Restricting Screens by Groups

Learn how to restrict screens by group to control who can access content in your app, with setup steps, common examples, and clear access behavior.

Step-by-Step: Restrict a Screen by Group

1. Open the Screen Settings

Open the screen you want to restrict.
Click the gear icon to open Screen Settings. For a group chat, tap the ⓘ info icon, then Open Settings.
Scroll to the Permissions section.

2. Set Screen Visibility

Under Visibility, select:

This screen is visible in the app

(This allows the screen to exist while access is controlled by permissions.)

3. Enable Restricted Access

Under Access, select:

Users can only access this screen if…

4. Choose Account Types (Required)

Select at least one account type (Parent, Staff, Visitor), or
Check Allow any account type

(At least one option must be selected to save the screen.)

5. Choose Groups

Under Groups:

Select one or more groups that should have access (for example: Toddler, Primary, Elementary)

(Users only need to belong to one of the selected groups to gain access.)

6. Save Changes

Click Save Changes to apply the restrictions.

Common Group Restriction Setups

Classroom-Specific Screens

Use when: A screen should only be visible to families in a specific classroom.

Example Screen: Toddler Classroom Screen, Ms. Suzanne's Class
Account types: Parent
Groups: Select the classroom group (e.g. Toddler – Sunflower Room)

Staff-Only Screens

Use when: Content is only for teachers or administrators.

Example Screen: Staff Handbook, Teacher Resources Hub
Account types: Staff
Groups: Select staff groups (e.g. All Staff, Lead Teachers)

Program-Specific Information

Use when: A screen applies to one program but not the entire school.

Example Screen: Elementary Program Overview, Toddler Program Policies
Account types: Parent
Groups: Select the program group (e.g. Toddler Program Families, Elementary Program Families)

Mixed Access (Parents + Staff)

Use when: Both parents and staff should see the same screen.

Example Screen: School Calendar, Emergency Procedures
Account types: Parent and Staff
Groups: Select shared groups (e.g. All Families, All Staff)

Multiple Classrooms at Once

Use when: A screen applies to more than one classroom.

Example Screen: Primary + Elementary Event Details
Account types: As needed
Groups: Select multiple classroom groups (e.g. Primary – Olive Tree, Elementary – Oak Room)

When to Use Group Restrictions

Use group-based restrictions when a screen should only be visible to certain classrooms, programs, or cohorts (for example: Toddler, Primary, Elementary).

Customize group names based on your school

What Users See If They Don’t Have Access

When a screen is restricted by group or account type, users who don’t meet the requirements cannot view the screen content.

If the user is not logged in

They’ll see a message indicating the screen is restricted and prompting them to log in.

If the user is logged in but does not meet the requirements

This applies to most screens, including PDFs, calendars, and feeds.

The user sees a message explaining that:
- The screen is restricted to certain groups and/or account types
- Their account does not currently have access
The screen content itself is fully hidden.

Group Chats: One Important Difference

Group chats follow the same restriction rules unless the user is a member of the chat.

If the user is a chat member:
- They can access the chat even if it's restricted by group or account type.
If the user is not a chat member:
- They'll see This screen is restricted with a note that they're not a member of the chat or feed, and a prompt to ask an administrator to add them.

Admins and editors can still check in

Some people don't need to be added as a member to view a members-only chat or feed. If they have the All Members or All Screens & Forms permission, or they're an editor of that chat, they'll see a View this chat button on the restricted screen instead.

Viewing this way doesn't make them a member. To post or get notifications, they'll need to join the chat or be added as a member. Admins with the All Members permission can also see every group chat and activity feed from Messages → All Group Chats. See How Admins Can See All Group Chats and Activity Feeds.

Why this matters:

Chat membership always grants access, so you can safely restrict a chat to certain groups while still adding specific staff as members. And admins can still check in on a members-only chat without having to join it.

Good to know

🔒 Screens with any access restriction now show a small lock icon next to them in the All Screens list, so you can see at a glance which screens are restricted without opening each one's settings. This icon appears for restrictions by account type, group, or feed-subscriber-only.