Infobip report marks shift to omnichannel AI messaging
Infobip has published research pointing to a rapid shift in business messaging away from single-channel notifications and towards multi-channel conversations that increasingly involve autonomous AI agents.
Its Messaging Trends Report 2026 draws on 628 billion mobile interactions recorded in 2025, alongside a long-term analysis of 3.8 trillion messages over the past 20 years. Infobip uses the data to track how customer engagement has changed across SMS, Rich Communication Services (RCS), WhatsApp, email and voice.
Omnichannel norm
The data shows a sharp decline in single-channel messaging among large brands. Ten years ago, 73% of platform traffic went through one channel; by 2025, that had fallen to 2.3%. Nearly 98% of interactions now involve customers using multiple channels, according to the report.
This shift reflects the spread of messaging apps and richer business messaging formats. It also suggests many customer journeys now move between channels based on context, customer preference, and the type of transaction.
SMS still accounts for the largest share of traffic in the study, representing 62% of all messages-something Infobip attributes to its reach and delivery reliability. However, the report also points to faster growth in channels that support interactive conversations and richer media.
RCS adoption
RCS-a carrier-backed messaging standard positioned as an upgrade to SMS-grew sharply. Global RCS traffic tripled during the year covered, with North America recording a 70-fold increase.
Other regions also saw significant rises: Latin America grew sevenfold and Asia-Pacific by more than five times. Infobip describes RCS as mainstream in many markets, aligning with efforts by operators and handset makers to expand support for the protocol.
RCS is often used for branded messaging and interactive features such as suggested replies. The regional data points to wider availability and stronger demand from brands for alternatives to SMS that keep the experience inside the native inbox.
WhatsApp scale
WhatsApp remains central to conversational messaging in the dataset. Infobip reports that WhatsApp facilitated 91% of all conversational AI interactions on its platform, a 25% year-on-year increase.
The report describes WhatsApp as a dominant channel for two-way customer conversations in markets where it has high consumer penetration. It also suggests businesses are focusing AI-assisted interactions where customers already spend time.
Agentic AI
A major theme is the growing role of "agentic" AI in customer communication. Infobip says the market is moving beyond scripted chatbots to AI agents that can act autonomously and manage goal-driven interactions.
In practice, this links AI to workflows that span multiple messages and channels. It also shifts automated customer service from responding to prompts to managing a sequence of steps across a broader journey.
Infobip frames this as a turning point in how brands use messaging. In the report's commentary, Chief Revenue Officer Ante Pamuković sets out the company's view of the shift.
"Our 20-year anniversary data set gives us a unique vantage point to see not just where we are, but where we are going. The story is clear: the era of the simple notification is over. We are shifting towards a diverse ecosystem where brands orchestrate conversations across WhatsApp, RCS, Email and Voice. The future is omnichannel, conversational, and increasingly powered by Agentic AI. In this new world, Infobip provides the infrastructure enabling businesses to meet their customers on the right channel, at the right time, with the right message."
Platform direction
Alongside the report, Infobip highlighted product work focused on autonomous, AI-driven experiences. It is developing a platform called AgentOS, describing it as part of the company's next phase after two decades in cloud communications.
The findings also point to the operational impact of expanding beyond a single messaging channel. Brands must manage identity, customer context, compliance requirements, and reporting across more endpoints, while keeping experiences consistent as conversations move between channels and between automated systems and human agents.
Infobip is a communications platform provider that connects businesses to messaging channels and telecom operators. It says its network reaches more than seven billion mobile devices across six continents and includes more than 10,000 connections, including over 800 direct operator connections.
Infobip says AgentOS will support its approach as more customer journeys shift from notifications to conversations that use AI agents across multiple channels.