New conversations start from the Messages page on the web dashboard, or from the conversations screen in the coach mobile app. Picking one client gives you a direct message; picking several creates a group chat.
Start a direct message with a client
- On the web Messages page, click the New message icon. In the coach app, tap + on the conversations screen — or Start a conversation if you have no conversations yet.
- Pick one client.
- Confirm with Start conversation.
Picking a client you already message reopens the existing thread, so you never end up with duplicate direct messages with the same person.
A conversation only appears in your inbox once it has at least one message.
Start a group chat
- Click the New message icon on the web, or + in the coach app.
- Pick several clients.
- Confirm with Start group chat · N.
There's no cap on group members. The new group is named "Group Chat" until you rename it, and members see the group and its messages in the client app straight away.
Renaming, adding and removing members, locking, and deleting a group are all done on the web dashboard. The coach app can view a group's details and members and leave the group, but not edit it.
Who you can message in a team workspace
Sub-coaches can only start conversations with clients assigned to them. Team admins with full visibility can message any client in the workspace. This is enforced on the server, so it applies on the web dashboard and in the coach app alike.
Communities come with a group chat
Every community you create gets a matching group chat in Messages automatically, with the community's name and cover image. You don't need to build it yourself. Adding or removing community members updates that chat's membership to match.
Things to watch out for
- Starting a group chat always creates a new conversation, even when you pick exactly the same people as an existing group. If you end up with a duplicate, delete the one you don't want. Direct messages behave the other way around — they always reuse the existing thread.
- Broadcasting As group chat is the one exception: it reuses an existing group with exactly those members instead of creating another one.
- Clients can't start group chats or message each other. In the client app a client can only start a direct conversation with one of their coaches, and only ever chats with other clients inside a group you created.
- If a client's Messaging feature is switched off, chat is hidden in their app.