SYNC

What's new

A plain-language history of improvements to SYNC for students and program staff. Newest changes appear first.

  1. Platform owners can change an organization’s plan

    • On an organization’s Details page, platform owners can set Free, Standard, or Enterprise directly — including when the organization was already paying for Standard. A paid card subscription is canceled so they are not charged twice.

  2. Plans, billing, and clearer org setup

    • Organizations can be on Free, Standard, or Enterprise. Free is for a small workshop (40 students, one program, two cohorts); Standard removes those caps for a paid subscription; Enterprise is a contact-us partnership for custom work.
    • Admins open Billing to see the current plan, usage, subscribe to Standard, or manage invoices. Students are never billed.
    • If a Free organization is at a limit, SYNC blocks adding more students, programs, or cohorts and points staff to Billing — existing data is not deleted.
    • A public Plans page explains the three options. Organizations are still created by SYNC; after that, admins subscribe from Billing.
    • New organizations get a starter program named like the organization (with a matching slug), instead of a program slug called default.
    • On Settings → Programs, the slug stays in Edit only, so the program list shows the name and description without the technical id.
    • If an admin invite email doesn’t send, you’ll see an error explaining why—not a message that looks like it worked.
    • Platform owners see Working in (or No organization selected) in the sidebar and on mobile, with a link to choose an organization.

  3. Admins can manage organization settings and programs

    • Admins can open Settings to update their organization name and support email, create programs, and see which cohorts belong to each program.
    • A cohort can be moved to another program from Settings. If you don’t have a program yet, Cohorts points you to Settings first.
    • The password reset email now opens a page where you can choose a new password (it used to sign you in without a way to change it).
    • When you’re already signed in, you can set a new password on Account (students) or Profile (staff) without waiting for an email.
    • Staff pick a cohort once with Focused cohort in the sidebar. Alerts, Students, Groups, Messages, Submissions, Forms, and Insights no longer repeat that list on the page.
    • Platform owners see Organizations once in the sidebar (it used to appear twice).
    • Admins can invite teammates from Settings, resend the set-password email, or revoke another admin (not themselves or the last admin).
    • Admin lists show Pending or Active so you can see who still needs to set a password and sign in.
    • Pending means the invitee hasn’t set a password yet (opening the email link alone no longer marks them Active). Resend invite only shows for Pending.
    • Admin invite emails open SYNC first; tap Continue to choose a password (fixes links that looked expired after mail scanners or the old Auth redirect).
    • Invite and password-reset links that used to land on an error page now open the choose-password screen correctly.
    • Admin invite emails use a SYNC link (tap Continue, then set a password)—not a one-time Auth link that email scanners can use up first.
    • On Messages, staff can mark all unread conversations or group chats as read for themselves in one step (respects Focused cohort and the Individuals / Groups tab).

  4. Platform owners can create organizations and invite admins

    • Platform owners can create a new organization, optionally with a default program, and invite the first admin by email—no database handoff required.
    • From an organization page, platform owners can invite more admins, resend the set-password email, or revoke admin access.
    • Staff with more than one cohort can pick a focused cohort from the sidebar; facilitators can triage Alerts for their assigned cohorts.

  5. Pick classmates only lists students, not group leaders

    • On Pick classmates questions (own group or whole cohort), group leaders and other staff no longer appear in the list — students can only choose other students.

  6. Reflections work when you skip optional workshops, with clearer submit errors

    • Fixed a bug where submitting a reflection could fail with a vague technical error if you left optional workshop sections unchecked — you no longer need to answer every optional activity to finish.
    • If a check-in or reflection cannot be submitted, the message is clearer about what went wrong (instead of a generic server error).

  7. Pick classmates from your group or the whole cohort

    • When building a form, the Pick classmates question can now ask students to choose people from their own group or from the whole cohort (not only their group).
    • Cohort-wide picks include a search box so a long class list stays easy to use, and selected people show as removable chips.

  8. Forms stage list easier to scan on laptop screens

    • On Forms, each stage’s question count and open/close times use a smaller line under the stage name, and the name stays next to the reorder arrows instead of dropping underneath on narrower laptop screens.

