Message Centre: troubleshooting

Fixes for common Message Centre problems and error messages. For how the Message Centre works, see Message Centre; for step-by-step instructions, see Message Centre: how-to.

I can’t find a conversation, or an email or SMS I sent

Why it happens: the list opens on Conversations, which only shows COHO Messenger conversations and WhatsApp viewing conversations. Emails, SMSs, broadcasts and other WhatsApp conversations are under their own filters. A conversation may also be archived, assigned to someone else while Mine is selected, or hidden by a property filter. Search doesn’t look at the words inside messages.

How to fix it: set Messages to Show all, Assignment to All, clear any property or type filter, and check Archived. Search by the person’s name, email or phone number, or the subject. For one tenant, open their room and expand Communications > Messages. See Find a conversation.

Messages from before an applicant’s onboarding have disappeared

Why it happens: the viewing and the onboarding have separate conversations. When you onboard an applicant from a viewing, COHO closes their viewings and archives the viewing conversation for your team.

How to fix it: click Viewings and Archived, then search for the applicant. Nothing is lost; the onboarding conversation carries on separately.

A tenant replied to my email, but nothing arrived

Why it happens: COHO doesn’t receive email replies. Replies go to the Reply To Address on the email; if that was empty and you have no default, they go to COHO’s sending address and don’t reach you.

How to fix it: ask the tenant to resend to your own address. For future emails, fill in Reply To Address, or set Email communication default reply-to in Your Account settings. See Set default email addresses.

Someone without a COHO account didn’t get my later messages

Why it happens: people without a COHO account only receive the first message, by email. The conversation says “Participants without a COHO account will not receive any additional messages. They only got the initial message through email.”

How to fix it: start a new Email to them for each update, or invite them to COHO so they can use COHO Messenger.

Tenants can’t reply to my SMS

Why it happens: SMS from COHO is one-way; replies don’t come back into COHO.

How to fix it: tell people in the text how to reply, or use COHO Messenger or WhatsApp for conversations.

An SMS used more credits than I expected

Why it happens: SMS credits are charged per person and per part of the message. A message is split into parts of about 160 characters, and fewer if it contains emoji, curly quotes or other special characters. Numbers outside the UK can cost more. For example, a three-part message to 100 people uses 300 credits.

How to fix it: check “Sending this message will use [n] SMS credits” before sending. Shorten the message, replace special characters (COHO lists them), or send a link instead of long text.

“Not enough SMS credits” or “Not enough WhatsApp credits”

Why it happens: your balance is lower than the message needs. WhatsApp credits also expire 12 months after they’re added.

How to fix it: click Top-up credits in the send form, or top up in Your Account. If you see “You do not have permission to top up SMS credits. Reach someone from your organisation with payment permissions.”, ask a colleague with payment permissions. See Top up credits.

A medium is greyed out, or “0 / 5”

Why it happens: none of the people you picked can receive it: COHO Messenger needs people who have joined COHO; Email an email address; SMS and WhatsApp a mobile number. WhatsApp only appears once your organisation has WhatsApp.

How to fix it: add the missing email or mobile number to the tenant, owner or supplier, or choose another medium. For COHO Messenger, tick Email people without a COHO account to reach the rest by email.

Some people were skipped for SMS

Why it happens: COHO says “The following recipients will not be sent an SMS as they do not have telephone number which COHO sends messages to” when a number is missing or from a country COHO can’t text.

How to fix it: correct the number in their details, or message those people another way.

“This message didn’t send. The number may not have WhatsApp.”

Why it happens: WhatsApp couldn’t deliver the last message, usually because the number isn’t on WhatsApp. Any conversation credit it used is given back.

How to fix it: check the number with the person, or use SMS or email instead.

“This user has opted out of WhatsApp communications.”

Why it happens: the person replied STOP to a COHO WhatsApp message. COHO won’t send them WhatsApp messages again.

How to fix it: use COHO Messenger, email or SMS. Their viewing updates now go by SMS.

“Your WhatsApp subscription is not currently active. You cannot send WhatsApp messages.”

Why it happens: your organisation’s WhatsApp service has ended or is disconnected.

How to fix it: check the WhatsApp section in Your Account. You can set it up again there with Opt in to WhatsApp or Connect your WhatsApp. See Set up or stop WhatsApp.

WhatsApp replies aren’t showing in COHO

Why it happens: replies only come in when there’s already a WhatsApp conversation with that number in your Message Centre, on your organisation’s WhatsApp number. Messages sent from COHO’s own WhatsApp number (for example automated notifications when you don’t have WhatsApp) aren’t monitored: the person gets an automatic reply saying so.

How to fix it: start a WhatsApp conversation with them from +, or ask them to use COHO Messenger. See Message someone on WhatsApp.

A former tenant was removed from a conversation

Why it happens: two days after a tenancy ends, COHO removes former tenants from that property’s maintenance conversations and group conversations with housemates, unless they have another current or future tenancy there. If you deleted a tenant from a joint tenancy, they’re removed from those conversations straight away. One-to-one conversations aren’t affected.

How to fix it: Add participant only lists current and future tenants, so you can’t add them back. Message them separately instead. See Message a former tenant.

Add participant doesn’t list the person I want

Why it happens: you can only add current or future tenants of the conversation’s property who have joined COHO and aren’t already in it. Owners, suppliers and applicants can’t be added this way, and Add participant only appears on COHO Messenger conversations about a property.

How to fix it: invite the tenant to COHO first, or start a new message with everyone you need.

A new tenant isn’t in the house’s group conversation

Why it happens: COHO only adds new tenants automatically to open, shared maintenance conversations. Group conversations you started yourself aren’t updated.

How to fix it: use Add participant, or Introduce to housemates on the onboarding’s Follow up step.

