Get to Know Relay: Channels
Channels are like apps for your Relay. You can turn them on and off whenever you want and you can customize each Relay with the ones you want to use. Here, you’ll find a list of all Relay’s channels and see how they work. 
Chat: Talk to friends and family
Everyone channel
By default, your Relay will send messages to everyone on your account, including your Relay app. When you are on the Relay channel, push the talk button to communicate with everyone on your account. Unlike a traditional walkie-talkie, your account is private and no one else can join or listen.
Custom Channels
You can setup new chat channels in the Relay app, one for mom and dad, one for the kids, and any other combination you want. Find out how to create and manage your custom channels below.
Direct Chats
Direct chats let you talk one-on-one with anyone on you account. A Direct Chat is automatically set up between all Relay devices and apps on your account to make communication faster. As well, if you miss a message in Direct Chat, you can listen to it later.
- How to use Direct Chats
- Listening to missed messages on your Relay device
- Listening to missed messages on your Relay app
Open Chat
Do your kid’s friends have Relays? They can still chat, even if they’re far away. Relay account owners can send invitations through the app so the kids can chat, even on different accounts. See how to use Open chat here.
Instant Chat
Want to create a temporary chat channel? Just switch to the Instant Chat channel, bump two Relays together, and they’ll be able to chat—even if they’re on different accounts! It’s great for playdates and the channel goes away once the Relay switches to a different channel.
SOS: If your child needs help, you won’t miss the alert.
Sending an SOS alert is as simple as pressing the talk button 5 times. Once a child does that, every parent connected to that child’s Relay through the app receives a special alert―as well as constant location updates.
Once an SOS alert is sent, all connected adults are notified, and can respond quickly. Both you and your child can feel safe, and secure!
Music: listen to your favorite tunes
Add your child’s favorite songs directly to the Relay so they can listen on the go, either out loud or with headphones. They can play, pause, shuffle, and skip tracks with the press of a button, and most file formats are supported.
Translate: learn something new
Let your kids learn something new with the translate channel! Speak in one language and hear it translated into another. We support 13 languages and counting. You can use your Relay app to setup language translation on each of your Relays, changing which languages it can speak. See how to use the translate channel here.
Daily Joke: kid-friendly laughs
Get new, funny content every day, and listen to the previous days’ jokes! All you have to do is enable the channel through your Relay app. Jokes are appropriate for kids of all ages.
Echo: silly sounds on demand
This silly channel is enabled on your Relays by default. Just turn to the echo channel, tap the talk button, and her your words repeated back to you in a high-pitched or low-pitched voice. Learn more about this channel here.
More channels in the works
We’re always looking for new ways to make Relay convenient for your family and fun for your kids. That’s why we are always working on new features and ways to make our existing features even better. Check back here for a list of up-to-date channels, and sign up if you want to be the first to know about new features!
Want more info on Channels? Check out these articles!
