What it does

Customers contact support via Apple Messages on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Supports rich messaging: file attachments, Apple Pay, interactive elements. Async, conversations persist between sessions.

Key facts

• Not self-service. Requires external Apple Business Register onboarding + Microsoft Support involvement before any D365 config can begin
• Two external dependencies must both complete before Dynamics 365 configuration is possible: Apple (business registration + MSP selection) and Microsoft Support (backend onboarding)
• Supports OAuth 2.0 OpenID Connect for customer identity verification
• Apple Pay requires a separate payment profile configured after initial channel setup
• Rich messages (interactive elements) are configured separately via create-rich-messages
• Account ID cannot be encrypted if customer-managed keys are in use

When to use / skip

Use Apple Messages if the customer base has high Apple device penetration and you want to meet them in the native app. Skip if the base is mixed-platform, the onboarding overhead isn't justified unless Apple users are significant.

Configuration decisions

• Whether to enable Apple Pay: requires a payment profile and separate setup; scope this as a distinct work item if in scope
• Whether to require authentication: OAuth 2.0 OpenID Connect needs an Entra ID app registration (or equivalent IdP); this is an IT security team task, not an admin center task
• Rich message types to enable: assess which interactive elements add value vs add complexity

Gotchas

• Deprecated 2026-07-17: Onboarding for Apple Messages for Business is deprecated. New onboarding stops, and the Apple configuration options in Copilot Service admin center are removed on 2026-09-30. Existing configured channels keep working, but don't start a new Apple Messages build after this — you won't be able to finish it. See deprecation page.
• Longest lead time of any digital channel. Apple Business Register registration, MSP selection, and Microsoft Support backend onboarding take weeks before you can touch D365 config. Start Apple onboarding at project kick-off, not during implementation.
• Two parties must move before you can do anything. Apple approval and Microsoft support escalation are out of your control. Build buffer into the timeline.
• Authentication and Apple Pay can ship in a second phase: the channel goes live without them, but you'll need them fully configured to use them.

Consultant notes

• Start Apple Business Register onboarding at project kick-off, not during the implementation phase. That's not a suggestion: it's a hard constraint. Registration plus Microsoft support backend onboarding can take three to four weeks, and neither is in your control.
• This is the most underestimated channel for project planning. Everyone assumes it'll be like setting up a WhatsApp or Facebook channel. The external dependency chain is completely different. If it's in scope, give it its own entry on the project RAID log from week one.
• Apple Pay and rich messages are almost always deferred to a second phase in practice. If the client asks for them upfront, scope them as optional phase 2 work with a clear dependency on the base channel being stable first.

---

Source last updated: 2026-01-15 | Revisit when Apple onboarding becomes self-service, or new rich message types land