate.

5Reply to specific messages

A commonly requested messaging feature is now in Bigin Business Messaging iOS: users can swipe right on any message bubble or long press and select Reply to respond to that specific message in the thread. This creates a quoted reply that keeps context visible in an active conversation — particularly useful when a customer asks multiple questions in a row and you are addressing each one individually. This context-preserving reply behaviour makes long WhatsApp customer conversations significantly easier to follow for both parties.

6Long messages as PDF

When a message exceeds the character limit, Bigin WhatsApp messaging on iOS now lets you convert it to a PDF and send it to the customer automatically. This improves the readability of detailed information — terms and conditions, detailed service proposals, step-by-step instructions, or quotation breakdowns that would otherwise be unreadable in a wall of text. The customer receives a clean, readable PDF document directly in the WhatsApp conversation without any additional email or sharing step required.

7Translate messages instantly

The Bigin iOS WhatsApp messaging update includes real-time message translation for supported languages. Tap a message to translate it instantly into your primary language within the app. Tap View Original to revert. This is particularly valuable for businesses with a geographically diverse customer base, for export businesses communicating with customers in a second language, or for any business where customers send messages in a regional language. The translation happens within the Bigin app so the conversation stays unified in one place.

How to access Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies on iOS

Accessing Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies on iOS is straightforward once the app is updated to the latest version (iOS 18.0 or above required):

Remember: templates and quick replies are only available for the Contacts module in Bigin. They must be created first through the Bigin web app – the iOS app is for previewing and sending. Ensure your device is running iOS 18.0 or above before updating, as the feature will not appear on earlier iOS versions.

How to create WhatsApp templates and quick replies in Bigin

Creating Bigin WhatsApp templates is a web-app-only action. Log in to your Bigin account on desktop, go to Settings, then navigate to the Business Messaging section and select the WhatsApp channel. From here you can create new templates by defining the header type (text, image, video, or document), the message body, and the footer buttons (call to action URL button or instant reply button). Templates require WhatsApp Business API approval before they can be sent — Bigin manages the submission process, and approved templates become available to send from both the web app and the iOS app.

Quick replies are created in the same Business Messaging settings area. They do not require WhatsApp approval because they are internal pre-written responses rather than business-initiated messages. Once saved, they are immediately available to all users of your Bigin workspace on both web and iOS. For detailed step-by-step setup, the official Bigin WhatsApp integration documentation covers the full configuration process including WhatsApp Business API connection, template creation, and quick reply setup.

Bigin WhatsApp for small business – real use case

Consider a practical scenario that reflects exactly how Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies work for a small business. A digital marketing consultant is in a client strategy meeting when a new business enquiry comes in on WhatsApp. In the old workflow, she would have to excuse herself, go to her desk, open Bigin on a browser, and compose a proper response. Now with the iOS update, she opens Bigin on her iPhone, goes to Messages, opens the enquiry chat, taps More, selects Templates, picks the “New Enquiry Follow-up” template (which includes a services overview PDF in the header and two buttons — “View our work” linking to the portfolio and “Request a proposal” as an instant reply), and taps Send. The customer receives a professional, media-rich WhatsApp message with one tap. Total time: under 30 seconds. The client meeting was never interrupted.

For a product business, the workflow is equally direct. A recurring use case is order confirmation: a quick reply pre-written as “Your order #[Order_ID] has been confirmed and will be dispatched within 24 hours” can be sent with two taps to every new order. For businesses handling 30-100 customer WhatsApp messages daily, this alone saves 45-60 minutes of repetitive typing per day across the team.

Setting up Bigin WhatsApp Business Messaging – Codroid Labs

Bigin CRM WhatsApp integration requires a WhatsApp Business API connection — not just a standard WhatsApp Business App account. The API connection, template creation and submission for approval, quick reply library setup, and team training are exactly the kind of setup tasks where a certified Bigin partner saves significant time. As a certified Zoho Bigin WhatsApp setup and implementation partner, Codroid Labs handles the full WhatsApp Business API onboarding for Bigin — from connecting the channel to configuring templates approved for your industry.

Frequently asked questions — Bigin WhatsApp templates and quick replies