A conversation I archived came back

Why it happens: any new message unarchives a conversation for everyone. Archive only hides it for you; colleagues still see it unless you used Team archive.

How to fix it: archive it again once it’s finished. Use Team archive to clear it for the whole team.

I’m getting notifications for conversations that aren’t mine, or none at all

Why it happens: when a tenant, applicant, owner or supplier writes, everyone in the team is notified unless they’ve muted it or the conversation is assigned. Assigning a conversation mutes it for everyone except the assignee.

How to fix it: assign conversations to the right person, or Mute ones you don’t need. If you get nothing, check you aren’t muted (Unmute) and your notification settings. See Assign a conversation.

I can’t see maintenance, onboarding or viewing conversations

Why it happens: each type needs view permission for its area. The Maintenance, Onboardings or Viewings filter is hidden without it.

How to fix it: ask an admin in your organisation to give your role access to that area.

“You do not have permission to send messages”

Why it happens: you can read the conversation but don’t have edit permission for its area.

How to fix it: ask an admin for edit permission for Conversations (or Maintenance, Onboarding or Viewings for those conversations).

A tenant says they can’t reply

Why it happens: they see “Replies not allowed” when replies are switched off or it’s a broadcast, or “Messaging restricted” when their messaging has been restricted on the tenancy.

How to fix it: switch on Replies allowed in Details, start a normal conversation, or lift the restriction. See Tenancies & tenants.

I can’t send a poll, or can’t vote

Why it happens: polls only work in COHO Messenger conversations, so there’s no Poll in email, SMS or WhatsApp conversations, or in the new message form. Voting stops once a poll shows Closed. You also need edit permission for the conversation’s area, and a tenant whose messaging is restricted can’t vote.

How to fix it: send the poll from an existing COHO Messenger conversation. For a closed poll, send a new one. See Send a poll.

“There was an issue sending the corresponding email message”

Why it happens: the email (or SMS) didn’t go out. The conversation shows Failed or Errored.

How to fix it: check the address or number in Participants, then click Try again. If an email shows Bounced at, the address is wrong or the mailbox is full.

If an email recipient shows Too large to send. Attachments must stay under 7MB., trying again won’t help. Send a new message with fewer or smaller (compressed) files, so they add up to less than 7MB.

I can’t delete a conversation

Why it happens: Delete is only on general COHO Messenger conversations that aren’t with a property owner, and needs edit permission for Conversations.

How to fix it: archive it instead. To remove one person, use the bin in Participants.

A tenant wants their message deleted

Why it happens: tenants can’t delete messages they’ve sent. Your team can delete its own messages.

How to fix it: if the conversation should go, a team member can remove that tenant from it, or delete the conversation.

My templates don’t show when I write a message

Why it happens: templates have a type. Quick answers appear under the lightning icon in a conversation; conversation starters appear when you create a message.

How to fix it: open the settings cog and check the template’s type. Templates have their own guide, Communications.

A tenant’s video plays as sound only

Why it happens: some phones record in formats that older devices or browsers can’t play. COHO converts raw HEVC videos, but not every format.

How to fix it: open it on a newer device or browser, or ask the tenant to send it in a standard format such as MP4 (H.264).

Tenants contact COHO instead of you

Why it happens: some tenants don’t know COHO is the software you use.

How to fix it: tell tenants to message you from the speech-bubble icon in My COHO, or from their viewing or onboarding conversation.

Error messages

Message	What it means	What to do
“Your message is empty”	No text or file	Add text or a file
“Replies not allowed”	Replies are off, or it’s a broadcast	Turn on Replies allowed, or start a new conversation
“Email conversations are broadcasts and cannot allow replies.” / “SMS conversations are broadcasts and cannot allow replies.”	You tried to switch on Replies allowed in an email or SMS conversation. These are one-way	Use COHO Messenger or WhatsApp if you need replies
“Not enough SMS credits” / “Not enough WhatsApp credits”	Balance too low	Top up
“You need [n] WhatsApp conversation credits for this send but do not have enough. Please top up to continue.”	Balance too low for this WhatsApp message	Top up
“This user has opted out of WhatsApp communications.”	They replied STOP	Use another medium
“[file] cannot be sent via WhatsApp. Supported types include JPEG, PNG, WebP, MP4, 3GP, PDF, and common office documents.”	Unsupported attachment	Convert the file or send by email
“Message exceeds the WhatsApp 4096 character limit.” / “…1024 character limit.”	Too long. The lower limit applies if they haven’t messaged you in about the last day	Shorten it or split it
“WhatsApp conversations must have exactly one recipient”	WhatsApp is one-to-one	Send to one person at a time
“Recipient has no phone number for WhatsApp”	No mobile number	Add their number
“This user is already in the conversation.”	Already a participant	Nothing to do
“Tenancy tenant does not have a linked user account.”	They haven’t joined COHO	Invite them first
“…total size exceeds 7MB. Remove or compress attachments so they stay under 7MB.” / “This email is too large to send. Remove or compress attachments so they stay under 7MB.”	The email’s attachments add up to 7MB or more	Remove or compress files, or send them in separate emails
“Still loading recipients”	The list hasn’t loaded	Wait a moment and try again
“You do not have permission to manage conversations for this organisation”	Missing edit permission for Conversations	Ask an admin
“You do not have permission to access this conversation” (when adding or removing a participant)	Missing edit permission for the conversation’s area, such as Maintenance, Onboarding or Viewings	Ask an admin for edit permission for that area
“This poll has closed”	The poll’s close time has passed	Send a new poll if you need more votes
“Polls are only available in COHO messenger conversations”	It’s an email, SMS or WhatsApp conversation	Use a COHO Messenger conversation
“Property not found.” (when converting)	The conversation isn’t linked to a property you can access	Create the maintenance issue directly