"getting-started"
"How to Connect Play Mobile to On-Chat"
"Connect Play Mobile SMS gateway to On-Chat and manage two-way customer SMS conversations in a shared inbox with automation and agent routing."
Introduction
Play Mobile is a mobile messaging and SMS gateway service that enables businesses to send and receive SMS messages at scale. By integrating Play Mobile with On-Chat, support teams can centralize all inbound customer SMS conversations in a shared inbox, with agent routing, automated responses, and conversation management tools to deliver responsive, organized SMS support.
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Prerequisites
- An active Play Mobile account with API access
- Play Mobile API key or username/password credentials
- A virtual number provisioned in Play Mobile for inbound SMS
- On-Chat account with admin access
- Ability to configure inbound message webhooks in Play Mobile
Step 1: Retrieve Your Play Mobile API Credentials
Log in to your Play Mobile account and navigate to the API or developer settings. Copy your API key or authentication credentials and note the API base URL. Also record your sender ID or virtual number. These will be used to authenticate On-Chat's requests to Play Mobile.
Step 2: Provision a Two-Way SMS Number
In Play Mobile, verify that your account has a virtual number or shortcode configured for inbound SMS. If not, contact Play Mobile support to provision a number for two-way SMS messaging.
Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In On-Chat, go to Settings → Inboxes → New Inbox and select SMS. Choose Play Mobile as the provider. Enter your API credentials, base URL, and virtual number. Save the inbox to generate the On-Chat inbound webhook URL.
Step 4: Configure the Inbound Webhook in Play Mobile
In the Play Mobile dashboard, navigate to your number or account settings and find the inbound message delivery URL. Enter the On-Chat webhook URL you generated. Play Mobile will POST all incoming customer SMS messages to On-Chat, creating new conversations automatically.
Step 5: Add Agents and Configure Routing
In On-Chat, go to Settings → Inboxes → select your Play Mobile inbox → Collaborators. Add the support agents who will respond to SMS conversations. Enable auto-assignment to distribute new conversations based on agent availability.
Step 6: Test the Integration
Send a test SMS to your Play Mobile virtual number. Verify the message appears in your On-Chat inbox. Reply from an agent and confirm the customer receives the reply via Play Mobile. Review delivery receipts in Play Mobile and conversation logs in On-Chat.
Best Practices
- Use On-Chat automation to send immediate auto-replies when customers first contact via Play Mobile SMS
- Monitor Play Mobile delivery reports to track outbound message success rates
- Apply On-Chat conversation labels to categorize support issues by topic or product type
- Set On-Chat business hours automation to manage customer expectations outside support hours