New messaging experience in the mobile app
What you need to know
We're in the process of rolling out a new, up-to-date messaging experience in the eBay mobile app that will better connect you to your buyers, improve the way you communicate with each other, and make it easier for you to manage your messages. If you’ve not received a notification in your mobile app yet, you'll see it over the coming weeks. For now, the updated experience will only be accessible on your mobile app and the messaging experience on your desktop won’t change.
You’ll be able to opt in to the beta version of the new experience when you receive a prompt in your mobile app. This is not the full version of the new messaging experience, and you will see some additional features, such as the ability to create auto-responses and sending offers to buyers, when we launch the full version. You’ll receive an additional prompt in the app when it’s your turn to switch to the full version of the new messaging experience.
While we're rolling out the beta version for your mobile, you’ll still be able to opt out and use the old messaging format. In late spring, once the full version of the new app messaging experience has been launched, we'll start to move all sellers over to the new experience.
This new messaging experience means you’ll be able to keep a closer track of all your communications. Your inbox will also be easier to manage as all messages can be grouped together by buyer or by listing.
Messages to and from your buyers will now be displayed in a more modern, user-friendly format. As with many other messaging platforms, all messages from the same person, for a specific item, will be grouped together in a threaded conversation. With threaded messaging, you’ll see both sides of a message conversation with a buyer in chronological order on one screen, giving you the full conversation history and context of each message.
What’s changing?
- We’ve refreshed the look and feel of how you and your buyers can view and send messages in your mobile app.
- This new experience makes messaging much clearer and more straightforward to use, as individual conversations with buyers will be simpler to follow and keep track of.
- Messages in your inbox will be grouped by buyer and listing so it will be easier to stay on top of all your communications.
- The full version coming later this spring will include features such as auto-responses and offers to buyers, and you'll be able to flag and delete a message conversation.
- The full version of the new messaging experience will be compatible with iOS, Android and later with desktop.
What isn’t changing?
- For now, the desktop messaging experience is not changing.
- While your messaging format and experience is changing on the eBay app, this does not mean we expect you to change the way you communicate with your buyers or to reply more quickly to your buyer messages.
- You’ll still be able to contact your buyers whenever you need to - nothing is changing in that respect.
- Your old messages will still be available in the new format, as will any folders you’ve created. You won’t lose any of your messages. As with the old format, messages in the new experience will be kept for one year and then automatically deleted.
Next steps
- Look out for a prompt in your message inbox in your mobile app to opt in to the new beta experience on your mobile. You can opt in to the new beta experience at any time, but starting in late spring we will begin to move all sellers over to the full version.
- Be one of the first sellers to try out the new messaging experience before it’s rolled out to all sellers over the next few months.
- Let us know what you think about it! You can find a button in your inbox to leave us your feedback.
FAQ
When is this change taking place?
You will shortly receive a prompt in your app to try the new messaging experience on mobile. You can opt in and opt out at any time in this beta version. This version will not contain all of the new features. Starting in late spring, we will begin to roll out the full mobile version of the new messaging experience to sellers.
Will any formatting in the old messages break when they are imported?
No, formatting won’t break when importing messages to the new experience. However, HTML won’t be supported and messages will be shown as plain text.
Will sellers and buyers see a different experience?
No, not if you use the eBay messaging system. All buyers will be able to use the beta version of the new experience until they are moved over to the full version. If you use a service provider, your experience won’t change, but the buyer will experience the new interface.
Will I still be able to send buyers a private offer?
Yes.
I reply to sellers using a service provider. What does this mean for me?
Your experience will vary by platform, but messages will come to you in the standard format for your service provider.
What happens to the desktop messaging experience?
The beta version and the full launch of the new experience refer only to the messaging in your eBay App. On desktop, you will still see the old experience for the time being. We are working on bringing the new, updated messaging experience to desktop and will notify you in your desktop inbox once it is ready for you.