Chat is a messaging window between administrators within one umbrella: the umbrella administrators and the administrators of the member organizations. Your conversations are on the left, the open conversation on the right. Parents, students, members and teachers are not part of it; you talk to them through Communication → Communication.
Where to find it
- Administrator of an organization that belongs to an umbrella: Sidebar → Communication → Chat.
- Umbrella administrator: Sidebar → Umbrella → Chat.
Who can do this
- Every administrator of a member organization and every umbrella administrator. 1-on-1 conversations need no permission.
- Creating groups, renaming them and adding or removing participants requires Manage chat groups within the umbrella (
koepel_chat_manage_groups). The Group tab is only shown to an umbrella administrator. - An organization without an umbrella has no chat; if you open the page anyway, it says "Chat is only available within a federation cluster." Teachers have no chat. No module or plan is involved: membership of an umbrella decides it.
Step by step: start a conversation
- Click the + button. The New conversation window opens.
- On the 1-on-1 tab choose one person. Below each name you see the organization, or "Umbrella".
- If a conversation with that person already exists, that conversation opens.
- Type your message. Enter sends, Shift+Enter adds a new line.
Step by step: create a group (umbrella administrator)
- Click + and choose the Group tab.
- Enter a Group name and choose at least two participants.
- Create the group. In a group you see the sender's name with each message.
Messages, attachments and reactions
- Use the paperclip to add files: images, videos and documents, max. 40 MB per file and max. 10 per message.
- Hover over a message for the heart (like), the reply button (quotes the message) and the trash can (only on your own messages; it then shows "Message deleted").
- One tick means sent, two ticks mean all others have read it. A green dot means someone has the chat page open right now.
- Per conversation you see the latest 100 messages.
I don't see it / it doesn't work
- I don't see Chat in the menu. Your organization does not belong to an umbrella, or you are a teacher.
- I cannot create a group. Only an umbrella administrator sees the Group tab.
- I don't get a browser notification. A browser notification only arrives when you don't have the portal open and you have enabled browser notifications in your notification preferences. You do see new chat messages in the notification bell.
Frequently asked questions
Who can I chat with? Only administrators and umbrella administrators within the same umbrella. Chatting with another umbrella, or with parents, members or teachers, is not possible.
Can I edit a message or delete a whole conversation? No. You can only delete your own message.
Can I search old messages? No. There is only a search box for people in the New conversation window.
Does chat work in the mobile app? No, only in the portal.