Two new updates to Broadcast make it easier to reach families exactly when and how you want. You can now send a single broadcast as text, email, or both at once, instead of picking only one channel. You can also compose a broadcast in advance and schedule it to go out at a future date and time, rather than sending it right away.
These changes are for any teacher or staff member who sends routine updates to families through Broadcast.
🎉 What's New!
The delivery method is now multi-select. Previously, you had to choose between text and email for a broadcast, using a radio button that allowed only one option at a time. Now you can check text, email, or both, and one broadcast goes out on every channel you select. The footer confirms exactly how many people it will reach on each channel, for example, "Will be sent to 13 phones and 32 emails."
Broadcasts can now be scheduled. Previously, every broadcast was sent immediately once you selected Send. Now you can choose Send now to keep that same behavior, or Schedule for later to pick a date, time, and timezone. Scheduled broadcasts wait in the queue and go out automatically at the time you set, and you can view, edit, or delete them any time before they send.
A new Scheduled Broadcasts tab makes it easy to find what's queued up. The Broadcast Messages panel now has two tabs: All Broadcasts, which shows everything you've sent or scheduled, and Scheduled Broadcasts, which narrows the list to just what hasn't gone out yet. Scheduled items are also marked with a "Scheduled Broadcast" badge when you're looking at All Broadcasts.
Sending a broadcast to multiple channels at once
- Open the Broadcast Messages panel and select + New Message.
- Work through the broadcast flow (recipients, message, attachments) until you reach Review and send, the last step.
- Under Delivery Preferences > Method, check Send as text message, Send as an email, or both. Each option shows how many recipients it will reach.
- Confirm the totals in the footer and select Send Broadcast.
Note: If you select both email and text, each recipient will be reached through all available channels based on the information in your recipient list.
That's it. Your message goes out on every channel you selected in a single send, so there's no need to rebuild it a second time to reach the other channel.
Scheduling a broadcast for later
- Compose your broadcast as usual and reach the Review and send step.
- Under Timing, choose Send now to send right away, just like before, or Schedule for later.
- If you schedule it, pick a date and time and confirm the time zone shown next to the time picker. This uses your district's timezone.
- Select Send Broadcast. Your message is queued and appears under the Scheduled Broadcasts tab until it goes out.
Scheduling applies to the whole broadcast, so your language and auto-translate settings and any attachments you've added all carry over to the scheduled send.
Finding and managing a scheduled broadcast
Step 1:
Open the Broadcast Messages panel and use the toggle at the top to see:
All Broadcast: Will show everything, and all scheduled broadcasts will be highlighted and shown at the top of the list.
Scheduled Broadcasts: Will only show broadcasts that have been scheduled for future deliveries.Â
Step 2:
Select a message to open its details, including the message body, the scheduled send time, and a summary of the recipients (for example, "Enrolled students, 20 contacts").
From that detail view, you can:
Edit it. Select Edit Broadcast to reopen the Review and send step and make your changes, then select Save Changes. If you close out without saving, you'll be asked to confirm you want to discard your changes. Discarding leaves the broadcast exactly as it was originally scheduled.
Delete it. Select Delete Scheduled Broadcast. You'll be asked to confirm, since this removes the message and it will not be sent.
FAQ
Q: Do I have to pick either text or email now?Â
No. Method is multi-select, so you can send as text, email, or both from a single broadcast.
Q: What happens if I don't want to schedule anything?Â
Nothing changes for you. Send now is still the default, and it sends immediately, just like before.
Q: Can I change a scheduled broadcast after I set it up?Â
Yes. Open it from the Scheduled Broadcasts tab to edit the message, recipients, method, or send time, then save your changes. You can also delete it before it sends.
Q: What timezone is used for the scheduled time?Â
The timezone shown next to the time picker, which is your district's timezone.
Q: Does scheduling work with auto-translate and attachments?Â
Yes. Scheduling applies to the whole broadcast, including your language and auto-translate settings and any attachments.
Q: I scheduled a Broadcast for later delivery. Can I change it to send now?
Yes! Go to your Scheduled Broadcasts and click Edit. This will take you back through the Broadcast creation process.
When you reach Step 4, select Send Now to send your Broadcast immediately.