  9. Clearer link previews, sign-in crash fix, better usage analytics, and submission read ticks

    • Sharing a SYNC login or changelog link now shows a proper title, description, and image preview in chat and social apps (instead of a blank card).
    • Fixed a bug where some students saw a technical WebAssembly error right after sign-in (or when opening check-in). The HEIC photo helper was loading into the browser when it shouldn’t. Sign-in and check-in should load normally again.
    • When Google Analytics is turned on for your program, SYNC now records high-level usage (sign-in, check-ins, Journey downloads, and similar) — never free-text answers or personal details. Program insights in Admin stay the place for wellbeing and completion details.
    • Public Privacy Policy and Terms of Use pages are available from the home page and sign-in screen (and linked when you create an account).
    • Admins can tick submissions as read (or open them to mark read) so it’s easier to see what’s already been looked at. Unread is personal — your open doesn’t clear it for other staff — and there’s a quiet Unread filter on Submissions without a red badge in the menu.
    • On Submissions, when you still have unread items, use **Mark all unread as read** (or mark all matching under filters) to clear a large backlog for yourself without ticking every row.
    • Group pages are easier to scan: **Group chat** sits near the top (open by default; collapse if you need space); **Students** and **Group leaders** start collapsed so you can expand them only when you need the lists or to add people. Assigned students and leaders show first, with **Add students** / **Assign group leader** when you need the roster or form.
    • On a group page, **Behind today** and each student’s on track / behind badge use the same rule: someone is on track only when both their current open check-in and open reflection (if due) are done — not just the check-in. Students with no submissions while a stage is open count as behind. Group leaders never show a progress badge.

  10. Emoji mood alerts now use the same 1–5 scale you see on submissions

    • Low-mood alert reasons for emoji questions no longer show a score one lower than the student’s answer (e.g. a 3/5 used to read as “Value 2”). New alerts use the familiar 1–5 scale, and older alert cards are corrected when you open them.
    • Emoji mood “below threshold” rules also compare on that same 1–5 scale, so a score of 3 no longer falsely trips a threshold of 3.

  11. Student photos, application numbers, a Chinese name field, and a group peer-pick question

    • Admin student profiles now show Age as its own field, calculated automatically from date of birth.
    • Group leaders can open a student from their group (or from “My groups”) to see a limited profile — name, school, email, Age, and cohort progress. Date of birth and parent/guardian contact stay admin-only.
    • Students can now upload a profile picture from their Account page, and admins can upload or replace a student's photo one at a time or in bulk (matching filenames to email or application number) from the cohort page. Photos are visible to admins and that student's group leader(s) only.
    • Added an admin-only Application Number field, importable via roster CSV alongside the other student details.
    • Student names are now split into three fields: Full English name and Chinese name (set by admins, both visible to the student) and Preferred name (set by the student). "Legal name" has been renamed to "Full English name" throughout, and students can request a correction to their Chinese name the same way they already could for their name.
    • New question type for check-ins and reflections: "Pick group members" lets a student choose a limited number of classmates from their own group (e.g. "Identify 2 people in your group who did well"). The question is hidden for students who aren't in a group.
    • Stage Results and Insights now show a ranked tally for "Pick group members" questions — everyone who was picked, ordered from most to least picks — instead of sending you to Submissions to count by hand. Click a name to see who picked them.

  12. Customizable table of contents, faster Journey PDFs, and Hong Kong stage times

    • The Journey output template’s Table of contents block now shows a checklist of everything it would list — Days, with Sessions and quotes indented underneath. Uncheck anything you don’t want in Contents; the document itself doesn’t change, only what shows up in the list.
    • Contents also nests properly in the downloaded PDF and in previews, with Sessions and quotes indented under their Day.
    • Journey output PDFs now download instead of failing on photo-heavy templates. A document with a hundred-plus photos used to time out with “Download failed (504)”.
    • Journey PDF files are also much smaller (roughly a third of the old size), so they open and share more easily. Photos are sized for the page, so print quality looks the same.
    • Stage “Opens at” and “Closes at” times are now entered and shown in Hong Kong time everywhere. The time on the Forms stage list and the time inside the stage editor no longer disagree by 8 hours.
    • Both fields say “Hong Kong time” so it is clear what you are typing, wherever staff are working from.
    • Please double-check windows on stages you set up before today — if one looks 8 hours off, re-enter the time and save.

