Google Maps is adding a Message button next to Call: what small businesses should do

What happened

In its Small Business Bulletin, posted on 5 November 2026 in the Google Business Profile community, Google said that businesses which have set up chat through Search now get a Message button right next to Call on Google Maps, on both Android and iPhone. The button shows on the business profile, in the expanded header and in the action bar at the bottom of the screen. Tapping it opens WhatsApp or a normal text message, depending on what the business has added. If a business adds both, customers only see the text option.

Google says chat is available in "select regions" and has not published the list, so check your own profile rather than assuming it is live for you. The same bulletin also mentioned letting owners describe opening hours in plain words and have Google fill in the hours fields, a simpler appeals tool for suspended profiles, and a holiday checklist reminding owners to set holiday hours and keep posts and offers up to date. (Summary via Relevant Audience.)

Why it matters to a small business

Plenty of people would rather not ring. They are at work, it is late, or they just want a quick answer: "Do you have anything on Saturday?", "Do you take my insurance?", "How much is a check-up?". Until now, Google Maps mostly gave them two choices: call you or leave for your website. A Message button next to Call gives them a third, easier route, and it sits in the same place they already look.

That is good news if you answer quickly, and bad news if you do not. A message that sits unread for a day feels worse to a customer than a phone that rings out, because they can see you have not replied. Businesses that reply within minutes will win the people who were comparing three options on the same screen.

For clinics, therapists and dentists there is one extra point: a quick question by message is fine, but people should never be asked to send medical details over WhatsApp. Have a short, polite reply ready that moves anything personal to a call or a secure booking form.

Five things to do this week

1. Check your profile on your own phone. Search for your business in Google Maps and look at the buttons. If you do not see a way to turn on chat in your Business Profile, it may not be live in your area yet, so make a note to check again next month.
2. Decide who answers and when. Pick one person and one number. Write down your reply hours and set an away message that says when you will get back to people, for example "Thanks, we reply between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday."
3. Save three ready replies. Most questions are the same few: availability, prices and location or parking. Keep short answers ready so you can reply in seconds, each ending with a clear next step such as a booking link.
4. Make your website match. If someone taps through to your site after messaging, they should find the same prices, the same hours and a clear Book or Call button on the first screen. A slow or out-of-date site undoes a good reply.
5. Use the holiday checklist now. Set Christmas and New Year hours in your Business Profile, add a Google post about your holiday opening times or offers, and check your booking and contact links still work.

The bottom line

Google is making it easier for people to message a business straight from Maps. The businesses that benefit will be the ones that reply fast, give a clear next step and send people to a website that backs up what they said. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your Google profile or the first screen of your website, get in touch and we will tell you what we would change first.