Overview
Chapter’s Groups & Messaging system brings your university community together. Whether you’re in your course group, society chat, or flat group, everything is designed to keep you connected with the people that matter.Group Types
Course groups, societies, sports teams, accommodation, and more
Private Chats
One-on-one conversations with friends and coursemates
Rich Messaging
Photos, polls, events, reactions, and pinned messages
Smart Features
Notifications control, admin tools, and member management
Group Types
Chapter automatically creates and manages different types of groups for your university experience:Course Groups
Automatically created for your degree program and year group. Connect with coursemates, share notes, and organize study sessions.Society & Sports Groups
Every society and sports club has its own dedicated group chat. Join clubs you’re interested in and stay updated on events, training times, and socials.Accommodation Groups
Halls groups connect you with everyone in your building. Perfect for organizing flat parties, finding study buddies, or borrowing ingredients.Flat Groups
Your closest uni family. Coordinate cleaning rotas, plan movie nights, or just share memes.Event Groups
Temporary groups created for specific events like freshers’ week activities, course trips, or society socials.Messaging Features
Text Messages
Send messages with full emoji support and formatting. Messages are delivered in real-time to all group members.Photo Sharing
Share photos directly in chats. All group photos are automatically saved to a media gallery in the group preview.Shared photos are accessible to all group members and appear in the group’s media gallery for easy browsing.
Message Reactions
React to messages with emojis to show agreement, appreciation, or just for fun. Multiple people can react with the same emoji, and reactions are displayed compactly below messages. Quick Reactions Available:- 👍 Thumbs up
- ❤️ Heart
- 😂 Laughing face
- 🎉 Party popper
- Plus all Chapter custom emojis
Reply to Messages
Quote and reply to specific messages to keep conversations organized. Replies show the original message context.Pinned Messages
Admins can pin important messages to the top of the chat. Perfect for:- Event details and timings
- Important announcements
- Group rules or guidelines
- Links to shared documents
Interactive Features
Polls
Create polls to make group decisions democratically. Polls support:- Multiple choice options
- Real-time vote counting
- Vote percentages
- Expiry dates
- Anonymous or visible voting
- Choosing social venues
- Picking team names
- Scheduling meetings
- Making group decisions
Event Sharing
Share calendar events directly in group chats. Members can:- View event details
- RSVP directly from the chat
- Add to their personal calendar
- See who else is attending
Share to Chat
Share events, open days, and content from other parts of Chapter directly into relevant group chats.Group Management
Group Preview
Tap the group name or icon to view the comprehensive group preview page, featuring: Overview Section:- Group photo and name
- Member count with avatar stack
- University/provider affiliation
- Group type badge
- Navigate to group hub
- Open chat
- Toggle notifications
- Share group
- Grid view of members (shows admins first)
- Crown badge for admins
- Tap to view full members list
- Search and filter members
- Total member count
- Number of admins
- Group creation date
- Pinned Messages: Up to 3 most recent pinned messages
- Media: 6x6 grid of shared photos
- Polls: Active and recent polls
- Events: Upcoming group events
Notifications
Control notifications per group:- On: Receive all messages
- Muted: No notifications (you’ll still see unread badges)
Notification settings are saved per-group, so you can mute busy groups while keeping important ones active.
Admin Features
Group admins have additional capabilities: Member Management:- Add new members
- Remove members from group
- Promote members to admin
- Demote admins to regular members
- Pin important messages
- Unpin messages
- Report inappropriate content
- Edit group name and photo
- Update group description
- Manage group visibility
- Set group capacity
Members List
Access the full members list to:- Browse all members: Sorted with admins first
- Search members: Find specific people quickly
- Filter by role: View all members or just admins
- View profiles: Tap any member to see their full profile
- Admin actions: (For admins) Manage member roles and remove users
- Profile picture with admin crown badge
- Full name
- “You” badge for your own profile
- Admin role indicator
Chat Interface
Header
The chat header shows:- Group icon/photo
- Group name
- Member count with avatar preview (for group chats)
- Menu with options:
- Toggle notifications
- View pinned chats
- View polls
- Leave group
Message Composer
The bottom message input includes:- Text input field
- Photo picker button
- Poll creator button
- Event creator button
- Send button
Navigation
- Back button: Return to inbox
- Group name: Tap to view group preview
- Menu (…): Access group options
Private Messaging
One-on-one chats with friends and coursemates work just like group chats but with:- Direct profile access (tap their photo/name)
- Simpler header (just their name and photo)
- All the same features: photos, reactions, replies
Unread Messages
Chapter keeps track of unread messages:- Unread badge: Shows message count on group/chat icons
- Last message preview: See the most recent message in inbox
- Smart sorting: Unread chats appear at the top of your inbox
Best Practices
Keep it Relevant
Keep it Relevant
Use the right group for your message. Course questions go in course groups, social plans in flat groups.
Pin Important Info
Pin Important Info
Admins should pin critical information like event times, locations, or important deadlines.
Use Polls for Decisions
Use Polls for Decisions
Let the group decide democratically. Polls are great for picking restaurants, choosing dates, or making any group decision.
React Instead of Replying
React Instead of Replying
A simple 👍 or ❤️ can replace “ok” or “sounds good” messages, reducing notification spam.
Mute Busy Groups
Mute Busy Groups
Don’t want constant pings from your 200-person course group? Mute it and check when you want.
Technical Details
Message Types
text: Standard text messagesphoto: Image messagespoll: Poll messagesevent: Shared calendar eventsreply: Quoted replies to other messages
Message States
- Sent: Message delivered to server
- Delivered: All recipients received
- Read: Recipients have viewed
Storage
All chat images are stored in CDN with optimized delivery:Related Features
Campus Feed
Share updates and see what’s happening across campus
Events Calendar
Create and share events with your groups
Societies & Sports
Join clubs and access their group chats