WorkCommunications
Unread Replies Badge
How the unread replies badge works, what the count means, and where its quick links take you.
The speech-bubble icon beside the changelog badge in the app header is the unread replies badge. It is there to help you spot new inbound SMS replies without needing to leave the page you are already on.
What The Badge Tells You
- Unread inbound SMS only: this badge counts new inbound text replies, not outgoing texts and not email.
- Personal unread state: the count is tied to your own read state, so another team member clearing a reply does not automatically clear it for you.
- 99+ cap: once the unread total grows beyond 99, the badge shows 99+ instead of trying to fit the full number into the dot.
What Happens When You Click It
Clicking the badge opens the Unread Replies popup. The popup loads a recent list of unread inbound SMS replies so you can decide what to open next without going straight to the full communications history.
- Recent replies: each row shows the customer name when Work Planner could match it, the message excerpt, and the time received.
- Mark read: clears that one reply from your unread list without affecting anyone else.
- Reply: opens a reply box on that row so you can answer the customer without leaving the page you are on. It shows the credit cost as you type, and sending clears the reply from your unread list.
- Communications: opens the main communications history and jumps straight into the matching record.
- Customer and Job: quick links that open the linked customer or job when those records were matched successfully.
Replies sent here go out from the same Work Planner number the customer already has, so they continue the existing thread. If SMS is not on your plan, or you have run out of credits, the reply box says so instead of sending.
When To Use It
- Quick reply triage: useful when you just need to see whether a customer has replied before deciding what to do next.
- Answer on the spot: useful when the reply needs a short answer and opening the full history would slow you down.
- Jump to the right record: useful when you want to go straight to the related customer or job instead of searching manually.
- Stay on your current screen: useful when you are in the middle of another task and only need a quick check.
Related articles
- Communications: the full history page the popup links into when you need more detail.
- Customer Detail View: where matched customer replies can also be reviewed on the Communications tab.
- Job Detail View: where matched job replies can also be reviewed on the Communications tab.
- Send SMS Popup: the composer used for the outbound texts these replies usually relate back to.