Apr 13, 2026
Communication Options
Canvas gives you many options for communicating with your students - through Announcements, Inbox (internal Canvas messaging tool similar to email), and Chat (communication in real time).
Note: We do not recommend using Chat because its messages are not private.
Learn more about our general recommendations for Canvas Best Practices.
Further Resources
- Announcements
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Inbox
- What is the Inbox?
- How do I use the Inbox?
- How do I send a message to a user in a course in the Inbox?
- How do I attach a file to a message in the Inbox?
- How do I send a message to all course users in the Inbox?
- How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook?
- How do I privately reply to one individual in a group message in the Inbox?
- How do I delete a conversation in the Inbox?
- Chat

