How Groups Work in the Allo App for Team Messaging
Learn how Allo groups work, how admins create them, and how to find and message a group to reach your entire team or location at once.
Groups in Allo allow you to send a single message to multiple users simultaneously. Instead of contacting each person individually, you open a group conversation and your message reaches every member who is within radio range. Groups are defined by your organisation's administrator and typically represent a team, a physical location, or a specific role — for example, Coordination Point, Field Team Alpha, or Emergency Support Site Noord.
How groups are created
Groups are created and managed by administrators through the Allo web dashboard, not inside the app. Your administrator decides which users belong to each group and what the group is called. You cannot create or modify groups yourself from the app.
When your administrator adds you to a group, it appears in your Groups list automatically. Similarly, if you are removed from a group, it disappears from your list. This means the groups you see always reflect the current operational structure your organisation has configured.
If you expect to see a group that is not in your list, ask your administrator to check whether your account has been assigned to it. Group membership is controlled entirely from the dashboard.
What groups represent
Administrators typically set up groups to mirror real-world operational structures. Common examples include:
Teams
Groups based on functional roles — such as logistics, medical, or command — so that team-wide updates reach everyone with that role at once.
Locations
Groups based on physical sites — emergency support points, staging areas, or coordination centres — enabling location-specific communication.
Exercises
Temporary groups set up for a training exercise, bringing together participants across teams or locations for the duration of the event.
Organisations
Broad groups that include all members of an organisation or a major sub-division, useful for organisation-wide announcements.
Finding and opening a group
Open the Groups tab in the Allo app to see every group your account belongs to. Each group is shown by name. Tap a group to open the conversation and see recent messages from all members.
You only see groups that your administrator has assigned to your account. Groups you are not a member of are not visible to you.
Sending a message to a group
Open the Groups tab
Tap Groups in the bottom navigation bar. Your list of assigned groups appears.
Select the group
Tap the group you want to message. The group conversation opens, showing messages from all members in chronological order.
Compose your message
Tap the message field and type your update. Start with your location or team identifier so recipients immediately know the source. Keep the message short and action-oriented.
Send
Tap Send. The app passes the message to your Allo device over Bluetooth. The device then broadcasts it across the radio mesh to all group members whose devices are reachable.
Lead with your location or role when sending a group message. For example: "Field Team Alpha — all positions confirmed. Moving to sector 3. ETA 10 minutes." This format lets recipients absorb the key information instantly, even under pressure.
Message visibility within a group
A group message is visible only to members of that group. Users who are not assigned to the group cannot see its messages.
Within the group, a message is received by members whose Allo devices are reachable through the radio mesh at the time of sending. Because the network is radio-based and does not rely on the internet, delivery depends on each member's device being powered on and within radio range — either directly or via repeaters.
Group message delivery works per recipient. If some members are out of range when you send, they will not receive the message at that moment. There is no single "delivered to all" confirmation for group messages. For critical information, ask members to acknowledge receipt explicitly.
Replying and conversation flow
All group members see the same conversation thread. When you reply, your message goes to the entire group — not just the person who sent the last message. If you need to respond privately to a specific individual, use a private message to that contact instead.
Tips for effective group communication
- Keep group messages short and factual.
- Use the group that best matches your audience — avoid sending location-specific updates to an organisation-wide group.
- Agree on message conventions with your team before an exercise: who sends status updates, how often, and what format to use.
- Request explicit acknowledgement for critical updates, such as "CP to all NSPs: confirm status and number of persons present."
- Use private messages for information that is relevant only to one person in the group.
Can I send files or images in a group?
Group messages are designed for short text updates. Photos, videos, and large files are not suitable for the radio network because they require far more bandwidth than plain text. For operational communication in crisis or exercise scenarios, short and clear text messages are the most reliable and effective format.
Why did only some members receive my group message?
Each member must have a functioning Allo device that is reachable through the radio mesh. If a member is in a location with poor coverage, their device is off, or there is no repeater bridging the gap, delivery to that individual may fail or be delayed. Check device placement and repeater coverage if this is a recurring issue.