Sending texts to your patients is easy and fast with ALOHA Convos. This guide will show you how to manage all your patient messages in one place, whether you're looking at the full page or just using the quick sidebar while you work.
✨ When You Need This Guide
You want to send a quick text to a patient without leaving the page you’re working on.
You need to schedule a message to go out at a specific time in the future.
You want to leave a private note for your coworkers about a specific patient conversation.
You’re looking for a way to archive old messages to keep your workspace clean.
What This Covers (And What It Doesn't):
✅ Sending, scheduling, and organizing text-based conversations with patients.
❌ Setting up your initial office phone number.
Prerequisites/You'll Need:
An active ALOHA login.
✅ Getting Started: Choosing Your Layout
ALOHA gives you two ways to talk to patients. You can control this by going to Settings > General > Layout.
Note: You can only use one view at a time. If you are using the full-page view, the sidebar option will be hidden, and vice versa.
1. Drawer (Default)
The drawer layout lets you message patients without leaving your current page. It opens as a panel on the right side of the screen.
To Open: Click the chat icon in the top-right header. The badge shows your unread count.
To Close: Click the X at the top of the panel.
To Expand: Click the expand icon at the top of the panel to switch to the full Conversations page.
Note: On smaller screens, the panel opens as a full-screen overlay.
2. Page
The page layout is a dedicated, full-screen view for managing your inbox.
To Open: Click Convos in the left navigation bar.
Features: This view offers a side-by-side list and active chat window. You can drag the divider between the two panels to resize your view.
💬 Managing Conversations
Finding and Filtering
Use the dropdown at the top of your list to filter by:
All – Every conversation.
Unread – Conversations marked with a blue dot.
Saved – Threads you have "hearted."
Archived – Cleared conversations.
Search: Use the search field to find patients by name or phone number.
Sending and Scheduling
Compose: Type your message in the bottom field. Press Enter to send, or Shift + Enter for a new line.
Images: Use the + icon to attach images to your text. You can upload a new file (up to 16 MB) or pick from your existing image library.
Send Later: Click Send Later to select a specific date and time. Scheduled messages appear with a clock icon until they are delivered.
Internal Notes
Click the note icon in the toolbar to leave comments for your team. These appear with a document icon and are never visible to the patient.
Pinning Messages
Hover over any message in a thread and click the pin icon. Pinned messages stay in a notification area at the top of the thread for quick reference.
💡 Common Questions
What You Might Notice | Why It's Happening | What to Do |
I can't find a specific patient thread. | You might have a filter turned on, or the chat was archived. | Switch your filter to All or check the Archived tab. |
My message failed to send. | The phone number might be wrong, or an image was too large. | Double-check the patient's number and ensure images are under 16MB. |
A scheduled message is still sitting there. | The scheduled time hasn't arrived, or the page needs a refresh. | Look for the clock icon; if the time has passed and it hasn't sent, refresh your browser. |
🎉 You'll Know It's Working When:
Your sent messages appear in the chat thread with a blue dot or timestamp.
You are able so successfully archive conversations after you have responded.
Your unread badge (the little number on the icon) clears as you reply to patients.
Internal notes appear with a document icon, showing they are private to your team.
💬 Need Help? We're Here!
If you run into any trouble or have more questions about how to use ALOHA, our support team is happy to help!
Phone: 800-563-0469
Email: support@getaloha.com