  13. Optional activities and Journey cover photos

    • Optional activities now start unchecked — tick “I participated in this optional activity” only if you did that part, so it’s easier to skip what doesn’t apply.
    • Journey cover photos that use a transparent PNG no longer get a black box behind them — clear areas stay clear in the document. Re-upload an existing cover photo if it was saved with the old black fill.
    • Staff Images on the Journey output template are checked when uploaded, and broken photos no longer leave large blank gaps in the PDF. If an older Images block looks empty, remove those photos and upload them again, then save.

  14. Faster admin navigation, roster import, and admin polish

    • On Messages, use Individuals and Groups tabs so a long group list no longer buries student chats (and the other way around). Each tab shows its own unread badge.
    • On Messages, filter by cohort or Unread only, and browse long inboxes in pages of 50.
    • On the Groups tab, each chat shows a preview and last activity time (same idea as individual conversations).
    • Admin pages feel snappier: the sidebar stays put while content loads, and Messages/Alerts badges no longer hold up the rest of the page.
    • Submissions lists every completed response in pages of 50 (newest first), with Previous/Next — not a hard 500-item ceiling. Cohort, type, and status filters apply across the full history.
    • On a cohort page, Import roster is now a short wizard: upload or paste a CSV, preview each row, then confirm — nothing is saved until you import.
    • Roster CSVs use country_region (same idea as on LION). Older place_of_origin headers still work. Admin student profiles label this Country / region.
    • Extra columns from a shared school CSV (such as gender or password) are ignored so one file can work on both platforms.
    • On Alerts, Manage triggers opens the rules that create alerts; each alert’s rule name links to that trigger. From Alert triggers you can jump back to the review queue.
    • On a cohort’s End of program section, Edit output template opens that cohort’s journey document layout (still also available from Forms).
    • On the Dashboard, Flagged check-ins and Pending alerts are clickable, and there is a shortcut to Alerts.
    • Facilitators on Live session see Present mode without dead-end Forms or Print QRs links (those stay for admins).
    • On Groups, clearer guidance to create groups from a cohort page; on a student profile you can Preview journey output like on the roster.
    • Messages in the staff menu shows a red badge with how many unread messages you have — student chats and group chats for admins and group leaders.
    • On Messages, each conversation and group chat with something new shows how many unread messages it has, and the name, preview, and time are slightly bolder so unread threads stand out. Opening a chat marks it read for you. Admins also see group chats on Messages (same as group leaders).
    • Staff can open Profile from the bottom of the admin sidebar (or the mobile header) to see their name, email, and role, and to send a password reset link.
    • On Alerts, when you have more than one cohort you can filter the list by cohort (or keep All).
    • If no alert trigger rules exist, Alerts explains that and links to Manage triggers (and Flagged submissions) instead of looking like an empty filter.
    • Deleting or editing an alert trigger no longer removes past items from the Alerts queue — each alert keeps the rule name from when it fired.
    • On Cohorts, Create cohort is a button in the page header — the form only opens when you need it, so the list of existing cohorts stays front and center.
    • On Forms, Clone forms is a button in the page header — the clone panel only opens when you need it.
    • On Forms, Track QR codes starts collapsed so the stage list is easier to scan — expand it when you need poster links or the download sheet.
    • On Forms, Add stage is a button under the stage list — the create form only opens when you click it.
    • On Forms, you can drag stages by the handle or use Move up / Move down to change their order in a track.
    • On Forms, stage rows no longer show a Check-in/Reflection pill next to the action buttons — the track tabs and list title already show which track you are on.
    • On Students (and cohort roster day labels), Stage progress is check-in day out of check-in stages only — it no longer mixes in reflection stages (so 5 check-ins no longer looks like 5/13).
    • If you are in a project group, Messages now includes your group chat — you can read and reply alongside your group leader and teammates.
    • Admins can message group leaders on the same shared conversation used for students — no need to remove their group assignment first.
    • When someone is removed as group leader from their last group, they return to the regular student SYNC experience (no empty Lead workspace).
    • Messaging errors show a clearer explanation when something goes wrong.
    • Cloning forms to another cohort now copies sections as well as stages and questions.
    • If the target cohort already has forms, clone explains that you need to clear those stages first instead of failing with a vague error.
    • Students on an imported roster can create their accounts again. A bug was blocking Create account right after staff added emails to a cohort.

