Missed Messages: The Ultimate User Guide
What is the missed messages feature?
Relay works kind of like a walkie-talkie, where you hear new messages as soon as they are sent. With missed messages, you can still listen to a message even if you miss it coming though. If you are offline or using a different Relay chat or channel, new Direct Chat messages will wait to play until you’re ready to listen to them.
How does it work?
Real-time vs missed messages
Sometimes your Relay messages will come through in real-time, and in other situations, they will be saved as missed messages. For a message to come through to your Relay or smartphone app in real-time, both members of the chat need to be on the same chat at the same time.
For Direct Chats, this means that your child’s Relay needs to be on your app’s Direct Chat and your app needs to be on the Direct Chat for your child’s Relay.
For Group Chats, this means that your child’s Relay and your smartphone app both need to be on the same group chat. If anyone else is part of that chat and are tuned in, they will also hear messages in real-time. If they aren’t tuned into that chat, they won’t receive any missed messages.
- More information about how to talk to different people with Relay
Direct Chats vs Group Chats
Direct Chats are made up of just two people—and they’re automatically set up on your Relay account. When you send a message through Direct Chats and the recipient is not tuned into that same Chat, your message will be saved so they can listen to it later.
Relay comes pre-configured with the Everyone Group chat, which allows you to communicate with everyone on your account, whether they are using a Relay device or the app on their smartphone. Other Group Chats are manually set up and usually contain 3 or more people. If you are not online when someone sends a message to a Group Chat, you will not receive a Missed Message. You will only receive missed messages in your Direct Chats.
- Learn how to use and navigate your Direct Chats
- Learn how to add new Group Chats and manage existing ones
Why don’t I receive missed messages for group chats?
Most people have experienced being part of a big group text—we consider group chats similar to that. Getting notification after notification when just a couple members of the group are having a conversation can often be more trouble than it’s worth. That’s why you’ll only receive missed messages when someone is trying to get a hold of you through Direct Chats.
Step-by-step guide
Here’s where we’ll get into the nuts and bolts of how missed messages work, both on your Relay device and on your smartphone app.
Missed Messages on your Relay
How do I know I have a missed message?
When you have a missed message waiting for you, you’ll see your Relay’s LED ring intermittently flashing green. It will flash every couple of seconds at first, then less frequently over time to save battery life.
How do I check the message?
You don’t have to wait until you see the flashing green light to check for missed messages. Just press the power button once—your Relay will navigate to the correct chat and play the missed message automatically.
To replay the last message on a chat, navigate to the Direct Chat you want with the you can manually navigate chats and channels by hitting the power button or you can press and hold the “volume/assistant” button to issue voice command. Then press the talk button once to replay the most recent message on the Direct Chat.
What if I have missed messages from multiple Direct Chats?
If you have multiple missed messages, you will still see your LED ring flashing green after pressing the power button and listening to your first message. Just press the power button again to listen to the next message.
- More information about missed messages on your Relay device
Missed messages on your smartphone app
How do I know I have a missed message?
On your smartphone, there are three ways to tell you have missed messages waiting.
- Push notifications when a message comes in
- Badge notifications in the app
- Details in the Direct Chat
First, the relay app will send you a push notification that you can see even when your Relay app is closed. Then, inside the app on the main screen, you’ll see a badge notification on the direct chat which has left you a message. Once you tap on the Direct Chat, you’ll be able to see how many missed messages you have, along with the option to play your messages or mark them as “read.”
How do I check the message?
Just open up your Relay app, tap the Direct Chat with a badge icon, and tap the play button to listen to your messages or replay messages you’ve already listened to.
- More information about missed messages on the Relay app
- More information about navigating your Relay app
How will missed messages make your day easier?
Leaving a message on purpose
Sometimes you might want to leave your child a message instead of getting ahold of them in real time—like when you want to give them a reminder for after school. There are two ways to leave a message on purpose.
The “Everyone” method
If you want to leave your child a message, you need to make sure that their Relay device isn’t currently tuned into a Direct Chat with you. A quick way to ensure this is to send a message on the Everyone group chat. You don’t need to speak, just press and hold the talk button briefly. All Relays on your account will automatically switch to the Everyone group chat, leaving you free to leave your child a message via Direct Chats.
The “Power saver” method
When your Relay device is turned off, all Direct Chats will be saved as missed messages. So if your child turns off their Relay while at school, you can send them a message that they can listen to when they turn their Relay back on at the end of the day. This also saves battery!
Quick fixes for common issues
Having issues with missed messages? Check these two quick fixes. If you’re still having trouble, start a chat with our support team right from your Relay app.
Do you have two-person Group Chats?
If you have a manually-created group chat with the same name as a Direct Chat on your account, this can cause issues since missed messages works with Direct Chats but not with group chats.
Have you changed the names of any Relays or apps on your account?
If your Relay is giving you a “message expired” notice or you see messages disappearing, try changing the name of the Relay or app in question. It will clear out any old messages and acts as a reset on the chat.
Don’t have Relay yet? Check us out on Amazon or at your local Target store. To learn more, visit us at relaygo.com.
