# No customer waits for the phone: Shared WhatsApp inbox in Uganda

**Your team answers customers from one business number, each from their own login, without stepping on each other’s replies.**

WhatsApp on one phone works until two people need to answer at once, or the person holding it goes home. EliteTeQ Inbox moves your business number into a shared inbox that works on any computer or phone, and gives every chat a clear owner. Staff in Kampala and Entebbe answer the same +256 number at the same time.

- Each teammate signs in with their own login
- Assign, transfer and @mention on any chat
- Greeting, away message and office hours per number
- New chats shared out in turn with auto-assign

Share my number with my team free: https://crm.eliteteqpos.com/signup (7 days free · no card needed · keep the WhatsApp Business app)

## The problems of one business phone

> Customers message at nine at night and nobody answers until morning.

Set office hours for each number, in Kampala time (EAT). After hours, customers get your away message straight away, and their chat waits at the top of the list for the morning.

> Nakato ends up answering every chat, because the phone lives at the till.

Tick who handles the number and turn on auto-assign. Each new customer goes to the next person in turn.

> The 24 hours passed and now WhatsApp won’t let us reply.

Every chat shows how long you have left to reply. When the window closes, send an approved template from the same box.

### Who answers your customers when the phone holder goes home?

Tell us how many people should answer. We set up logins, auto-assign and office hours with you on WhatsApp, usually in one sitting. [Set up my team inbox](https://wa.me/12144235355?text=Hi%20EliteTeQ!%20Our%20team%20shares%20one%20WhatsApp%20number.%20Can%20you%20help%20me%20set%20up%20EliteTeQ%20Inbox%20with%20logins%2C%20auto-assign%20and%20office%20hours%3F%20I%E2%80%99m%20in%20Uganda.) on WhatsApp +1 214 423 5355.

## How a shared WhatsApp inbox works

Customers message the same number they always have; your team answers from the inbox.

1. **A customer writes** — Nakato messages your +256 business number. The chat appears in the inbox for everyone allowed to see that number.
2. **It goes to one person** — Auto-assign gives new chats to the next teammate in turn, or anyone can take it. The chat shows whose it is.
3. **The team works on it together** — The owner leaves an internal comment, “@Mugisha offer free delivery”, that the customer never sees.
4. **Nothing is left waiting** — Waiting chats rise to the top, and a countdown shows how long you have before WhatsApp’s 24-hour reply window closes.

## What is a shared WhatsApp inbox?

A shared WhatsApp inbox lets several staff answer customers from one WhatsApp Business number at the same time, each from their own login. EliteTeQ Inbox does this on the official WhatsApp Business Platform: chats are assigned to one teammate, internal comments stay inside the team, and the owner sees every conversation in Uganda.

- One number, many logins, on computer or phone
- Each chat assigned to one teammate
- Internal comments the customer never sees
- Owners and admins see every chat

## EliteTeQ Inbox at a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Product | EliteTeQ Inbox, by EliteTeQ Softwares Limited (Nairobi, Kenya) |
| What it is | A WhatsApp team inbox and CRM |
| Channels | WhatsApp Business (official Cloud API, works alongside the WhatsApp Business app), Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, Facebook and Instagram comments |
| Works on | Any browser; installs on Android and iPhone |
| Price | From $29 a month; $59 Growth; $99 Business with unlimited people; a year costs 10 months |
| Free trial | 7 days, every feature open |
| WhatsApp numbers | 1 to 3 included by plan; up to 20 per business (Meta’s limit once the business is verified with Meta) |
| In Uganda | +256 WhatsApp Business numbers, office hours on Kampala time (EAT) |
| Languages | Customers write in English, Luganda and Swahili |
| Setup | About 40 minutes, or done with you on WhatsApp |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-01 |

## What a shared inbox fixes

The everyday problems of one business phone, one at a time.

### Every chat has an owner

Assign a chat by hand, or turn on auto-assign so each new customer goes to the next teammate in turn. Transfer a chat with a handover note and the new owner gets an alert.