  15. Drag to reorder forms and Journey templates

    • In the form builder, adding a question starts with a single Add question button — the type and field editors only open after you click it, so empty draft fields are no longer mistaken for real questions.
    • On the Journey output template, you can drag blocks by the handle to rearrange them. The up and down arrows still work the same way.
    • Check-in and reflection form building is easier: questions live inside each section, and you can drag or use arrows to reorder sections and questions — no manual order numbers or section pickers.
    • On Forms → Alert triggers, pick a cohort at the top so the question-specific trigger list only shows questions from that cohort.
    • Each alert trigger now shows which stage it belongs to, so rules that share the same question wording are easier to tell apart.
    • The question picker on Alert triggers is sorted alphabetically.
    • Alert triggers use one Recipients field per rule (editable after creation) instead of separate org-wide and extra recipient lists.
    • On a cohort’s Facilitators panel, you can now remove a facilitator’s access if they’re no longer needed for that cohort.
    • On Messages, pick a student from a dropdown (with an optional cohort filter) instead of scrolling a long list — completed enrollments show up too, so you can still message students after a program ends.
    • On Alerts, each flagged check-in has a Message button so you can reach that student without leaving triage.
    • The Alerts menu item shows a badge with how many alerts are still pending.
    • On Alerts, the Pending tab shows the same pending count badge.

  16. iPhone photos, dashboards, and cohort Journey templates

    • Photos from iPhones (HEIC) are converted to JPEG when you upload them, so they show in gallery previews and Journey PDFs.
    • Admin and group dashboards show a sensible submission rate again — only currently enrolled students count, not past check-ins from people no longer on the roster.
    • The Cohorts list student count matches the roster again — completed enrollments still count, so finishing a program no longer shows “0 students.”
    • Each cohort can have its own Journey output template. If you don’t customize one, that cohort uses the shared organization default.
    • Journey output template saves keep a version history. Staff can restore an earlier version from Forms → Output template if something goes wrong.
    • Building a Journey output template is easier: collapse blocks while you draft, move them up or down with arrows, and duplicate a block when you need a similar section.
    • Journey photos are resized when uploaded and again when building the PDF, so Shared Gallery and other image-heavy Journey documents stay smaller and more reliable to download.
    • Alerts open on Pending by default, with tabs to switch between All, Pending, Acknowledged, and Resolved.
    • On a group’s page, tick students from that cohort’s A–Z roster to add or remove them (not only group leaders). Students who have finished the program still appear, so you can organize groups after a cohort closes.
    • On Messages, staff can search for a student (and filter by cohort) to start or open a conversation without opening their profile first.
    • Insights stage completion rates still work after a program ends — completed enrollments count in the funnel, and Day 1 is no longer labeled “current” when nobody is actively enrolled.
    • Insights daily score and completion charts use the cohort’s program dates (not a rolling 14-day window), so a July 20–25 institute shows those days only.
    • On Groups, staff can filter by cohort when there is more than one.

  17. Groups, group leaders, messages, and cohort branding

    • Admins can split a cohort's roster into groups (e.g. project teams) and assign one or more group leaders — RAs, mentors, or TAs — to each group.
    • Group leaders sign in and see My groups: a dashboard for each assigned group (submission rate, who's behind, flagged check-ins) alongside cohort-wide context.
    • Group leaders can message their whole group at once (shared with admins, never a private chat) and reply to individual students in their group.
    • A student's admin profile now shows their group and that group's leader(s), so staff can quickly find who's responsible for a given student.
    • Assigning a group's students, or reassigning one from the cohort roster, is a one-click select next to each student.
    • Admins can add a school logo and color on a cohort so check-in and reflection forms show that branding for students.
    • Students can message the program team from Messages in the bottom nav, and start a conversation anytime.
    • Admins can message a student from their profile, and see every conversation in Messages — shared with the whole admin team, not private one-to-one chats.
    • Staff replies show which admin wrote them so the team can supervise the thread; students see messages from the program team.
    • Admins can record date of birth, place of origin, and parent/guardian contact on a student profile — not shown to students.
    • Roster import and export support those demographic fields (optional columns with a header row).

