Environment requirements

The Android Mobile Messaging SDK version 3.8 requires the minimum Android API version 19, SDK is compiled against API 26 and targeted API is 27.

New feature

Welcome message with quick reply options

Version 3.8 of the Mobile Messaging SDK introduces a Welcome message with quick reply options in the conversation window. When a consumer starts a new conversation, or a new customer visits the site, brands can send the first message with a list of quick replies of common intents.

You can configure the Welcome message as a simple text message with or without quick replies, for example:

Welcome to our support! What can we help you with today?

[Questions about existing account] [open a new account] [tech support]

A consumer’s quick reply selection or answer gets inserted as their first message in the conversation, which opens the conversation in the Conversational Cloud Agent Workspace.

How to enable

LPWelcomeMessage lpWelcomeMessage = new LPWelcomeMessage("Welcome Message");
List<MessageOption> optionItems = new ArrayList<>();
optionItems.add(new MessageOption("bill", "bill"));
optionItems.add(new MessageOption("sales", "sales"));
optionItems.add(new MessageOption("support", "support"));
try {
       lpWelcomeMessage.setMessageOptions(optionItems);
} catch (Exception e) {
       e.printStackTrace();
}
lpWelcomeMessage.setNumberOfItemsPerRow(8);
lpWelcomeMessage.setMessageFrequency(LPWelcomeMessage.MessageFrequency.EVERY_CONVERSATION);
conversationViewParams.setLpWelcomeMessage(lpWelcomeMessage);
LivePerson.showConversation(Activity, LPAuthenticationParams, conversationViewParams);

If set empty String in constructor LPWelcomeMessage(String welcomeMessage), the welcome message with quick reply feature will be disabled. It shows the default welcome message, which is set up in the String resources lp_first_message.

There are two parameters in the MessageOption class constructor.

public MessageOption(@NonNull String displayText, @NonNull String value)
  • displayText is the text displayed in the quick reply button.
  • value is the content that is sent to the agent. Default value is displayText if set to empty String.

There are two message frequencies:

  • FIRST_TIME_CONVERSATION: Shows the welcome message for first conversation only.
  • EVERY_CONVERSATION: Shows welcome a message for every new conversation.

Limitations

You can configure up to 24 quick reply options for the user to choose.

  • You have a maximum of 25 characters for your title, but anything over displays an ellipsis after the 22nd character. When building your client, you have control over the character limit for the title.

  • Once you set itemsPerRow (max 8), the number of rows calculate automatically (up to 3 rows). If the number of replies exceeds itemsPerRow times 3, the extra replies get added to the last row.

  • When the consumer ends the conversation, the window remains open, and the Welcome message appears again. The message frequency should be set to EVERY_CONVERSATION.

  • Quick reply messages do not get recorded in the conversation history.

  • The conversational metadata (ExternalId) does not get populated.

     "metadata": [
     {
     "type": "ExternalId",
     "id": "Yes-1234"
     }
     ]
    

Bug fixes

  • For Android 9 only. Calling hideConversation() while app is in the background caused the app to come to the foreground. When having multiple apps and the consumer has one CustID across all apps, the consumer could not log out of all apps bringing the other app to the foreground.

  • Data masking message displayed after sending SecureForm. When setting the enable_client_only_masking bool to true, and the customer sent a SecureForm, the “Your personal data has been masked to protect your security. Only the agent can read it.” system message appeared.

  • The Unread Message Divider separator appeared after the agent resumed conversation. If the agent closed the conversation but reopened it by sending a new message, the Unread divider appeared above the new message when it should not appear.

    By default, the Unread Message Divider separator appears in the message view. When enabled, this feature does not prevent the badge or message text from displaying on the Scroll to Bottom button. Instead, the Unread Message Divider system message displays above the unread messages within the view of the user when returning to the conversation view. When disabled, the separator does not appear, and the unread message badge count displays on the Scroll to Bottom button.

  • Scroll bar did not scroll to the bottom with specific branding settings. When setting the enable_conversation_resolved_separator and enable_conversation_resolved_message bool to false the scroll bar did not scroll to the bottom. The bug prevented users from scrolling to the bottom of the message.

  • Skipping PCS showed Quick reply JSON. If PCS is activated and you send messages, close the conversation, and then skip the PCS it resulted in showing the quick reply JSON in RAW form.