How the Chat feature works

Misty Flowers

July 15, 2024 15:41

This is a Chat for School Leaders article helping district and school admins with everything they need to manage the chat setups for all Chat Managers and Chat Participants at their district or school level. School leaders are likely at either the District Admin or School Admin role.

Not a school leader? Check out Chat for Parents & Guardians or Chat for Teachers for more personalized help!

New Product

This article is for our new mobile app offering, which is currently available and in the early adopter phase. Additional information about how current clients can upgrade will be sent soon.

Browse to find more documentation in the 2024 New Mobile App section.
To manage existing mobile app configurations, check out our articles in the 2019 Mobile App section.

Get logged in

Before you start chatting, download the app and get logged in!

Tour the Chat home screen

The chat home screen is where it all begins!

Chat rooms you have been assigned to are in the top half of the screen.
Direct Messages are in the bottom half.

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Understand your assigned role

Before you start chatting, understand what your assigned role is. Learn more about roles in the article, "Assign chat roles, create rooms, and manage members."

District Admin: This role has the highest level of abilities that, for districts, includes chat rooms in all schools.
School Admin: You may be a moderator or monitor in chatrooms due to your school admin oversight role yet be limited when it comes to the level of moderation and access in the desktop moderation panel or Channel Explorer.
Chat Participant: Are you a district or school admin that is also a parent? Your role in one chat room may be as a participant if you are in your parent role in that room yet chat manager in another.

Chat in a chat room

The top half of your chat screen in the mobile app includes a list of all of the chat rooms a person is a member of.

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There are so many different modes of communication in a chat room! Here are some things you can do:

Start a chat message
Reply to a chat message / start a thread
Send files, photos, and fliers.
Share links to class pages, resources, and videos.
Increase engagement with emojis!
React to a chat message so that everyone feels heard and seen!

Quick Tutorial: Chat in a chat room

1. Let's learn all that you can do in a chat room. Once you are on the Chat Dashboard, click on a Chat Room to open it up and start chatting!

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2. To add a new Chat message, tap into the text box at the bottom and start typing your message.

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3. Let's practice replying to a thread. Click to open a chat room.

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4. After you hold down briefly on any message, this menu will appear. Here you can React with an emoji, Reply to a message, and even Report inappropriate or offensive conduct.

Tap Reply in Thread to start a reply to this message.

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5. Once you click send, your message will appear in the thread below the original message.

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6. Now you have added a message in a Thread! Great job!

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7. Let's practice using emojis to react to a message! Tap to open another chat room.

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8. When you hold down briefly on a message, the emojis menu will pop up! Select an emoji.

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9. Your emoji will appear below the message.

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10. Emojis also brighten up the chat room and help everyone to feel seen and heard. Have fun with them!

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11. Let's practice sending a File in a chat room message. Tap to open up a chat room.

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12. To attach a file, tap on the paper clip in the text box at the bottom of the chat window.

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13. You can even type your message first before clicking on the paper clip to include a message with your file attachment. (ADD ARROW TO PAPER CLIP)

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14. The paper clip will open a menu giving you the option to select something from your Photo Library, to Take Photo or Video, or to Choose Files. Let's select Choose Files to post a PDF file into this chat room.

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15. Wherever you store your files on your phone, navigate to this area and select the folder.

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16. Next you can select your file. We'll select our newsletter so it can be posted in the chat room.

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17. Check your message one more time or edit to add more. Click to send!

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18. Now you've posted a file! Remember you can also post photos and gifs and so much more!

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19. Tap open another chat room for some more practice!

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20. Speaking of posting other media, let's share a photo! Add your message and then Tap the paper clip to go select your media.

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21. We'll return to our folder where we have a QR code image waiting to be posted. Tap on Choose Files.

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22. Select your image you'd like to post.

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23. Confirm your message before clicking send!

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24. Your message will post with the image you selected.

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25. Now you can go chat and connect with others using Finalsite Chat! Great job!

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Send and receive direct messages

Create a new direct message.
Reply to direct messages.
Message multiple parents at once.
Send links, files, photos, and fliers.
Increase engagement with emojis!
React to a chat message or direct message.

Quick Tutorial: Communicate with Direct Messages

1. Let's learn how the Direct Messages section works! Locate Direct Messages in the bottom half of your dashboard.

Tap the + sign to start a new Direct Message.

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2. Tap into the window to Search by name for a recipient.

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3. Select a recipient and their name will appear at the top next to the To field. Click the Create Message button to start your message!

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4. Type your message to the recipient.

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5. Your message will appear in the window once you've sent it. Now you can track your communication in the same panel with this recipient.

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6. Tap on a recipient's name to read and/or reply to an existing message.

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7. Want to add another message or reply? Tap again in the message box. Consider attaching media to your message by clicking on the paper clip.

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8. Click iPhone 13: Starlight

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9. Type your message and click send.

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10. Your new message appears with a timestamp of the date and time it was sent.

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11. Did you know you can create a Direct Message with multiple recipients? This is great for including multiple parents or mutual teachers. Click the + sign to try this out.

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12. Start searching by name or scroll to select your recipients.

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13. Check the box next to each recipient you'd like to add to this single message.

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14. Add another recipient once you see the first appear next to the To field.

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15. Add as many recipients as you need, but remember to keep in mind FERPA and COPPA requirements to protect the privacy of student records and data in all of your communication.

Click Create Message when you are ready to start your message.

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16. Click the paper clip icon if you want to send any files or other media. Then click send to start communicating in a direct message with multiple recipients.

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17. Hold down in the window if you want to Paste a link that you have copied from somewhere else.

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18. Your link will appear in the message and will be clickable once you tap send!

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19. Now you know how to send a link in a Direct Message!

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20. Want to react with emojis? Simply hold down on a message until the quick actions menu appears.

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21. Select an emoji. Here you can also Reply in a Thread or Report inappropriate communication.

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22. Your emoji will appear beneath the message.

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23. Click iPhone 13: Starlight

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24. Now you know how to communicate with Direct Messages in Finalsite Chat! Great job!

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Managing your chat experience

To ensure community satisfaction, chat participants can manage their own individual settings for receiving push notifications. Push notifications are sent to device in the form of a badge icon that displays when new messages are received.

Mute or unmute a room

Mute or unmute a room to control your notifications. Tap on the room name in the top banner. A new window will open up where you can then toggle next to Mute.
tap on the room name.png mute to stop receiving push notifications in a room .png

Change your mind? Re-enter the room and select Unmute conversation to start receiving push notifications again.
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Leave a chat room

Click Leave room when you decide you no longer want to be a member of a chat room.
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