  18. Keepsake PDFs and Insights Overview

    • The reflection timeline can hide photos so they aren’t repeated when galleries or stage summaries already show them.
    • Staff image blocks in journey output stay smaller, sit left-aligned, and show multiple photos in a row (up to three) with space between them.
    • File upload answers that are photos now show as images in the journey output (not just the filename).
    • The reflection timeline in journey output reads as a dated appendix in chronological order, with a timeline rail and smaller text.
    • Journey output cover pages now fill a full page, with optional photo and subtitle in the template.
    • Journey PDFs again use clear margins on all four sides of the page.
    • Table of contents is an optional template block you can place where you want — it no longer inserts itself or takes a full page.
    • Program headings and text in the journey PDF are styled so they read apart from student answers.
    • Journey outputs hide blank titles and empty answers so the document reads cleanly.
    • Staff can download a real PDF from the preview, and export a ZIP of PDFs for a whole cohort.
    • Students can download their unlocked journey as a PDF to keep or share.
    • Image blocks support multiple photos, each with an optional title and caption.
    • New template pieces for a cover page, photo memories from gallery uploads, and a closing message.
    • Journey outputs can include a Shared gallery block of cohort photos students opted to share (one stage or all stages).
    • Clearer spacing between stage and section titles in the finished document.
    • Insights opens on an Overview with the stage completion funnel and daily check-in scores; pick a stage when you want day-by-day answer breakdowns.
    • Fixed the Journey output template page failing to load for staff.
    • Video and audio answers in journey output show a Watch or Listen link instead of only a filename.
    • Liking or passing on an inspirational quote after check-in or reflection works again, with a clearer message if something goes wrong.
    • Insights Overview daily scores use the same 1–5 mood scale as submissions (emoji averages were reading one point low).
    • Journey PDFs include page numbers, the student’s name in the footer, and an optional table of contents block for multi-section documents.

  19. Richer outputs, deeper insights, and quote feedback

    • Staff can build student journey outputs with stage summaries and their own text or media alongside student answers.
    • Admins can preview what a student’s output will look like before unlocking it.
    • Clearer guidance on when outputs become available, based on each cohort’s status.
    • The output template editor is easier to customize, including reflection stages and how content blocks are arranged.
    • Insights and stage results can generate AI themes from free-text answers, with short labels, sentiment, and example quotes you can open.
    • Insights shows a stage completion funnel so staff can see how many students finished each stage.
    • The admin home dashboard can filter by one or more cohorts.
    • On Submissions, staff can search by answer text to find who wrote a specific response.
    • Emoji mood answers on submissions show a numeric score, a scale key, and how the student compares with the cohort average.
    • Admins can mark a single student’s enrollment as completed from the roster or student page (alongside Withdraw and Hold).
    • Students can open journey output after a cohort closes even when their profile was missing an organization link.
    • Journey stage summaries include reflection answers that are not assigned to a section, so earlier days still appear in the output.
    • After submitting, inspirational quotes are labeled more clearly, and students can like or pass on them so staff can see what resonates on each stage.
    • A public What’s new page lists recent product updates in plain language.

  20. Inspirational quotes on stages

    • Admins can add an inspirational quote and optional author to a stage, and choose whether students see it after they submit.
    • Dates are shown more consistently across student and staff screens.
    • Student account timezone settings were removed; the program uses one shared timezone everywhere.

  21. Easier paths to stage results

    • Admin forms now include a Results link so staff can jump straight to aggregated responses for a stage.
    • Stage detail pages highlight preview and results more clearly, with tidier navigation back to Forms.

  22. Smoother review of submissions and alerts

    • On a submission detail page, staff can move to the previous or next submission without going back to the list.
    • Alert screens show the student’s full answers in the same layout used on submission detail, plus clearer trigger context.

