Thirty people on one job all need the same parking instructions, and they'll all have questions. Answer them once, where everyone can see.
Summary
A channel is a group conversation in NextCrew. Open the chat icon in the system tray on the right of the screen, choose Channels, then Add Channel. Pick Direct for one person or Group for several, add the people, and post the first message. Everyone in it can read and reply, and Crew use it in the NextCrew app. You add and remove people yourself. What goes wrong: posting the details before everyone is added. A person added later can't see what was said before they joined.
How to do it
- Open the chat icon in the system tray on the right of the screen and choose Channels. It's there on every screen.
- Click Add Channel and pick Direct (one person) or Group (several).
- Add the people. Use the filters, such as Position, Group or Tag, to find them fast.
- Name a Group channel after what it's for, then click Create & Open.
- Post the first message, saying what the channel is for.
- When the work is over, delete it. Only the person who created it can, and it's gone for everyone.
When you would use this
A big job tomorrow. Add everyone confirmed for it to one Group channel. Parking, start time and what to wear get asked and answered once.
A change on the day. The site moved or the start time slipped. One post reaches the whole group, instead of thirty separate texts.
A standing team. Your supervisors, or the Crew who cover one client every week. Keep one channel and add or remove people as the team changes.
One person, one thread. A Direct channel keeps a running conversation with one Crew Member in one place.
▶ Watch a channel being set up
That's a channel up and running. Everything below is for when someone can't see it, or can't see a message you posted.
On this page
How channels work
A channel is one shared conversation in NextCrew. Everyone in it sees every message and can reply. That's the difference from Messages, which sends each person their own copy.
There are two kinds: Direct, with one person, and Group, with several.
Only your team creates channels. You choose who's in it: Crew Members, client users and people on your team. NextCrew doesn't add the people on a job for you.
Your team finds channels on the web, in the system tray on every screen. Crew see them in the NextCrew app under Messages › Channels. Client users get an email about new messages and can reply.
People see messages from the moment they're added, not before. When the work is done, the person who created the channel can delete it, and it's gone for everyone.
Why a channel beats a group text
| Without NextCrew | In NextCrew |
|---|---|
| Group texts from a recruiter's own phone | The conversation lives in NextCrew, where your whole team can see it. |
| Thirty separate messages saying the same thing | One post reaches everyone in the channel. |
| Crew asking the same question one by one | They see the answer someone else already got. |
| Photos of a sign or a gate sent to one person | Anyone in the channel can send a photo or file, and everyone sees it. |
| Hoping people check one app | Crew hear about new messages by phone notification, email, and text if you use it. |
Create a channel
- Open the chat icon in the system tray on the right of the screen and choose Channels. You'll see your channels, with when each was last active and who posted last.
- Click Add Channel.
- Choose the Channel type.
- Add participants, and name it if it's a Group.
- Click Create Channel to save it, or Create & Open to save it and post straight away.
| Type | Who's in it | Its name |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | Exactly one other person | Taken from that person. You don't name it. |
| Group | As many people as you add | You name it. |
Name a Group for what it's about, not the date. Riverside: Front Desk Team tells someone on their phone what they're looking at. Saturday doesn't.
Only your team creates channels. Crew can't start one.
Choose who's in it
The participant picker lists everyone you can add. Narrow it with the filters rather than scrolling:
- Roles: Admin, Crew Member and Client. All three are on to start with, so turn off the ones you don't want.
- Position: the quickest way to pick the people who do one kind of work.
- Group and Tag: if you already keep your Crew grouped or tagged, use it here.
- Office Location: for a channel that belongs to one branch.
- HR Status: to leave out people who aren't active.
Check the selected list before you finish. It's easy to filter, select, filter again and lose track.
You add and remove people yourself. NextCrew doesn't add the people confirmed on a job for you. To add someone later, open the channel and use add participant.
Post the first message
Say what the channel is for, in one line, before anything else. People are added without being asked, and a channel with no clear purpose gets ignored.
⚠️ Watch out
Someone added later can't read what was said before they joined. Add everyone first, then post the details. If someone joins late, post the important things again or send them directly.
Who you can add, and what they get
| Who | What they get |
|---|---|
| Your team | The channel on the web, and an email when there's a new message. |
| Crew Members | The channel in the NextCrew app. They can read, reply and send photos and files. They're told about new messages by phone notification and email, and by text if your agency has turned on texting. |
| Client users | An email when there's a new message. They can read and reply in the channel. |
Texts need text messaging turned on for your agency. See Turn On Text Messaging with Twilio.
Think before you add a client to a channel with Crew in it. A chat about covering a gap, or someone running late, reads very differently to the client paying for the job.
What your Crew see
In the NextCrew app, Crew open Messages and tap the Channels tab. They need app version 4.36 or later. On an older version, the tab isn't there until they update.
Crew can't leave a channel, and can't turn off notifications for one channel. Keep channels to the people who need them.
Send your Crew How to Use Channels in the NextCrew App. It's written for a phone.
Who sees which messages
| Situation | What they see |
|---|---|
| Added for the first time | Messages from the moment they were added. Not what came before. |
| Removed and added back | Everything they could see before, still there. |
| Removed | The channel disappears from their app. |
Rename or delete a channel
Open the channel and use the menu at the top right. It has Rename channel and Delete channel.
⚠️ Watch out
Deleting a channel deletes it for everyone, with every message and file. There's no archive and no undo. Only the person who created it can delete it.
Anything you may need later, such as a client instruction or an agreement about hours, belongs on the job or the Crew Member's record, not only in a channel.
If something isn't working
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| A Crew Member can't find Channels | Check their app version. Below 4.36, they need to update. Otherwise, tell them: Messages, then the Channels tab. |
| A new person is asking about something already posted | Expected. They can't see messages from before they joined. Post it again. |
| Nobody can delete an old channel | Only the creator can. Create channels from the account that should own them. |
| Someone left the agency and their channels are still there | Only they could delete them. Ask NextCrew support for help. |
Questions people ask
How do channels work?
You start a channel, add the people, and everyone in it shares one conversation. They all see every message and can reply: your team on the web, Crew in the NextCrew app and client users by email.
What's the difference between Channels and Messages?
Messages sends a message out to people, one copy each. A channel is one shared conversation where everyone sees everything. See Message Your Crew and Clients: Start Here.
Are the people on a job added for me?
No. You add and remove people yourself.
Can I attach a file?
Yes, on the web and in the Crew app.
Can I get a deleted channel back?
No. Deleting removes every message and file for everyone.
Who can delete a channel?
Only the person who created it.
Can Crew start a channel?
No. Only your team can.
Can clients reply?
Yes. Client users get an email about new messages, and can read and reply in the channel.
Other ways people ask this
- How do channels work?
- What is a channel in NextCrew?
- How do I create group messages?
- How does group messaging work?
- How do I make a group chat?
- How do I message everyone on a job at once?
- Where are Channels?
- How do I add someone to a channel?
- How do I delete a channel?
- Can clients be in a channel?
Related guides
- How to Use Channels in the NextCrew App — send this to your Crew
- Send a Message to Crew, Clients or Your Team — one message to many people
- Message Your Crew and Clients: Start Here — which tool to use when
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