**To manage and check the status of all your communication channels, go to the "Inboxes" section in the "Settings" menu of the Papo platform (https://papo.global/). This area centralizes all connected channels, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and email, displaying the current connection status of each and allowing you to take action when necessary.**

Keeping your service channels always connected is essential to avoid missing any customer interactions. Papo unifies all conversations from different platforms — WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Email, Telegram, and more — into a single inbox. Knowing how to check the health of these connections ensures that your customer service operations run without interruptions.

## How to View Your Inboxes and Channels

Accessing the list of configured channels in your account is a simple process. Follow these steps:

1.  Log in to your Papo dashboard.
2.  In the sidebar menu, click the **Settings** icon.
3.  Within the settings, select the **Inboxes** option.

On this screen, you will see a list of all the inboxes your team has created. Each inbox is associated with a specific channel (for example, "Support - WhatsApp" or "Sales - Instagram") and displays its current connection status.

## Understanding Each Channel's Status

Next to each inbox, a visual indicator shows whether the channel is functioning correctly. Understanding what each status means is crucial for acting quickly in case of problems.

| Status | Meaning | Recommended Action |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Active / Connected** | The channel is functioning correctly. New messages are being received in your Papo inbox in real-time. | No action is needed. Your team can continue providing service as usual. |
| **Inactive / Disconnected** | The connection to the source platform (e.g., WhatsApp, Instagram) has been lost. New messages will not reach Papo until the connection is re-established. | The channel needs to be reconnected. Click on the inbox settings to start the re-authentication process. |
| **Requires Attention / Error** | There is a configuration or authorization issue preventing the channel from functioning. This could be an incorrect password, an expired token, or revoked permissions. | Check the credentials and permissions on the source platform (e.g., Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram). Follow the on-screen instructions to correct the error. |

## Common Causes of Disconnection and How to Reconnect

A channel disconnection can occur for several reasons, most of which are related to security and updates on the source platforms.

**Common causes:**
*   **WhatsApp (Official Meta API):** The password of a Meta Business account administrator was changed, or the permissions granted to Papo were manually revoked in Business Manager.
*   **Instagram and Facebook:** The password of the linked account was changed. For security reasons, Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Instagram) also requires third-party app authorizations to be renewed periodically, which can cause a temporary disconnection.
*   **Email (IMAP/SMTP):** Your email account password was changed, or your provider's server settings (port, SSL/TLS) changed.
*   **Telegram:** The "Bot Token" provided by BotFather was revoked, or a new token was generated, invalidating the previous one.

**How to reconnect a channel:**
1.  Navigate to **Settings → Inboxes**.
2.  Locate the inbox with "Inactive" or "Requires Attention" status.
3.  Click the **Settings** button corresponding to that inbox.
4.  The platform will display a warning and a button to **Reconnect** or **Reauthenticate**.
5.  Follow the on-screen instructions. Generally, the process involves logging back into the source platform (for example, logging in with your Facebook account) and granting the necessary permissions for Papo to manage messages.

After following these steps, the channel status should return to "Active".

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where can I find the Inboxes section?
You can find it by navigating to the **Settings** menu and then clicking on **Inboxes**. Only users with administrator permissions can access this area.

### What happens if a channel gets disconnected?
When a channel is disconnected, your company stops receiving new messages from that channel on the Papo platform. Existing conversations and history remain visible but will not be updated with new interactions until the connection is re-established.

### Why does my Instagram/Facebook channel disconnect frequently?
This usually occurs due to Meta's security policies. The company may periodically invalidate login sessions and third-party app authorizations to protect the user's account. Changing your Facebook or Instagram account password also causes immediate disconnection.

### Do I need to be an administrator to reconnect a channel?
Yes. To re-establish the connection, you generally need to have administrator permissions both in your Papo account and on the source platform (for example, being an administrator of the Facebook Page or the Meta Business account).

### Can I add multiple accounts for the same channel, such as two WhatsApp numbers?
Yes, Papo is designed for operations that manage multiple channels. You can create different inboxes for different WhatsApp numbers, Instagram accounts, Facebook pages, etc. Each will be configured and managed individually.

### What is the difference between channel status and conversation status (Open, Pending)?
Channel status, managed under **Settings → Inboxes**, refers to the **technical connection** between Papo and the source platform (WhatsApp, Instagram). Conversation status (such as Open, Pending, or Resolved), on the other hand, refers to the **progress of service** for that message within Papo. A channel might be "Active" but have dozens of "Pending" conversations awaiting an agent's response.

## Read also

*   [How to connect your email inbox (IMAP/SMTP) in Papo](/hc/papo/articles/how-to-connect-your-email-inbox-imap-smtp-to-papo)
*   [Understanding the Inbox Summary: What each metric means](/hc/papo/articles/understanding-inbox-summary-what-each-metric-means)

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