Upcoming changes to Webchat, Telegram, WeChat, and Twilio (SMS) in Inbox

Zendesk has announced the sunset of Sunshine Conversations (formerly Smooch), the third-party technology that connects Webchat, Telegram, WeChat, and Twilio (SMS) to Inbox. This is a decision made by Zendesk, not Hootsuite.

As a result, these channels will no longer be operational in Inbox after February 1, 2027.

Note: Zendesk Sunshine powers the Webchat widget itself, not just its connection to Inbox, so Webchat will stop working entirely on February 1, 2027. Webchat is also separate from chatbot functionality, which isn't affected by this change.

Who this affects

This change only affects customers on Enterprise plans, whose organization connects any of the following channels to Inbox through Zendesk Sunshine:

• Webchat (Web Messenger)
• Telegram
• WeChat
• Twilio (SMS)

What to expect

Before February 1, 2027: Existing connections continue to work as usual. You'll keep receiving messages from these channels in Inbox.

New connections: As of now, you can no longer connect new Webchat, Telegram, WeChat, or Twilio (SMS) channels to Inbox.

On February 1, 2027: These channels will stop sending messages to Inbox.

What you need to do

If you have a custom integration built on the Smooch API, you'll need to plan for its transition separately. Contact your Customer Success Manager for support.