Migrate All Messaging Channels
Converge Team
Part of the Intercom migration guide
Intercom doesn't natively support Telegram or Zalo. Step-by-step channel migration with checklist, plus Converge at $49/mo flat for up to 15 agents.
Which channels does Intercom support, and which don't migrate cleanly?
Intercom natively supports the Intercom Messenger (web/mobile chat widget), email, WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, phone, and — as of March 2026 — Discord. Telegram, Zalo, Viber, and LINE are not native channels and only work through third-party marketplace apps like Octopods. Conversation history stays in Intercom; channel connections (numbers, bot tokens, OAuth links) carry over to your destination platform because they're owned by Meta, Google, the channel vendor, or your own DNS — not by Intercom.
Channels Intercom supports vs channels Converge supports
Intercom native (8): Intercom Messenger, email, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Discord (added March 24, 2026 per Intercom's product changelog). Intercom non-native: Telegram, Zalo, Viber, LINE — all require an Octopods or similar marketplace app subscription on top of your Intercom seat cost. Converge native: WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Zalo (OA + Personal), Discord, Gmail, custom email, and the embeddable widget. The practical gap: if your customer base is in Vietnam (Zalo) or messaging-first global audiences (Telegram, 1B+ monthly active users per Telegram's official channel), Converge connects them natively at the $49/mo flat tier where Intercom gates them behind a marketplace app.
Intercom Messenger (your chat widget)
Remove the Intercom JavaScript snippet from your site. Look for the window.intercomSettings object and the Intercom('boot', ...) call in your site header, footer, or analytics layer (often injected via GTM). If you installed Intercom through the Shopify, WooCommerce, or Webflow app store, uninstall it from that admin instead — the snippet is managed by the plugin. Anything triggered from the Messenger that's Intercom-specific (Product Tours, in-app Series campaigns, Article suggestions from Help Center) doesn't carry over. Document the trigger conditions before you uninstall so you can rebuild equivalents.
Meta channels: Messenger and Instagram
Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs connect through Meta OAuth. In Intercom, go to Settings > Channels and disconnect each one. Then connect the same Facebook Page and Instagram Business account to your destination platform via its OAuth flow. Your followers, page settings, verified status, and message history on Meta's side are untouched — Intercom only had a webhook subscription. Reconnection takes 2–3 minutes per channel. If you used Intercom's Custom Bots inside Messenger or Instagram, those won't carry over.
WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp is the most involved channel migration because your phone number is registered to Intercom's WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). You need to disconnect from Intercom, disable 2FA on the WABA in Meta Business Manager, then re-register the number with your destination platform. Approved message templates and your green checkmark verification carry over — they're tied to your Meta Business account. Plan the cutover for low-traffic hours; there's a minutes-to-hours gap where inbound messages won't reach either inbox. The full step-by-step is in the WhatsApp migration guide.
Channels Intercom does NOT support natively: Telegram, Zalo
If you currently use these channels through Octopods (the most common Intercom marketplace app for messaging extensions), the connection lives in Octopods, not Intercom. Telegram: cancel the Octopods subscription, then paste the same bot token into your destination platform's Telegram setup (Converge connects in under 2 minutes — no BSP, no template approval). Zalo: Octopods bridges Zalo OA into Intercom via OAuth; on your destination platform you reconnect Zalo OA directly via OAuth with PKCE (or Zalo Personal via QR login). Neither requires a BSP transfer or carrier approval.
Discord (Intercom-native since March 2026)
Intercom added Discord as a native channel on March 24, 2026 (Intercom product changelog: "Connect Discord to your Intercom Inbox"). Connection uses a Discord bot installed into your server. To migrate, remove the Intercom bot from your Discord server admin, then install your destination platform's Discord bot. Converge uses bot token + app ID — instant connection, no review process. Your server roles, channel structure, and message history stay on Discord's side; only the bot integration moves.
SMS and phone
Intercom resells phone numbers through Twilio. If you purchased an Intercom-hosted number, you need to port it out before canceling — submit a porting request to your new provider, who'll coordinate the Twilio port. Intercom approves on their end (a PIN or CSR may be required). Ports typically take 1–2 weeks. For SMS, the same carrier port applies. Note: most messaging-first platforms (including Converge) don't offer SMS or phone resale — if voice calling is load-bearing for your support workflow, factor that into the destination decision.
Email runs through forwarding rules on your provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) plus DKIM/DMARC CNAME records pointing to Intercom. Update the forwarding destination to your new platform's inbound address, then remove the Intercom DKIM CNAMEs (intercom._domainkey) and the DMARC TXT once your new platform's outbound auth is verified. Detailed walkthrough in the email migration guide.
What's the right migration order for Intercom channels?
Migrate low-volume channels first (Messenger, Instagram, Discord), email second, WhatsApp last. WhatsApp carries the highest volume for most teams and has the longest cutover gap, so it benefits from running every other channel through a full week of parallel operation first.
