What Does a Universal Inbox Do?
It combines messages from:
- Email accounts (e.g., Gmail, Outlook)
- Social media (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, Twitter/X)
- Live chat (from your website)
- SMS/text messages
- Help desk or support platforms (e.g., Zendesk, Intercom)
- Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Slack)
Key Features
- One login, multiple channels
- Unified view of all conversations
- Reply from one place, no need to switch apps
- Assign messages to team members (in business use)
- Search and filter across all channels
Who Uses It?
- Customer support teams
- Social media managers
- Businesses that receive messages across many platforms
- Freelancers or individuals managing multiple accounts
Example:
A small business owner running a shop might get:
- Emails from suppliers
- Instagram DMs from customers
- Website chat questions
- Facebook Messenger inquiries
A universal inbox brings all of those into one dashboard, so you don’t have to check 5 different apps constantly.
Let me know if you'd like suggestions for universal inbox tools!