Group Chat lets you message several clients in one thread, right alongside your 1:1 conversations in Messages. Use it for onboarding cohorts, teams, semi-private training groups, or any set of clients who benefit from hearing the same thing at the same time.
The conversation stays next to the program instead of living in a group text or another app, and every member is one click away from their own calendar.
Create a group
Go to Messages.
Click + New, then New group.
Under Group Icon, pick a color or upload an image (PNG or JPEG, at least 150 x 150 px).
Enter a Name and a Description so members know what the group is for.
Under Permissions, leave Members can send messages on for an open conversation, or turn it off for announcement mode.
Under Add Members, search clients by name or by tag, and add coaches from your organization.
Click Create group.
💡 Tip: Search by tag to add a whole cohort at once. If your new clients already share a tag, every one of them shows up in a single search.
When the group is created, a note in the thread shows who created it and who was added. The same kind of note appears whenever someone joins or leaves.
Who you can add
Coaches can add their own clients.
Admins, Super Admins, and Owners can add any client in the organization.
Coaches in your organization can always be added.
Coaches add members directly. There are no invite links or join requests. To add more people later, click + Add in the Members section of the group details panel.
Announcement mode
The Members can send messages setting controls who can post. When it is on, everyone in the group can send messages. When it is off, only group admins can post, and members can still read and react.
To change it on an existing group, click the pencil icon next to the group name in the details panel to open Edit Group, switch the setting, and click Save changes.
Use announcement mode for weekly updates, schedule changes, or orientation notes that should not turn into a long reply thread.
Roles and permissions
Every group has admins and members. The coach who creates the group is an admin.
Action | Coach (group admin) | Client group admin | Client member |
Post when members can send messages | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Post in announcement mode | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
React to messages | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Pin messages | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Delete any message | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Edit the About text | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Add or remove members | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
ℹ️ Making a client a group admin: open the group's settings in the Coach App and use the menu next to the client. On the web, the menu next to a member lets you remove them, or remove admin rights from a client admin.
Inside a group thread
Pin a message
Hover a message, click the three-dot menu, and choose Pin. Pinned messages show in a bar at the top of the thread. Click View All Pins to see every pinned message.
Reply to a message
Choose Reply from a message's menu. A Replying to preview appears above the message box, and your reply shows the original message quoted above it. Replies work in 1:1 and group threads.
Schedule a message to the group
Type your message, click the arrow next to Send Message, and choose Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, Monday at 9:00 AM, or Custom time. A note above the message box confirms it is scheduled, and See all scheduled messages takes you to your scheduled list.
Group details panel
The panel on the right of a group thread shows the group's About text, its Members with their roles, and Group Media with every photo shared in the thread. Click the pencil icon next to the group name to edit the group or delete it. You'll be asked to confirm before a group is deleted.
Open a member's calendar
Click any member's name or avatar to open that client's calendar. The group is where everyone talks, and each client's individualized program is one click away.
Docked chat
Groups also open in the docked chat window. Click the chat icon in the top navigation, choose a group, and keep the conversation open while you work in a client's calendar.
Notifications and unread counts
Group messages send push, email, and badge notifications the same way 1:1 messages do. Each conversation in the Messages sidebar and the docked chat list shows an unread count, so you can see which groups need you.
On the Coach App
Groups appear in your Messages list in the Coach App. From your phone you can create a group, read and reply in the thread, see who is typing, manage members and permissions, make a client a group admin, view pinned messages, and browse group media.
What your clients see
Clients get a Messages tab in the CoachRx app with their 1:1 chat with you and every group they belong to, with unread dots. Inside a group they see each sender's name and photo, pinned messages, and replies. In announcement mode, members see that only admins can post. From group settings, clients can view the About text, members, and shared media, or leave the group.
FAQs
Can clients create their own groups?
No. Coaches create groups and add members.
Can I add a client who works with another coach?
Yes, if your role is Admin, Super Admin, or Owner. Coaches can add their own clients.
Do groups show read receipts?
No. Delivered and Read receipts show in 1:1 messages only.
Do group messages count toward Touchpoints?
Not at this time. Touchpoints count your 1:1 communication with each client.
Can I send voice notes in a group?
Voice notes are not available in the docked group chat window yet.
Can a client leave a group?
Yes. Clients can leave from the group's settings in the CoachRx app.
Is there an example group I can explore?
New accounts include a sample group so you can see how it works before building your own.
Still stuck? Email coachrxsupport@opexfit.com.