Hand a chat back to the AI with one click

Shipped

October 18, 2026

Area

Conversations

Available on

Pro and Max

Taking over a conversation was easy to find. Giving it back wasn't. The only way was to switch takeover off, and plenty of teammates didn't realise that's what the switch did, so chats sat waiting for a person who had already moved on. And a visitor whose question had been answered had no way to go back to the AI for the next one. Both now have a clear way out.

What's new

• A Hand back to AI button. While you've taken over a conversation, the reply area shows Hand back to AI next to the takeover switch. One click and the AI picks the conversation up again.
• Visitors can switch back too, if you allow it. A new setting, Let visitors switch back to the AI, adds Back to AI assistant to the website chat's menu while a person is in the conversation. The visitor taps it and the AI answers their next message.
• You'll know when a visitor leaves. If a visitor switches back, your open conversation flips back to the AI and Studio tells you: "Visitor switched back to the AI." That way it doesn't look like a glitch.
• The visitor sees where they are. Either way, the website chat shows "You're back with our AI assistant." See visitors see when a person joins.

How to use it

To hand a conversation back yourself:

1. Open the conversation you've taken over.
2. Click Hand back to AI.

To let visitors switch back on their own:

1. Open your chatbot in Studio and click Advanced Settings.
2. Open the Human handoff tab. With handoff on, switch on Let visitors switch back to the AI.
3. Click Save Settings, then publish the chatbot.

Good to know

• Visitor switching is off by default. Existing chatbots keep working as they did: only your team can end a takeover until you turn the setting on.
• Your team can always hand back. The button works whether or not the visitor setting is on.
• The visitor option is in the website chat. It appears in the chat's menu only while a person has taken over. On WhatsApp, Instagram DM and Messenger, your team hands conversations back from Studio.
• It follows your published chatbot. Visitors only see Back to AI assistant once the setting is published, so a draft you're still testing doesn't change what they see.
• Suggestion buttons pause during a takeover. While a person is chatting, the AI's suggested replies are hidden. They return with the AI's next answer.
• Human handoff is on Pro and Max. See pricing.

New to takeover? Start with human handoff and live takeover.