Group messaging on illumy is fast! And it’s dead-simple to create and participate in group threads, switching from mobile to desktop without skipping a beat. You can edit and delete your messages and hide ones from others, share big files, and more. The best part is that groups are private and encrypted—no ads, no data-scraping, no Big Brother <cough cough, Facebook, cough, cough> spying on your convos.
Once you create a group thread, you have some handy controls that give you lots of power and allow you to manage the thread, add group members (and exit any trespassers), and more.
group thread options
Right now, group thread controls only work on the web app. But stay tuned! The mobile experiences on Android and iOS are about to gain all of these features.
group thread owner controls
As the person who starts the group thread, you are the group owner. That gives you some additional group options that are pretty cool (but don’t let all that power go to your head).
You can control whether:
- Group members can post messages.
- Members can add users.
- Members can change the avatar.
- Members can change the group name.
- Members can remove other group members.
group thread settings and participants
After you create the group, click the Settings 
icon. You’ll find this in Messaging view, at the top right of the middle panel. The Group Options window pops up. You can name the group, change the group avatar, copy the group email address, and choose the control that group members have over the group.
add people to the group
It’s easy to add people to your group. In Messaging view, click the Add Member icon (silhouette of a person with a plus sign). It’s at the top of the middle panel. Type the name of a contact or an email address, then hit the space bar. Add more names/addresses, and when you’re done, click “Add.”
see group members
Want to know who’s in the group? Just click the drop-down menu that’s just to the right of the group name (middle panel in Messaging view). Members are listed, and you can click the three dots to the right of their name to promote them to a group owner or remove them, and if you click on their name, it opens their contact page. Note: Only illumy members can be group owners.
add or change the group avatar
Don’t get your D&D league confused with your knitting crew. Use avatars! Just click on the Settings icon to open the Group Options window. On the right, click the purple Add a Photo button. (It’s underneath the circle with the generic filetype icons). Upload the photo you want to use (JPG, PNG, and static GIF images only). You’ll have the option to crop and center the image. When done, click Set as Group Avatar button. Then, click the purple Submit button.
deleting the group
If you want to delete the entire group thread, you can do that here as well. Simply click the trash can 🗑 icon in the upper right of the Group Options window. This power is reserved for group owners only.
anyone with an email address can participate
illumy does something no other app does. Anyone—even if they’re not an illumy member—can participate in group threads. Each group is assigned a unique email address that allows those outside the app to correspond with. They can use that address if they know it, or they can simply reply to the group messages they receive in their email inbox. It’s a great way to have a group thread that includes people who don’t use illumy (yet).
