Conversations in Messages can carry more than text. A teacher, the school office or the owner can send a photo, a PDF document, an audio file or a voice note recorded on the spot — inside the same conversation about the same child, where the school keeps a record of it.
Where to find it
Click Messages (the speech-bubble icon in the top bar) and open a conversation. Below the message box there are two new buttons: the paperclip (attach a file) and the microphone (record a voice note).
Sending a photo or a document
- Open the conversation and click the paperclip.
- Choose a photo (JPG, PNG, WEBP or GIF), a PDF, or an audio file.
- Optionally type a caption in the message box.
- Click Send. The file appears in the conversation for everyone on it.
Photos show as a preview you can click to enlarge. PDFs show as a card you can open or download. Audio files play inside the conversation.
Recording a voice note
- Click the microphone. The first time, your browser asks for permission to use the microphone — allow it.
- Speak. A timer shows how long you have been recording; recording stops by itself at the school's time limit.
- Click Stop (or Discard while recording to throw it away), listen back if you like, then Send — or Remove to start again.
What the other side sees
Everyone on the conversation sees the file or voice note in the conversation, with who sent it and when. Nobody outside the conversation can open it. Staff who oversee conversations for the school (with the Communication Report permission) can open a file from the Flagged list when a message has been reported, and every such look is recorded.
Parents and teachers using the mobile apps will see attachments once their app is updated; until then, an older app shows a short line such as Photo or Voice note (0:42) in place of the file.
What the school controls
In Messages → Settings → Attachments and voice notes the school decides:
- whether files may be sent at all, and which kinds (photos, PDFs, audio files);
- whether voice notes may be recorded, and how long one may be;
- the largest file allowed (up to 25 MB);
- how long attachments stay available — after that many days they can no longer be opened.
Messages → Report shows how many photos, documents, audio files and voice notes were sent, and how many each conversation has.
Things to know
- Files are not checked for contact details. Captions are checked like any message, but the contents of a photo or document are not read by anyone or anything. If a file is inappropriate, press the flag on that message to report it to the school.
- Files are private: they are stored for your school only and can be opened only by someone signed in who is part of the conversation.
- Other file types (Word or Excel files, videos, web pages) cannot be sent. Save a document as PDF first.
- A closed or resolved conversation cannot receive new files, just as it cannot receive new messages.
Finding enabled modules
The New menu is between General and Core. It appears only when at least one new module is enabled for your institute, and shows only enabled modules. Your user privileges still control which screens you can open. Ask EDUBase support about enabling a module.
New → Parent Chat opens Messages when this module is enabled. The existing Messages shortcut and text conversations remain available separately.