- Round-robin auto-assign per number
- Transfers with handover notes
- Two people can still reply if they need to
- Bulk-assign many chats at once

### Greeting, away message and office hours

New customers get a greeting during office hours. Anyone who writes while you’re closed gets an away message, at most once every 12 hours. Hours run in Kampala time (EAT).

- Set each day separately, including overnight shifts
- A different greeting and hours for each number
- Late messages never trigger an old auto-reply

### Templates for when the window closes

WhatsApp lets you reply freely for 24 hours after a customer writes. After that, or to message someone new, you send a template approved by WhatsApp. Create and track them in the app.

- Live preview while you write
- Status: in review, approved or rejected, with the reason
- Languages: English or Swahili

### On the phone too

Install EliteTeQ Inbox on Android or iPhone from the browser. It looks and works like WhatsApp, with sounds, pop-ups and an unread badge.

- Notification sounds and pop-ups
- Swipe-friendly lists and pipeline
- Stay signed in for 90 days while in use

## WhatsApp Business app alone vs with EliteTeQ Inbox

You can keep the app; the inbox adds the team, in Kampala, Entebbe or anywhere else.

| WhatsApp Business app alone | With EliteTeQ Inbox |
|---|---|
| One phone, plus a few linked devices | Every teammate on their own login |
| No way to say who handles a chat | Assign, transfer and auto-assign |
| Notes to staff go in another chat | Internal comments inside the chat |
| No record of who replied, or how fast | Reply speed per teammate in reports |
| Each number on its own phone | Several numbers in one inbox (Business plan) |

## For teams that answer customers on WhatsApp

Anywhere more than one person needs to answer the business number.

- [Beauty salons](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/beauty-salons/)
- [Restaurants & cafés](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/restaurants-and-cafes/)
- [Clothing stores](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/clothing-stores/)
- [Electronics stores](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/electronics-stores/)
- [Mobile phone shops](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/mobile-phone-shops/)
- [Pharmacies](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/pharmacies/)
- [Hardware stores](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/hardware-stores/)
- [Wholesale & distribution](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/industries/wholesale-distribution/)

## EliteTeQ Inbox in Uganda

Customers keep messaging the same number, in its +256 format; only the way your team answers changes.

In Uganda, customers in Kampala ask about prices and delivery on WhatsApp before they buy. EliteTeQ Inbox keeps every enquiry visible to the team until it is answered.

Customers in Uganda write in English, Luganda and other languages. Your team replies the way they write; template messages can be created in English or Swahili.

Office hours are set day by day for each number. A common setup in Kampala: weekdays open, Saturday mornings open, Sunday closed. Anyone who writes while you are closed gets your away message, at most once every 12 hours, and the chat waits at the top of the list for the morning.

- **Numbers:** +256 (e.g. +256 772 000 000)
- **Office hours:** Run on Kampala time (EAT)
- **Weekend:** Saturday and Sunday
- **Templates:** English or Swahili
- **Price:** From $29 a month, in US dollars
- **Paying:** Card, charged in Kenyan shillings at the day’s rate

## Selling on WhatsApp in Uganda

Customers in Uganda pay with MTN MoMo and Airtel Money, cards, and bank transfers, so when a sale closes on WhatsApp the customer may confirm payment in the chat, and your team needs to see that message quickly.

### [Mbarara](https://eliteteqpos.com/mbarara/)

Western Region · the commercial centre of western Uganda

Mbarara is the trading hub of western Uganda and the centre of the country's cattle and dairy belt, so a meaningful share of commerce is agricultural supply and produce trade rather than urban retail. Demand follows the farming and milk payment cycle, informal credit is common, and mobile money dominates settlement. The cattle and dairy belt sets the earning calendar, so trade follows milk and livestock payments more than salaries. When Mbarara trade peaks, auto-assign spreads new WhatsApp chats across whoever is on shift.

### [Gulu](https://eliteteqpos.com/gulu/)

Northern Region · the largest city in northern Uganda and its main trade hub

Gulu is the commercial centre of northern Uganda, supplying surrounding districts and trade heading north toward South Sudan. Mobile money is the everyday way to pay, wholesale and retail often run side by side, and power and network interruptions are part of normal trading. Traders supply the surrounding districts and cross-border buyers, so wholesale and retail often run from the same shop. When Gulu trade peaks, auto-assign spreads new WhatsApp chats across whoever is on shift.

