Groups-Old

Faculty, staff, and students with administrative permissions can use the Groups feature to create and manage user groups. Users who are not group administrators can join groups to interact with and keep track of announcements and discussions.   

The Groups feature can be accessed from the Browse tab of the Illinois app. Users who are not signed in with their NetID will not see any Groups listed. Sign in with your NetID to ensure visibility of all available features.  

Content Policy: Content posted to the Illinois app is governed by the Student Code of the University of Illinois. Content that violates the standards set forth in the code will be removed. Users may report content in violation of the Student Code to the Office of the Dean of Students. deanofstudents@illinois.edu 

Required Settings

Required steps (*) to create a group.

1. In the Browse menu, tap the Groups > All Groups tile to open the Groups feature.  
2. Tap Create +.
3. Type a unique name that describes the group into the Name Your Group field.  
4. Tap Edit in the Discoverability section to designate group attributes. Choose attributes that describe the group under Category, College, Department, Student Classification, or Tags. Check the Registered Student Organization box if the group belongs to an RSO.
   These attributes help locate the group when searching.
   Note: Selecting Attributes is required, but you may choose Other if no category accurately describes the group you are creating.
5. Tap Create Group to finalize the new group.

Modify the required information and optional settings after creating a new group in Group Settings. See Group Settings for more details. 

When you create a group, you have many settings options. This section explains what some of the settings do. To adjust settings, go to the Browse menu, tap Groups > My Groups, and tap Group Settings.

Cover Image
Add an image to represent the group by entering a URL or choosing an image from the device. 

1. Tap the Groups tile to open the Groups feature.  
2. Tap the All Groups tab to view a list of all available groups.  
3. Tap the magnifying glass ⌕ to type in a search query.  
4. Type in the title of the group.  
5. Locate the group you searched for in the list of results and then tap the group name.  
   Note: If the group you are looking for does not appear, ensure that you have the correct group title and spelling.   
6. Tap Request to join. The group admin will need to approve your request.  

1. Tap the Groups tile to open the Groups feature.  
2. Tap the My Groups tab to view a list of groups in which you are a member. 
3. Tap the name of a group to which you want to post a message.  
4. Scroll down to Posts, and tap the plus sign (+) to create a new message.  
5. Select recipients for the post in the To: drop-down menu.
6. Enter a short title that describes your message in the Subject field.  
7. Type in your message in the Write a Post… field.  
   Note: You can change the font style to Bold, Italic, or Underlined by tapping the B, I, or U button above the post field. Tap Link to include a hyperlink with link text.  
8. Choose Also send to additional groups to send the post to other groups that you are a member of. You can select which groups to address after tapping Send.
9. Tap Send when you are finished composing the message.  

1. Tap the Groups tile to open the Groups feature. 
2. Tap the My Groups tab to view a list of groups in which you are a member. 
3. Tap the name of the group that you want to open.  
4. Scroll down to posts and browse the visible list of messages.  
5. Tap Show Older to view more messages if you cannot find the one you need.  
6. Tap the box with the message that you want to open.  
7. Tap the arrow in the upper right corner of the screen or scroll down to the Write a Reply… field.  
8. Enter your response to the message in the field.  
   Note: As with messages, you can change the font style to Bold, Italic, or Underlined by tapping the B, I, or U button above the post field. Tap Link to include a hyperlink with link text. 
9. Tap Send when you are finished composing the message. Your reply will show in a thread under the original message.  

1. Tap the Groups tile to open the Groups feature.  
2. Tap the My Groups tab to view a list of groups in which you are a member. 
3. Tap the name of the group that you want to open. 
4. Scroll down to Upcoming Events and tap the plus sign (+) to create a new event.  
5. Choose from the list of two options:
   • Tap Add Existing Event to add an event to the group that is already on the Illinois app Events calendar. See the instructions to Add a Calendar Event to a Group.
   • Tap Create New Event to create a new event from scratch. See the instructions in the following steps. 
6. Tap Add Event Image to choose an image from a URL or from your own device to add to the event description.  
7. Select an Event Category that best describes the event from the drop-down menu.  
8. Enter an Event Title that is both brief and descriptive. The title cannot exceed 64 characters.  
9. Enter a description of the event under Description. Describe activities, purpose, and points of interest.  
10. Choose the Time Zone that matches the location where the event will be held.  
11. Enter a Start Date and a Start Time as well as an End Date and End Time.  
12. If the event takes place all day over one or several days, turn on the All Day switch. You will be given the option to select only a Start Date and an End Date, but no Start or End Time. 
13. Tap Make this an online event if this event will take place in a virtual setting.  
14. Tap Make this an in-person event if this event will take place in a physical setting.
    Note: Choose both online and in-person options for hybrid events to see fields for the online event link and a physical location.  
15. Enter an Event Address or an Online Event Link depending on whether this event will occur online or in person.  
16. Enter a URL that points to a registration page in the Add Link for Registration field. If registration for this event is not required, leave this field blank.  
17. Enter a URL that points to the event website. This link may point to a website, a flyer, or a social media event page. If the event does not have a related webpage, leave this field blank. 
18. Activate the switch labeled Is This Event Free if the event does not require payment to attend.  
19. Enter a Cost Description or leave the field blank if the event does not require payment.  
20. Choose a level of Visibility from the drop-down menu.
    • Tap Private if the event should be made visible only to Group members.  
    • Tap Public if the event should be made visible to all Illinois app users.  
21. Select the recipients for this event from the To: drop-down menu.
22. Tap Create Event to finish creating the new event.  

1. Tap the Groups tile to open the Groups feature.  
2. Tap the My Groups tab to view a list of groups in which you are a member. 
3. Tap the name of the group that you want to open. 
4. Scroll down to Upcoming Events and tap the plus sign (+) to create a new event.  
5. Choose from the list of two options:
   • Tap Add Existing Event to add an event to the group that is already on the Illinois app Events calendar.  
   • Tap Create New Event to create a new event from scratch. See the instructions to Create a New Group Event.  
6. Choose an event from the Illinois app calendar that you want to add to your Group. Tap the magnifying glass ⌕ in the upper-right corner to search for the event by event title.
7. Tap the event on the list and then tap Add Event to Group. The event will now be visible on the Group home screen.  
8. To remove the event from your group, simply tap the ellipses (…) in the upper right corner of the event card on the Group home screen and then tap Remove Group Event. 

1. Tap Browse to enter the Browse menu.  
2. Tap the Groups tile.  
3. Tap the name of any group under My Groups to enter the space.  
   Note: You can create Polls only for groups you have joined.  
4. Tap Polls from the row of buttons under the group title or scroll down to the Polls section. 
5. Tap the plus sign (+) to start a new Poll.   
6. Follow the instructions to Create a New Poll. 

Note: You can choose the recipients the poll is addressed to in the To: drop-down menu when creating Polls in the group.