This complete guide will walk you through the key tools for organizing your text message inbox in ALOHA®. Learn how to sort by unread messages, filter by user, and search for specific conversations by name, phone number, or date.
✨ When You Need This Guide
This guide is your go-to resource if you want to:
Find a conversation you were just having.
Understand why your new messages sometimes appear at the top and other times they're mixed in with old ones.
Make sure all unread messages stay at the top of your inbox.
Search for a conversation if you only have the patient's phone number.
What This Covers (And What It Doesn't)
✅ This article covers: The Conversation Inbox and the step-by-step process for organizing your text message inbox. It includes how to sort, filter, search, and archive.
❌ It does not cover: How to set up automated texts.
Prerequisites/You'll Need:
Access to the ALOHA conversations inbox.
Understanding Your Inbox Visual Cues
Understanding Your Inbox Visual Cues
Here’s how to interpret the visual status of a conversation in your inbox:
The Blue Line: A blue line to the left of a conversation means the message has not yet been opened.
The Gray Line: A gray line to the left of a conversation means the message has been opened, but not yet replied to.
No Line: No line to the left of a conversation means the message has been opened and replied to.
Choosing Your Sorting Order
Choosing Your Sorting Order
You can switch between two views to organize your inbox; this setting is usually found near the top of the conversation list.
Date/Unanswered (Recommended View): This is the best view for making sure no new patient message is missed. It prioritizes by putting all unread/unanswered messages at the very top, regardless of when they arrived.
Date (Chronological View): This view works like a standard texting app and sorts all conversations purely by the most recent activity (sent or received).
Filter, Search, and Archive Conversations
Filter, Search, and Archive Conversations
Use the filter and search tools at the top of the page if you need to find a specific message.
Filter by User: Click the "people" icon to see only the conversations assigned to or handled by a specific staff member.
Search by Date: Click the "Calendar" icon to select a Date Range.
Search By Name/Phone Number: Use the Search Box to look up a conversation by a Contact's Name or Phone Number. (If searching by number, only enter numbers in the search box—e.g., 1111111111 vs (111)111-1111).
Archive to Clean Your Inbox If a message doesn't need a reply, you can click the Archive button to clear it from your main inbox view, keeping things tidy.
💡 Common Questions
💡 Common Questions
What You Might Notice | Why It's Happening | What to Do |
A conversation I just replied to disappeared from the top of the list. | You are likely in the Date/Unanswered view. Once you reply, the message is no longer "unanswered," so it moves down into the chronological section below the other unanswered messages. | This is normal for this view. To see it at the top again, switch your sorting order to Date. Alternatively, you can always find it again quickly by using the search bar. |
All my new, unread messages are mixed in with old ones. | You are likely in the Date (chronological) view. | To fix this, simply switch your sorting order to Date/Unanswered. This will immediately move all conversations that need a reply to the top of the list. |
I want to clean up my inbox, but I'm afraid the 'Archive' button will permanently delete the conversation. | The 'Archive' feature is designed to act like a filing cabinet, not a trash can. It simply moves conversations out of your primary view to keep things tidy. | Archiving a conversation is safe and does not delete it. You can pull up an archived conversation at any time by using any of the searching methods discussed in this article. |
🎉 You'll Know It's Working When
🎉 You'll Know It's Working When
You can confidently switch between the Date and Date/Unanswered views to organize your inbox as needed.
You can successfully use the search box to find any conversation.
💬 Need Help? We're Here!
💬 Need Help? We're Here!
If you have other questions about the Conversation Inbox, our support team is ready to help. Contact us at 800-563-0469 or support@getaloha.com.