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Google Business Profile messaging: what businesses should do
“Previously, finding chat on Maps required scrolling deep down into your profile.”
— Lisa Landsman, Google, in the Google Small Business Bulletin (via Search Engine Roundtable)
What happened
Google Business Profile messaging is now much easier to find on Google Maps: profiles that have chat turned on now show a Message button right next to the Call button on Maps listings for both Android and iOS. Google announced the change in its monthly Google Small Business Bulletin, posted by Lisa Landsman, Google’s Head of Industry Engagement & SMB Success, in the Business Profile Community on November 5, 2026, and Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal reported it on November 6.
Until now, customers had to scroll deep into a business’s profile to find the chat option. The new button sits in the main profile view, the expanded header and the bottom action bar. Messages route to the channel the business chooses in its profile: WhatsApp or regular text messaging (SMS). According to Google’s help page, a business with a claimed and verified Business Profile can add one of these chat options under Contact in the profile editor; if both are added, only the text-message option is shown to customers. Google says chat is available in “select regions,” without naming them.
The same bulletin listed other Google Business Profile updates. A new “Generate hours” tool lets owners describe their schedule in plain language (for example, weekday hours with a lunch break) and have AI fill in the hours, which the owner reviews before saving. Google also said the Business Profile connection inside the Gemini app is rolling out to Google Workspace accounts, though Search Engine Journal noted that Google’s help page still says work accounts aren’t supported yet.
FuzeForth’s take
This looks like a small design change, but it puts texting on equal footing with calling at the exact moment a customer is deciding whom to contact. Plenty of customers would rather send a quick text than make a phone call. A business with chat set up now gets a second, very visible way to be contacted from Maps. A business without it shows only the Call button, and some of those people will move on to the next listing.
The bigger risk is speed. A Message button that’s easy to tap will bring in more messages, and a message that sits unanswered for hours does more harm than having no button at all. Home service companies, clinics, salons, restaurants and other local businesses that are busy with customers or out on jobs should decide who answers these messages and how quickly. This is where AI agents that answer customer messages can help: they can respond right away, answer common questions and book appointments, then hand complex conversations to a person.
What to do this week: sign in to your Business Profile, open Contact and check whether chat is available for your listing. Pick one channel, either WhatsApp or text. Make sure the number or WhatsApp link goes to a phone that someone actually monitors, and set expectations for response times. Then watch your Business Profile metrics to see how many chats come in. Messaging, accurate hours and an active profile all feed into how you show up locally, which is a core part of local and AI search optimization. If you run a trades or field-service business, see how this fits with technology for home services companies.
Key points
- Google Maps on Android and iOS now shows a Message button next to Call for Business Profiles that have chat turned on.
- Chat routes to WhatsApp or SMS text messaging. If both are set up, Google shows only the text option, and chat is available only in select regions.
- Google also added a “Generate hours” tool that turns a plain-language description into business hours, available in select regions and languages.
- Gemini’s Business Profile connection is rolling out to Workspace accounts, though Google’s help page still lists work accounts as unsupported.
- Businesses should set up one chat channel and plan how to reply fast, because a more visible button means more messages.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on Google Business Profile messaging?
Sign in to your verified Business Profile, open the profile editor, go to Contact and edit the Chat field. Choose WhatsApp or Text message, enter your WhatsApp click-to-chat link or a phone number that can receive texts, and save.
Is the Google Maps Message button available in the US?
Google says chat options are available in “select regions” and may not be available for every profile. It hasn’t published a list of countries, so the quickest way to check is to look for the Chat field in your profile’s Contact section.
Can I use both WhatsApp and text messages on my Business Profile?
You can add both, but Google shows customers only one. If both are added, only the text-message option is displayed.
Sources
- Search Engine Roundtable — Google Expands Business Messaging To Google Maps On iOS & Android
- Search Engine Journal — Google Gemini Business Profile Tools Are Coming To Workspace
- Google Business Profile Help — Chat and messaging options (help page)
- Google Business Profile Help — Generate hours with AI (help page)
