Sending and replying to text messages lets you communicate with students directly from the admin portal. All conversations are threaded so your team can see full message history and context when responding to student questions or issues.
Text conversations stay organized in one place regardless of which staff member responds, giving your entire team visibility into student communication. SMS history also appears on student profiles for quick reference when reviewing applications or processing assignments.
Navigate to the SMS screen
Navigate to the SMS section of the admin portal. Any existing conversations will be listed on this page, organized by most recent activity.
Click New Message
Click New Message to start a conversation with a student. A modal will open where you can search for and select the student you want to text.
Select the student
Search for the student by name or ID and select them from the results. The studentʼs phone number on file will automatically be used for the conversation.
Type your message
Type your message in the message field. Keep messages concise and clear for mobile reading.
Send the message
Click Send. The student receives the text at their phone number on file, and the conversation appears in your message list.
Quick start from profiles: Use Quick Search to find a student, then select Send Message from their quick actions menu. The new message modal opens with that student already selected.
Reply to incoming messages
When a student texts your Housing.Cloud number, the conversation appears in your SMS screen. Click on the conversation to open the full thread.
Type your reply in the message field at the bottom of the thread and click Send. Your reply is added to the same thread, and the student receives it as a standard text message.
Note: If youʼre assigned to a conversation or following it, you receive notifications when new messages arrive. Other staff can see the conversation but wonʼt be notified unless theyʼre also assigned or following.
Attach images to messages
While composing a message, click the attachment icon to add an image. Select the image file from your computer. The image appears as a preview in the message.
Click Send to send the image to the student.
Note: Images are sent as MMS messages and count separately in your usage tracking. MMS messages may have different carrier limits than standard SMS.
View conversation history
Click on any conversation in the SMS screen to see the full message thread. The thread displays all messages exchanged with that student in chronological order, showing who sent each message and when.
Conversation threads include:
All messages sent and received with that student
Staff name for messages sent by your team
Timestamps for every message
Image attachments if any were sent
Conversation status and assigned staff member
View SMS history on student profiles
Navigate to Profiles in the admin portal. Search for and click on a studentʼs name to open their profile.
Scroll to the SMS history card on the profile page. This card shows all text conversations with that student.
Click on any conversation to view the full message thread. The SMS history card appears on profile details pages, not on application details.