Step-by-step migration checklist
- Audit: list every channel currently active in Settings > Channels. Include marketplace apps (Octopods, etc.) and note which channels they bridge.
- Export Intercom data: kick off the S3/GCS JSON export for conversation history (Historical mode, up to 2 years). Run the Conversations API export in parallel for the last 90 days. See the data export guide.
- Document macros and workflows: there's no bulk export for Intercom Macros, Workflows, or Fin AI training. Screenshot or copy-paste each one.
- Set up destination platform: create your account, invite team, configure roles, working hours, and timezone before connecting channels.
- Migrate low-risk channels first: reconnect Messenger, Instagram, and (if applicable) Discord via OAuth — 2–3 min each.
- Migrate email: update forwarding rules at your provider, add new DKIM/DMARC records, verify a test send/receive cycle.
- Migrate Telegram and Zalo (if used via Octopods): reuse the existing bot token or OAuth credential on the destination platform.
- Migrate WhatsApp last: disable 2FA on your WABA, disconnect from Intercom, re-register on destination platform. Schedule for the quietest hour of your week.
- Recreate automations: route Intercom Workflow logic into your destination platform's auto-reply rules, auto-routing, and SLA policies.
- Cancel marketplace apps: Octopods and any other channel bridges should be cancelled after destination channels are verified, not before.
- Decommission Intercom: remove the Messenger snippet from your site, cancel the subscription, archive your S3/GCS export as backup.
Bottom line: the channels themselves migrate cleanly — every credential lives outside Intercom. What doesn't migrate is Intercom-specific logic: Fin AI training, Workflows, Product Tours, Custom Bots. Plan to rebuild those on the destination side rather than expecting them to transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every channel credential — phone numbers, bot tokens, OAuth grants, DNS records — lives outside Intercom (with Meta, Google, Twilio, Telegram, Discord, or your own DNS). You disconnect each channel in Intercom's Settings > Channels panel, then reconnect to your destination platform using the same credential. WhatsApp is the most involved (requires releasing the number from Intercom's WABA and disabling 2FA in Meta Business Manager); most others reconnect in 2–5 minutes. What doesn't migrate cleanly is Intercom-specific logic on top of the channels — Workflows, Custom Bots, Product Tours, and Fin AI training. Plan to rebuild those on the destination side.
No — Telegram is not a native Intercom channel. The only way to handle Telegram conversations in Intercom is through a marketplace app like Octopods, which bridges your Telegram bot into the Intercom Inbox for an additional subscription cost. If you migrate to a platform with native Telegram support (Converge connects Telegram natively via bot token in under 2 minutes, no marketplace app required), you cancel the Octopods subscription and reuse the same bot token on the new platform.
As of March 24, 2026, yes — Intercom added native Discord support per their product changelog ("Connect Discord to your Intercom Inbox"). The integration installs an Intercom bot into your Discord server. Before that date, Discord was only available through marketplace apps like Mava. If you're on the new native integration, migration involves removing the Intercom Discord bot from your server admin and installing your destination platform's bot. Converge supports Discord via bot token + app ID — instant connection, no review process.
No — Zalo is not a native Intercom channel. It's only reachable through third-party marketplace apps (Octopods is the most common). For teams serving Vietnamese customers — Zalo has 76+ million users in Vietnam — this means a marketplace-app surcharge on top of Intercom's per-seat pricing. Converge supports both Zalo Official Account (OAuth with PKCE) and Zalo Personal (QR code login) natively, at the $49/mo flat rate.
First, list the channels you actually use today in Intercom's Settings > Channels panel (and any marketplace apps like Octopods). Pick a destination platform that natively supports that list — for messaging-heavy small teams, Converge covers WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Zalo, Discord, Gmail, and an embeddable widget at $49/mo flat for up to 15 team members. Reconnect channels in order of risk: low-volume first (Messenger, Instagram, Discord), email next, WhatsApp last. Run both platforms in parallel for 1–2 weeks before decommissioning Intercom. Note: SMS and phone resale aren't offered by most messaging-first platforms — if voice is load-bearing, factor that into the destination choice.
Most channels reconnect in 2–5 minutes each (Messenger, Instagram, Discord, Telegram, Zalo via OAuth or bot token). Email takes 15–30 minutes (forwarding rule + DNS update). WhatsApp is the longest at 1–4 hours including the 2FA disable, WABA release, and re-registration on the destination platform. SMS/phone porting takes 1–2 weeks if you use Intercom-hosted Twilio numbers. The full cutover including team training and parallel-run validation typically lands in a 1–2 week window for a 3–15 agent team. Active migration work is usually 1–3 business days.
Need the full migration guide?
This page covers migrate all messaging channels specifically. For the complete step-by-step migration process: See our breakdown of Intercom's plan tiers for more.
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