You can get notified about incoming messages from multiple places when you use Converse Inbox. Converse Inbox (available with Grow) shows a list of all SMS Conversations and prompts or alerts on a new message, in a single list inside Salesforce very much like an email Inbox.

You can configure Converse Inbox on your Utility bar in Lightning or Classic side Panel in the Classic version.

The Inbox:

• Alerts you of new incoming SMS
• Shows list of all (My) Unread and New Conversations 

Notification (available with Start) – This shows a list of all unread incoming messages and gives you the capability to reply to incomings. You can configure this component on your utility bar in the lightning or Classic version. The Notification:

• Alerts you of new incoming SMS
• Shows list of all (My) Unread and New messages

It is a compact version of the Converse Desk with minimal functionality focusing on reading and replying to the unread and new messages. For Salesforce Lightning,  you can configure the Converse Inbox in the Lightning Utility Bar, and for Salesforce Classic, you can set it up in the Classic Side Panel. 

Prerequisite

Before using Converse Inbox, the following prerequisite needs to be completed:

• The application is version 1.54 and above.

Here is the step by step video to Configure Converse Inbox on Classic side Panel

Converse Inbox for Classic Side Panel feature helps the user to see and reply to new messages from the Home tab sidebar of your Salesforce Org. This feature is a compact version of the Converse Desk with minimal functionalities focusing on reading and replying to the unread and new messages.

1. From the Salesforce navigation on the top right, click Setup.
2. Select Home Page Layouts from Home sidebar by:
• Using the Quick Find / Search field, or
• Selecting Build > Customize > Home Page Layouts.



3. On the Home Page Layouts page, select the layout that you want to edit.
4. Click Edit under the Action column.



5. Select converse-home under Select Narrow Components to Show.



6. Click Next.
7. On the Edit Home Layout page select the arrangement of the components for the Narrow (Left) Column and the Wide (Right) Column.



8. Use one of the following buttons:
   

   BUTTON	DESCRIPTION
   Previous	Returns the user to the Edit Home Layout page.
   Save & Assign	Saves the arrangements of the components on the home page and the user goes to the Home Page Layout Assignment page.
   Save	Saves the arrangements of the components on the home page and returns the user to the Home Page Layouts page.
   Preview	Displays the arrangements of the components on the home page.
   Cancel	Cancels the configuration of the layout and returns the user to the Home Page Layouts page.

9. On the Home Page Layout Assignment page, you can assign the components to the home page.
10. When you are done with the layout assignments, click Save.

Show Conversations on a Record Page Layout

1. Log in to Salesforce and click Setup.
2. Search for Visualforce and click the relevant option in the search results. The Visualforce Pages appears.



3. Click New.



4. Type the label for the page.
5. Copy and paste the following code in the Visual Markup section.

<apex:page showHeader="false" standardController="Contact">
<apex:includeLightning rendered="true"/> 
<div id="lightning" />
<script> var recordId = "{!$CurrentPage.parameters.id}"; 
$Lightning.use( "smagicinteract:conversationApp", function()
{ $Lightning.createComponent( "smagicinteract:conversationView", 
{ recordId : recordId,
embedContext : "detail", uiContext : "classic" },
"lightning", function(cmp) { } ); } ); </script></apex:page>

6. Change the value of “StandardController” to the object where you wish to add the page.
7. Click Save.
8. As the code is run for the Contact object, on the Contact Object page, click a Contact record.



9. Click Edit Layout.



10. Click Visualforce pages on the top panel and then drag a blank space field to place within the Contact Details section.
11. Also, drag the Section field to the Contact Details section and place it after the blank space you have just inserted. The section properties dialog box appears.



12. Perform the following:
• Enter a name for the section.
• Define a location where the section header will be displayed.
• Configure the Column layout.
• Define the Tab key order.
13. Click OK.
14. Drag the Visualforce page you have created and place it within this section. The page properties dialog box appears.



15. Perform the following:
• Modify the page properties. For example, set the Width to 100%, and Height to 550 pixels.
• Select the boxes to display a Scrollbar and a Label on the Visualforce page.
16. Click OK. The Contact Record Detail page displays the Conversation view.

Configure Converse Inbox for all Tabs

1. From the Salesforce navigation on the top right, click Setup.
2. Select User Interface from Home sidebar by:
• Using the Quick Find / Search field, or
• Selecting Build > Customize > User Interface.



3. Select Show Custom Sidebar Components on All Pages.

This enables the Converse Inbox on the sidebar of all pages in Salesforce Classic.

Converse Inbox for Lightning Utility Bar feature helps the user to see and reply to new messages from the utility bar of the configured lightning console app.

The utility bar in Salesforce is broadly defined as a single-column Lightning page. Before setting up a utility bar for a lightning console app the user keeps following in mind:

• The application is version 1.54 and above.
• The utility bar can only be applied to Lightning apps.
• The utility bar does not support Visualforce pages or components.
• The utility bar does not fully support the Chatter Publisher and Feed components.
• The History utility works in Lightning console apps only.
• The Omni-Channel utility works in the Lightning Service Console app only.

Converse Inbox lets the user respond to new or unread messages with ease without disrupting their workflow. With the Converse Inbox, the user can respond to opportunities to new messages from leads or prospects.

1. From the Salesforce navigation on the top right, click Setup.
2. Select App Manager by:
• Using the Quick Find / Search field, or
• Selecting Platform Tools Apps & App Manager.



3. Select the Lightning App Type that you want to edit.



4. Select Utility Items from the App Settings list.



5. Click Add Utility Item and scroll down and select Conversations View.



6. Under Component Properties, perform the following:
• Set UI Context to SF1.
• Set Embed Context to Tab.



7. Select the Enable Contextual Conversation checkbox to view all related conversations.
8. Click Save.