User FAQs

If you are a community admin, check out our Administrator FAQs for additional support.

What’s up with the otter?

Raftr's mascot is a sea otter. We chose the otter because sea otters are very social animals that often eat and rest together while floating in connected groups. A group of otters linked together like this is called called a “raft”. Rafts can include hundreds of otters connected with one another by holding paws. We see this as a metaphor for the many communities of people around the world discussing common interests, goals, and groups on our platform, which we call Rafts for this reason.

How do I change my password?

Learn how to reset your password here.

How do I get more/fewer notifications?

Raftr's notifications are fully customizable. You can update your preferences for any Raft or Channel by going to the Info section accessed from the Raft or Channel header. You can also update your overall notifications by going to the Notifications Settings screen. Access notifications by selecting the Notifications (bell) icon on the app header, then selecting the Settings (gear) icon. 

Learn more about personalizing your notifications here.

How do I create a private event?

To create a private Event, you must first create a personal message group (PMG) with the members you want to invite. To create a PMG, use the same process you would to create a direct message to a single user and select multiple recipients. Once you have a PMG created, you can create an Event within the group that will only appear to the people you have invited. (NOTE: If the people you invite to a PMG do not already follow you, they will have to accept your invitation to join before they will see the Event.)

How can I tell how many people have viewed my message?

In Channels, Raft Chat, and personal message groups (PMGs), you can view which members of the group have viewed a message and which ones haven't by using the Seen By feature. (NOTE: Seen By is not available for DMs.) 

To view the Seen By list on the iOS and Android apps, press and hold down on a message until the action menu opens, then select the Seen by option.

To view the Seen By list on the Web platform, select the three dot "More" menu next to a message, then click the Seen by option. 

Once you open the Seen By menu, you will see a list of members of the Channel, Raft Chat, or PMG who have already seen the message. You can also toggle to the Not yet seen list to see which members haven't viewed the message.

How can I tell how many people have viewed my Post?

Each Post and Event has a counter on it showing how many views it has. The number of views is cumulative, not unique, meaning that it counts each time the Post is viewed, not the number of people who have seen it. 

How do I upgrade my Basic Raft?

Premium Rafts have many benefits that are not available to Basic Rafts. In each community, the community administrators can decide if members can upgrade Rafts themselves or if it must be done by an admin.

If members can upgrade Rafts themselves, the Raft Leader can go to the Member Management section of the Raft settings and select the Upgrade button. They will be directed to an outside payment platform to complete the transaction. Once an upgrade is purchased, members can start enjoying the Premium Raft benefits immediately.

If community administrators have restricted Raft upgrades, please reach out to your community administrator to ask about upgrading your Basic Raft.

Can a member see if I follow or unfollow them? 

Members can view the list of people who follow them on their profile. Depending on their notifications preferences, they may even get a notification when someone new follows them. A member will never receive a notification that someone has unfollowed them, but that member will no longer appear on their members list. 

Can a member see if I block them on Raftr?

Members will never be notified that you block them on Raftr. When you block someone, all of their content and their profile will be hidden from you across the platform. However, they will still be able to see your content. If someone you blocked tries to interact with your content or send you a message, you will not be notified and it will not appear for you on the app.

What is the difference between a Raft Co-leader and a Raft Curator?

While both Co-leaders and Curators are considered Raft Admins, they have different permissions available to them. 

A Curator is the most limited rank on a Raft, and it is a rank only available on Premium Rafts. A Curator can pin Posts or Events and create Channels. When content creation is limited to Admin-only, Curators can create Posts or Events, while a regular member cannot. Curators can also remove members from the Raft and promote other members to Curator.

A Co-leader has nearly all of the same permissions as a Raft Leader, with the main exceptions being that they can't rename or delete the Raft. A Co-leader has all the same permissions as a Curator, plus they can update the Raft settings, change the icon and cover image, and invite and approve members to the Raft.

Learn more about all the individual Raft Admin permissions here. 

How do I remove my profile picture?

At this time, you can only change your profile image in the app, not remove it. 

To change your profile picture on the Web platform, go to your profile and select Edit Profile. Choose Change photo on the Edit Profile page to pick a new photo from the files on your computer. Then select Save.

To change your profile picture on the app, go to your profile and select the Edit (pencil) icon. You can choose to either upload an existing image from your device gallery or take a selfie directly from your camera. Then select Save.

To fully remove a profile image without replacing it, please contact Team Raftr through our support form.

What is the difference between a Basic and Premium Raft?

A Basic Raft is a Raft that any member of the community can create. It supports the primary content types: Posts, Events, and chat messages. Basic Rafts have limited membership numbers and can only have a single Leader and a single Co-leader. 

Premium Rafts have much more functionality than Basic Rafts, most notably that it can support groups within a group called Channels. In some communities, only admins can upgrade to a Premium Raft. Premium Rafts have no limits on the number of members or Co-leaders they have, and they also have an additional rank of Curator. Premium Rafts also have advanced content features like Checklists, Directories, and Event Check-in and advanced settings options. 

Learn more about the differences between Basic and Premium Rafts here.

How do I change the leader of my Raft?

The Raft Leader can assign a new Leader at any time by going to the Raft Admin Settings accessed from the gear icon on the Raft header. They can select Transfer Leader Rank to choose a new Leader, and that person will be alerted that they have been promoted.

Learn more about selecting a new Raft or Channel Leader here.

What do I get if I join a Raft?

Membership has its privileges! Joining a Raft allows you to chat with fellow members, create and comment on Posts, and personalize your Raftr experience.

How do I leave a Raft?

To leave, select the Info (i) icon in the upper right corner of the Raft header to open your Raft Information section and choose Leave Raft. If you leave a Raft, you will longer get its Posts in your Home Page feed or be able to interact with its content. You can still view its content if it is designated as public in its privacy settings. (NOTE: Raft Leaders cannot leave unless they choose a new Leader.)

How do you decide which Rafts are verified?

We let the administrative users from our partner communities pick which Rafts are likely to be most important in their communities. These are often the Rafts where you can find important information or upcoming Events. Rafts are verified on the Admin Portal. 

How do I attract more people to my Raft?

Creating an engaging experience by posting, chatting and sharing timely responses to others is the best way to attract new members. We also offer you lots of tools: polls, GIFs, sharing links, the right to decorate your Raft in interesting ways, the ability to pin Posts that you find interesting, and the opportunity to show up in the discovery sections of the app – the Events feed, Campus page, user profiles, and Search.

What’s the difference between “following” and “joining”?

On Raftr, you follow people and join Rafts. Joining Rafts allows you to create content on that Raft and to get its Posts on your Home Page. When you follow people, you will get a notification when they create or interact with content, which is a great way to discover new Rafts or Events.

Can I delete a Raft?

The Leader of a Raft can opt to delete it by going to the Raft Admin settings (accessed from the gear icon on the Raft header). Select Delete Raft to permanently remove the Raft and all its content from your community.

Can I delete my account?

While we never like to see people leave the app, we understand you may have your reasons. To delete your account, send us a request on our support form.

How do I delete a message?

Send a message you wish you didn't? Been there. You can delete a message you've sent by selecting the message action menu. Open the menu by selecting the "More menu" (...) icon next to the message on Web, swiping left on the message on iPhones, or using a long press on Android. From there, select the Delete Message option. We will replace the message text with a note saying, "This message has been deleted."