Activity Feed vs. Group Chat
This guide explains the difference between Activity Feed and Group Chats in Onespot, so you can decide when to use each feature.
Activity Feed
What it is
A bulletin board for classroom announcements, updates, and discussions. Members can view posts and comment (if enabled).
Purpose
To share important updates in a single, organized place.
How it works
Admins create posts that notify all members of the activity feed. Permissions can be set for who can post or comment.
Example
Instead of sending multiple messages about an upcoming field trip, you can post once in the Activity Feed so all parents and students see it.
Activity Feed View
- Works like Facebook – you scroll down to see recent posts.
- Comments (if enabled) appear under the main post.
Where to manage it
You can create, edit, and delete Activity Feed from your Administrative Superpowers ⚡ → Content → Activity Feed.
The Activity Feed is best for structured communication and announcements that need visibility across a large group.
💡 Want the chat bubble look for an Activity Feed? After the feed is created, you can switch it to the Group Chat look under Display Style in its settings. It stays an Activity Feed, only the look changes, and nothing is lost when you switch. See Creating a School-Wide Group Chat or Activity Feed.
Group Chats
What they are
Group Chats let you manage private conversations between multiple parents or staff members.
Purpose
To create private spaces for communication, with the option to add members based on notification group preferences.
How it works
- You can create small, selective chats for unique situations. These chats are private — only invited members (and admins) can see or post in them.
- This makes them perfect for split-household families, leadership teams, or staff working on special projects, while keeping your main community chat clean and uncluttered.
Example
A split-household family can have their own chat — e.g., Swift Family Group Chat — where only the selected parents and admins can communicate.
Group Chat View
- Works like WhatsApp or iMessage: messages appear as chat bubbles, with your own on the right.
- Type in the message box at the bottom, and tap + to add photos, a PDF, or a poll.
- Long-press a message to react, reply in a thread, or edit or delete it.
- Scroll up to see older messages.
Where to manage them
You can create, edit, and delete Group Chats from your Administrative Superpowers ⚡ → Content → Group Chat screen.
Group Chats are best for day-to-day communication, quick coordination, and community engagement.
Both Activity Feeds and Group Chats include:
- Polls: see How to Create and Use Polls in Group Chats and Activity Feeds
- Unread counts and a New messages line: see Catching Up on Unread Messages in Group Chats
- Seen by for managers and admins: see Seeing Who Has Read a Message in a Group Chat
Tip: Use Activity Feeds for formal announcements and Group Chats for ongoing conversations. Together, they provide a complete communication system for your school.
Deleting posts/comments (or messages) works the same way on both — see How to Delete Messages.
You can also edit the text of your own posts, comments, and messages on both — see How to Edit a Message or Post.