# Messaging Channels & Their Limits

You can reach your Townie from several chat apps — WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage. They’re all great for talking _to_ your assistant on the go. But they each have limits worth understanding before you rely on them, especially around whether your Townie can **message you first** (notifications and briefings).

## The one thing to know

Messaging apps are **inbound channels** — the best way to _ask_ your Townie something from your phone. They are **not** a reliable place to _receive_ proactive notifications, briefings, or alerts. For those, use email, the web app, or the iOS app.

This isn’t a Town choice — it’s how the messaging platforms work. Apps like WhatsApp only let a business message you within a limited window after _you_ message it, so your Townie can’t reliably push a morning briefing or an alert to you there.

## Channel comparison

| Channel    | Ask your Townie things | Reliable for notifications / briefings | Requires                        |
|------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| **WhatsApp** | Yes                    | No (Meta limitation)                | Your phone number               |
| **Telegram** | Yes                    | Limited                              | The Town Telegram bot           |
| **iMessage** | Yes                    | Limited                              | A verified phone number         |
| **Email**    | Yes                    | Yes                                  | Your @town.com assistant address |
| **Web app**  | Yes                    | Yes                                  | [town.com](/content/site-root.html)|
| **iOS app**  | Yes                    | Yes (push notifications)           | The iPhone app                  |

## WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a chat thread with your Townie — send text, photos, and voice notes and it works on your request. It **can’t** read your other WhatsApp conversations, and it’s **not** a dependable notifications or briefings channel because of Meta’s messaging rules: your Townie can only reply within a window after you message it.

See [Connecting to WhatsApp](/content/docs/integrations/whatsapp/index.html) for setup and what it’s great for.

## Telegram

Telegram works much like WhatsApp — a personal one-on-one thread with the Town bot for questions, voice messages, and photos, with inline approval buttons. Group chats aren’t supported, and like WhatsApp it’s best treated as an inbound channel rather than a notifications feed.

See [Connecting to Telegram](/content/docs/integrations/telegram/index.html) for setup.

## iMessage

iMessage lets you text your Townie from Messages on your iPhone or Mac. You connect it by verifying your phone number — tap the pre-filled text from the Text Messaging card (or scan its QR with your phone) and hit send. No desktop app required.

See [iMessage](/content/docs/integrations/imessage/index.html) for how to set it up and what it’s good for.

## Where to get proactive updates instead

If you want your Townie to reach _you_ — morning briefings, urgent-email nudges, approval requests — rely on:

- **Email** — briefings and summaries land in your inbox. See [Email](/content/docs/using-town/email/index.html).
- **The iOS app** — real push notifications for approvals and alerts. See [iOS App](/content/docs/using-town/ios/index.html).
- **The web app** — the Tasks and Approvals views at [town.com](/content/site-root.html).

Last updated on August 8, 2026.