Dive Brief:

• Remind on Tuesday announced the launch of a secure, two-way "Chat" feature.
• This latest update stems from feedback from the 1.5 million educators among the app's 23 million users. Simply put, the app is aiming to provide a two-way messaging option that doesn't require either party to reveal their phone number to the other, maintaining safety and privacy.
• The messaging feature is available from the main app, and students and parents can also opt to send or receive messages via SMS or email.

Dive Insight:

In keeping with that goal of maintaining safety and privacy in its app's environment, Remind has also added the ability for teachers, students, and parents to flag inappropriate behavior, harassment, or fraudulent users. Additionally, all users retain access to full Chat and Announcement transcripts, which can't be deleted.

Additionally, teachers are able to set "Office Hours" when they can chat, push conversations back to the one-way Announcement system, and pause them.

Creating a two-way Chat feature that doesn't share private information like phone numbers is a crucial move, as it decreases the likelihood of any threatening or inappropriate behavior taking place between teachers, students, or parents — a detail that would be of concern on a platform like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

The app was initially launched with the one-way Announcements functionality, allowing teachers to remind students about homework or other assignments. Later updates have included a "Stamps" function for real-time feedback and a Spanish-language version.