WhatsApp Business launches on iPhone after one year on Android

Back in 2014, Facebook announced that it had acquired messaging service WhatsApp for a record $19 billion, with the intention of keeping the service operating separately. Since the acquisition, the company has grown substantially, but has been looking for ways to monetise. Four years later, in 2018, WhatsApp launched its service ‘WhatsApp Business’, which was available for Android phones only.

Over a year later, Facebook announced that the offering is now available for iPhones as well. Since the initial launch on Android, WhatsApp Business has been adopted by millions of businesses worldwide.

The iOS version is designed to help small business owners reach their customers on smartphones, which have an increasingly high penetration in the Middle East. That means it includes the ability for businesses to create profiles that include their description, email, address and website, as well as messaging tools for customer communication like automated greetings, quick replies and away messages. Learn more about the launch of WhatsApp Business on iPhone here.