Shared Inboxes allow teams to manage incoming messages from shared phone numbers—such as Departments, Ring Groups, or Welcome Menus—so conversations don’t rely on a single person.
What Are Shared Inboxes?
A Shared Inbox is a shared messaging workspace that allows multiple users to view and respond to messages sent to a common business phone number.
Shared Inboxes are typically used for team-based messaging—such as Sales, Support, or general inquiries—where conversations should not depend on a single person being available.
- With access to a Shared Inbox, you can:
- View both Open and Done conversations.
- Assign Unassigned messages to yourself.
- Manage your own list of active conversations.
- Hand off messages using Transfer or Return to Inbox.
- Mark conversations as Done when they are complete.
Shared Inboxes help teams stay organized by creating clear ownership, enabling smooth handoffs, and ensuring inbound messages are handled even when someone is unavailable.
You cannot take ownership of a message that is already assigned to another user unless you have Admin permissions.
View Shared Inbox Messages
To open a Shared Inbox in the web app, select the Inboxes tab from the left navigation panel.
Understand Message Indicators
The default view shows:
- Open > Unassigned messages that are waiting for a user.
- Assigned to Me messages you are currently handling.
You can also switch between Open and Done messages using the filter.
Message badges and flags help you identify message status at a glance:
- Blue badge: New activity on Unassigned messages.
- Green flag: Message is "Assigned to Me".
- Green badge: New activity on the "Assigned to Me" messages.
- Grey flag: Message is assigned to another user.
If a message is assigned to another user, you can view it but cannot take ownership unless an Admin reassigns it.
Assign Messages to Yourself
You can take ownership of Unassigned messages.
- Open the Shared Inbox.
- Select an Unassigned message.
- Click the Assign to Me button.
Once assigned, the message appears in your "Assigned to Me" list.
Admin users can assign messages to anyone within the Shared Inbox group.
Transfer Messages
If you need to hand a message directly to another user, you can transfer it. From the browser or desktop app:
- Open the message assigned to you.
- Select Transfer.
- Choose the user you want to transfer the message to.
Transferred messages are sent directly to the selected user and do not return to the Unassigned queue.
Return Messages to the Inbox
If you’re unable to continue working on a message, you can release it back to the Shared Inbox.
- Open the message.
- Select Return to Inbox.
The message moves back to the Unassigned list so another user or Admin can pick it up.
Mark Messages as Done
When a conversation is complete, you can close it.
- Open the message assigned to you.
- Review the conversation.
- Select Mark as Done.
The message moves to the Done list. Done messages can be reopened if new activity occurs or follow-up is needed.
Shared Inbox Access in the Mobile App
- View Open and Done messages.
- Transfer messages to other users.
- Return messages to the Inbox.
- Mark messages as Done.
Some actions may vary slightly depending on your configured permissions.
Routing Clarification
Your Admin determines Shared Inbox routing. Some routing options—such as directing messages to a specific Team Member or to everyone—may be configured within Ring Groups or Welcome Menus rather than appearing as standalone Shared Inbox destinations.
If messages are not appearing as expected, contact your Admin to review the number’s routing configuration.
If you are an admin, refer to: Manage Shared Inboxes as an Admin.