  23. Clearer signup help and output availability

    • Students see clearer messages when creating an account if they are already on the program roster.
    • Login copy better explains how first-time users should create an account.
    • The student output page explains when a journey summary is not ready yet, instead of leaving things unclear.

  24. Better admin view of check-in answers

    • Submission detail views show student responses in a shared, clearer layout used across admin review screens.
    • Staff can remove individual photos from a student’s gallery answer when reviewing a submission.

  25. Delete stages from forms

    • Admins can remove a stage directly from the stage settings page, with clearer feedback if something goes wrong.

  26. Forms hub, output templates, and larger uploads

    • Admin Forms is the home for managing stages, alerts, output templates, and QR sheets in one place.
    • Staff can design journey output templates (including a sensible default) that shape what students see at the end.
    • QR sheets help share links for student stages and tracks, including print-friendly options.
    • Stage pages support updating settings and managing questions in one flow, with Present mode for live sessions.
    • Media and file questions accept larger uploads—up to 100 MB—and more file types, with clearer guidance when an upload fails.
    • Question settings include helpful tooltips so admins know what each option does.
    • Older “journey” admin links now take you to the new Forms section automatically.

  27. Sections, photo galleries, and steadier stages

    • Admins can group questions into sections within a stage (with optional timing labels and staff text or photos), so longer forms feel more organized for students.
    • Students move through sections step by step, including optional activities they can skip.
    • New gallery-style upload questions let students share multiple photos in one place; shared galleries can appear for the cohort.
    • Photo uploads and admin sign-out behave more reliably.
    • Adding or editing sections no longer crashes the stage page; errors are shown clearly instead.
    • The login screen loads more reliably for visitors who are not signed in yet.

  28. Faster stage setup for admins

    • Creating and opening stages from the admin forms area is smoother, including clearer links into each stage’s check-in or reflection track.
    • Staff documentation covers newer question types and output templates.

  29. Email accounts, Forms & Timeline labels, and facilitators

    • Students and staff sign in with email and password, including a Create account path for rostered students.
    • After signing in, people land in the right place for their role (student or staff).
    • New students get a short welcome flow that introduces SYNC and how check-ins work.
    • In admin, “Journey” is now called “Forms”; for students, “Your journey” is now “Timeline.”
    • A facilitator role lets program helpers view assigned cohorts, export submissions, and run Live session and Present mode without full staff powers.
    • Cohort pages include Live session views and tools to assign facilitators.
    • Staff can export cohort submissions for offline review.
    • Account pages use collapsible sections so personal details and settings are easier to scan.
    • Layouts and buttons feel more consistent on phones and desktops.
    • Sign-out and welcome flows handle problems more gracefully when something goes wrong.

  30. QR access, reminders, and account updates

    • Admins can show QR codes that send students straight to the right stage or check-in, with Present mode for projecting during a session.
    • Account settings support reminder preferences for daily tasks, check-ins, and reflections—including draft reminders.
    • Reminders can arrive by email and as phone notifications when the app is installed.
    • Students can request a correction to their legal name or email from Account, and ask for help from the program team.
    • Account pages surface program context (cohort and schedule cues) so students know what they are part of.
    • Timezone options appear in account management for students who need them.

  31. Installable app feel and stronger alerts

    • The site is easier to install and use like an app on a phone (home-screen friendly), with an install prompt after check-in.
    • Staff can get alert notifications when important student responses need attention.
    • Admins have more question types when building check-ins and reflections, including Likert scales, multiple choice, and number questions.
    • Reflection stages and cohort progress tracking work more smoothly for program staff.
    • Student and staff account pages make it easier to update basic profile details.

  32. SYNC launches

    • First release of SYNC: a place for quick student check-ins and longer program reflections.
    • Students can complete vibe checks and journey steps; staff get an admin dashboard for programs and cohorts.
    • Fresh look with the SYNC brand, gradient backgrounds, and clearer check-in and journey layouts.
    • Check-ins support mood, text, link, and media question types.
    • Staff can set up alerts when certain answers need follow-up.
    • Cohorts and stages can be scheduled with clear start and end times for each group.