Messaging

Messaging in Trio handles both one-on-one conversations and group messages sent to many families at once. Open it from Messages, where two underline tabs switch between the two modes.

Inbox and Group Messages tabs

The page header shows two tabs:

Inbox - one-on-one conversations with students, families, and staff
Group Messages - messages sent to a set of recipients at once

A numbered badge appears next to the Messages heading and in the sidebar whenever you have unread conversations.

The Inbox

The Inbox is a two-pane layout: the conversation list on the left, the open conversation on the right. On a phone, the list and the conversation stack so you see one at a time, with a back arrow to return to the list.

Starting a conversation

Select New message in the header to open the New Conversation dialog. Choose a Recipient, add an optional Subject, type your Message, and select Send. Conversations are one-to-one - to reach several people at once, use Group Messages instead.

Reading and replying

Select any conversation to open the full thread. Trio marks it as read and shows every message in order, with a checkmark on messages the recipient has read. Type in the reply box at the bottom and select the send button, or press Enter. Use Shift+Enter for a line break. Unsent text is kept as a draft if you switch to another conversation.

Help me write this

The reply box includes a Help me write this button. Select it to open the Ask Trio assistant pre-set for message drafting, with the recipient in context. Describe what you want to say, and Trio drafts a professional message you can drop straight into the reply box and edit before sending.

Group Messages

Switch to the Group Messages tab to see past group messages and send new ones. Select New Group Message to open the composer.

Choosing recipients

Under Audience, pick who receives the message:

All families - every family in your studio
Filtered by criteria - narrow by teacher, day of the week, or both
Custom selection - hand-pick families and contacts

Select Preview recipients to confirm how many people will receive the message before you send.

Writing and sending

Under Compose, choose your Delivery Channels - In-App, Email / SMS per preference, or both - then add a Subject and write the message in the rich-text editor. When Email/SMS is selected, you can show a plain-text preview to see how the message reads as a text. Select Preview Message to review the full message, then Send Group Message and confirm. Trio reports how many messages were sent.

Text messages (SMS)

Trio can deliver messages by text as well as in-app and email. When you send a group message and choose Email / SMS per preference, families who prefer text receive an SMS, and their replies thread back into your Inbox automatically. Sending text messages is available on every plan; your monthly SMS allowance scales with your plan (50 on Free, 1,000 on Pro, and 10,000 on Max).

Real-time updates

The Inbox updates without a refresh. New messages appear in open threads as they arrive, conversations move to the top of the list when someone replies, and the unread badge updates live.

Notification Settings - how Trio decides who receives each message
Events and Recitals - events come with their own invitations
Ask Trio Assistant - the AI helper behind "Help me write this"