Summary: This guide explains how to use group push notifications to send targeted messages to specific segments of your congregation. Learn how to create notification groups, schedule targeted messages, and instruct your app users on how to join the groups relevant to them.
Before You Begin
Permissions: You must be an Admin to access the App Dashboard and create groups.
User Action Required: For users to receive group-specific notifications, they must Opt-In to that specific group within their app settings.
Device Settings: Users must also have general push notifications enabled in their mobile device's system settings.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Creating Notification Groups
Before you can send a targeted message, you must define the groups (e.g., "Youth", "Worship Team", "Men's Ministry").
Log in to Tithely as an Admin and select Apps.
Navigate to Push Notifications > Groups.
Click Add New (or select an existing group to edit).
Enter a Name and Description for the group.
Click Save.
2. Sending or Scheduling a Group Notification
Navigate to Apps > Push Notifications.
Click Add New (for immediate) or select the Scheduled tab and then Add New (for future).
Enter the notification details (Title, Message, etc.).
Click on Filter by groups.
Check the boxes for the specific groups you want to reach.
Click Send (or select your date/recurrence rule if scheduling).
3. How Users Join Groups (In the App)
Your congregation needs to know how to subscribe to these groups. You can share these steps with them:
Open the Church App and tap the Menu icon.
Tap Settings.
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Tap Notification Settings.
Note: If you have not created any groups in the admin dashboard yet, this screen will only show a general Enable/Disable toggle.
Toggle ON the specific groups they wish to join.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
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Why is a user not receiving my group messages? There are two common reasons:
Device Level: They have disabled notifications for the app entirely in their phone's settings.
App Level: They have not toggled "ON" the specific group in the app's Notification Settings. They must do both to receive the message.
Can I force users into a group? No. The app adheres to privacy standards that require users to opt-in to notifications. You generally cannot force a user to subscribe to a specific notification channel without their action.
Can I schedule a message to repeat every week for a specific group? Yes. When creating a scheduled notification, select the group under "Filter by groups," and then choose a Recurrence Rule (e.g., Weekly) before saving.