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Must know
  • Select the channel label next to the person’s name (on phones it shows only an icon) and pick another channel. The current one is greyed out.
  • Switching re-checks what the new channel needs: the SMS feature on your club’s plan and a verified phone for Web & SMS, an email address for Web & Email.
  • Only future messages use the new channel. History stays, nothing is sent to the family, and the thread’s status does not change.
You can change a conversation’s channel at any time from inside the thread, for example to text when a Web Only note isn’t getting seen.
1

Open the conversation

Select it from the Conversations list. On phones the thread replaces the list, and the back arrow returns you to it.
2

Select the channel label

Next to the family’s name at the top of the thread is a small label showing the current channel (for example, Web Only). On phones it shows only an icon.
3

Pick the new channel

Choose one of the two other channels. A message reads Switched to Web & SMS (or the channel you picked).
If the switch is refused. The channel stays as it was and an error message appears. The SMS feature is checked first: without it on your club’s plan, the message reads Feature “sms” is not available on your current plan (Web & SMS still shows in the menu). Then the family’s details: User does not have a phone number, User does not have a verified phone number or User does not have an email address. A server error shows Failed to update conversation. What a switch does not do. It sends nothing and does not reopen a Closed or Archived thread. Earlier messages keep their own channel icon under each bubble. Two cases to watch.
  • Opted-out family. Switching to Web & SMS succeeds, but the header shows Opted Out and the message box is replaced by This recipient has opted out of SMS messages., so you can’t send. Switch to Web Only or Web & Email to bring it back. See Why can’t I text a family who opted out of SMS?.
  • Chat emails switched off. If your club turned off chat emails to families, switching to Web & Email works but each message fails with Chat email notifications to families are switched off in Notifications settings.
From New Conversation. If the family already has a chat on another channel, the Switch channel? prompt offers Cancel or Switch to [channel]. Unlike the header label, confirming also reopens the thread. Related: What do the Web Only, Web & SMS, and Web & Email channels mean? · Why can’t I pick a family member for an SMS or email chat? · Why did my chat message fail to send?