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Allo Dashboard: Create Groups and Manage Membership

Create groups for teams, locations, and incident channels, add or remove members, and understand how groups appear in the Allo app.

Groups are the primary way to organise communication in Allo. A group brings together a set of users into a shared channel — everyone in the group can send and receive messages within it. Groups are defined and managed by administrators in the dashboard; field users see only the groups they have been added to. This page explains how to create a group, manage its membership, and choose the right group structure for your organisation.

What groups are for​

Groups serve different purposes depending on how your organisation operates. Common use cases include:

  • Teams — A group for everyone on a particular operational team, regardless of location (e.g. Team Oost, Command Staff).
  • Locations — A group representing a specific post, site, or vehicle (e.g. Noodsteunpunt Dorpstraat, Brandweerkazerne Noord).
  • Incident channels — A group created specifically for a live incident or exercise, bringing together all relevant responders regardless of their normal team.
  • Cross-organisation coordination — A group spanning multiple teams or departments for strategic communication during large-scale events.

Keep group names short and unambiguous. During a crisis, users need to identify the right group instantly. Avoid generic names like Group 1 — use names that make the purpose obvious, such as Logistiek or CoPI.

Create a group​

1

Open the Groups section

Log in to the dashboard and navigate to Groups in the sidebar. You will see a list of all groups currently configured for your organisation.

2

Click Create group

Select Create group to open the group creation form.

3

Enter a name and description

Give the group a clear, descriptive name (this is what users see in the app). Optionally add a description to explain the group's purpose — useful for admins reviewing the configuration later.

4

Add members

Select users to add to the group. You can search by name or email. Add as many members as needed. You can also leave the group empty and add members later.

5

Save the group

Confirm and save. The group is created immediately. Any members you added will see the group appear in the Groups tab of their Allo app the next time their app syncs.

Add or remove members​

You can update group membership at any time without recreating the group.

To add a member:

  1. Open the group's detail page from the Groups list.
  2. Select Add member.
  3. Search for and select the user.
  4. Save. The user's app will reflect the change after the next sync.

To remove a member:

  1. Open the group's detail page.
  2. Find the user in the member list.
  3. Select Remove next to their name and confirm.

Removing a user from a group does not delete their account or affect their membership in other groups. They simply lose access to that group's conversation in the app.

How groups appear in the app​

Once a user is a member of a group, the group appears in the Groups tab of their Allo app. They can tap the group to open the shared conversation and send or read messages. Users only see groups they belong to — they cannot browse or discover groups they have not been added to.

Group messages are delivered to all members whose Allo devices are reachable on the radio mesh at the time of sending. Because radio range and mesh topology vary, not every member may receive a message instantly — particularly if some users are at the edge of coverage or their device is powered off. For critical communications, follow up with a private message to confirm receipt from key contacts.

Unlike private messages, group messages currently do not show a per-recipient delivery confirmation in the app. The message status indicates whether it was handed off to the radio network, not whether each individual member received it. Per-recipient delivery evaluation is on the roadmap.

Rename or delete a group​

  • Rename: Open the group detail page, edit the Name field, and save. The new name appears in the app after the next sync.
  • Delete: Open the group detail page and select Delete group. This permanently removes the group and its conversation history from the dashboard. Users will no longer see the group in their app.

Deleting a group cannot be undone. If you only need to pause activity on a group — for example, between exercises — consider removing all members temporarily rather than deleting the group entirely.

Practical advice for structuring groups​

How many groups should an organisation have?

Create as few groups as needed for clear communication. Too many groups create confusion and mean users have to check multiple places for messages. A typical deployment might have three to ten groups: one per operational team or location, plus one or two cross-cutting channels for coordination and command.

Should I create a group for the whole organisation?

An all-hands group can be useful for announcements, but be cautious — if everyone sends messages to it during an incident, it becomes noisy quickly. Consider reserving one channel for command or broadcast-only use and agreeing within your organisation who is allowed to post there.

Can I create groups ahead of an exercise and activate them later?

Yes. You can create groups and add members at any time. The groups will be visible in the app as soon as the user's device syncs. If you want to prepare groups in advance without users seeing them yet, add members only shortly before the exercise begins.

Can a user be in multiple groups?

Yes. Users can be members of as many groups as needed. For example, a team leader might be in the command group, their team group, and a cross-location coordination group.