### [Kampala](https://eliteteqpos.com/kampala/)

Central Region · Uganda's capital and commercial centre

Kampala holds the bulk of Uganda's formal trade, split between dense downtown wholesale markets and the higher-basket retail and restaurant areas on the surrounding hills. Mobile money is the default tender for most transactions. Downtown carries dense wholesale market trade while the surrounding hills hold the higher-basket retail and restaurants, each with a different payment mix. When Kampala trade peaks, auto-assign spreads new WhatsApp chats across whoever is on shift.

### EliteTeQ Inbox in every city of Uganda

- [Kampala](https://eliteteqpos.com/kampala/): Central Region, Uganda's capital and commercial centre
- [Entebbe](https://eliteteqpos.com/entebbe/): Central Region, a lakeside town and the site of the international airport
- [Jinja](https://eliteteqpos.com/jinja/): Eastern Region, an industrial town and adventure-tourism centre on the Nile
- [Mbarara](https://eliteteqpos.com/mbarara/): Western Region, the commercial centre of western Uganda
- [Gulu](https://eliteteqpos.com/gulu/): Northern Region, the largest city in northern Uganda and its main trade hub


## Questions businesses ask us

**Can two people reply to the same chat?**

Yes, and both replies are sent. To avoid double answers, assign the chat to one person.

**Can a teammate be limited to one number?**

Yes. Agents can be limited to certain numbers. Owners and admins always see everything.

**What’s the difference between the greeting and the away message?**

The greeting goes once to new customers during office hours. The away message goes to anyone who writes while you’re closed, at most once every 12 hours. Both are set per number.

**Why can’t we type a reply to some customers?**

It has been more than 24 hours since the customer last wrote. WhatsApp only allows an approved template until they reply again.

**How many new people can we message each day?**

New businesses can start conversations with 250 people a day. Meta raises it to 1,000, 10,000 and beyond after business verification and good-quality messaging. Replies to people who wrote first don’t count.

**Do customers see internal comments?**

Never. Comments are only for your team. Type @ and a name to mention a teammate.

**Can staff in Kampala and Entebbe share one WhatsApp number?**

Yes. Everyone signs in to EliteTeQ Inbox with their own login, from any computer or phone, and answers from the same business number. Chats can be assigned, transferred or shared out in turn, and agents can be limited to the numbers they handle. Office hours run on Kampala time (EAT).

**Do customers in Uganda get a reply after hours?**

They get your away message straight away, at most once every 12 hours, and their chat waits at the top of the list for the morning. Office hours are set per number, on Kampala time (EAT).

Sources for the WhatsApp rules on this page (Meta):

- [WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (Meta)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing)
- [Messaging limits (Meta)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messaging-limits)
- [Message templates (Meta)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/overview)
- [Business phone numbers and limits (Meta)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/business-phone-numbers/phone-numbers)
- [About the WhatsApp Business Platform (Meta)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/about-the-platform)

## Put your WhatsApp number in front of the whole team in Uganda

Start the 7-day free trial, or message us and we’ll connect your number with you.

## More about EliteTeQ Inbox

- [EliteTeQ Inbox overview](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/)
- [WhatsApp CRM & pipeline](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/whatsapp-crm/)
- [Facebook & Instagram inbox](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/facebook-instagram-inbox/)
- [Click-to-WhatsApp ad leads](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/click-to-whatsapp-ads/)
- [WhatsApp API for developers](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/api/)
- [Pricing](https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/pricing/)

## Talk to EliteTeQ about EliteTeQ Inbox

- WhatsApp or call: +1 214 423 5355 (https://wa.me/12144235355?text=Hi%20EliteTeQ!%20Our%20team%20shares%20one%20WhatsApp%20number.%20Can%20you%20help%20me%20set%20up%20EliteTeQ%20Inbox%20with%20logins%2C%20auto-assign%20and%20office%20hours%3F%20I%E2%80%99m%20in%20Uganda.)
- Email: info@eliteteqpos.com
- Web: https://eliteteqpos.com/ug/inbox/whatsapp-team-inbox/