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Team chat that stays inside your business.
atlasConnect is secure messaging for your whole team, built into atlasHR and WfMHub. No personal WhatsApp groups, no swapping phone numbers, no leavers still reading the group chat. On the desktop and in the staff app, included as standard.
Everything your team needs to talk
Without another app, another login or another bill.
One-to-one chats
A quick word with a colleague or manager, found by name, without asking for their number.
Groups for any team
Name a group for a site, a shift or a project and add the people who need it.
Whole departments in one click
Start a chat for an entire department or team and everyone in it is added straight away.
Push notifications
New messages arrive as notifications that open the conversation, with a badge on the app icon.
Pin what matters
Pin the message everyone must read, like an allergen update or a change to opening hours.
Reactions and replies
Acknowledge with an emoji or reply to a specific message, so nothing gets lost.
Read ticks and unread counts
See when a message has been read and what's waiting, on every conversation.
Desktop and phone
The same conversations on the website and in the staff app, in light or dark mode.
Honest when offline
No signal? atlasConnect says so and keeps what you typed, instead of pretending it was sent.
Why work chat doesn't belong in personal WhatsApp groups
Most teams end up running shifts through personal WhatsApp or Messenger groups. It works, until someone leaves, a phone is lost, or a customer's details end up in the wrong chat.
Personal chat apps
- Everyone sees everyone's personal mobile number
- Leavers stay in the group until someone remembers to remove them
- Work messages live on staff's own accounts and phones
- Rotas and holiday requests get lost between family chats
- Anyone in the group can add anyone else
atlasConnect
- Colleagues find each other by name: no phone numbers swapped
- Leavers lose access automatically on the date you set
- Messages stay with your business, on UK servers
- In the same app as the rota, clocking and holiday
- Only people in your organisation, controlled by you
Rock-solid security, without the effort
Private to your organisation
Only people in your company's own workspace can message each other. Nobody outside can join or be added.
Leavers removed automatically
When someone leaves, their access ends on the date you choose, so they can't keep reading the team chat.
Face ID and two-step sign-in
Staff sign in to the app with Face ID or a fingerprint, with emailed codes for two-step sign-in.
Lost phone? Sign it out
Staff see every phone signed in to their account and can sign a lost one out from another.
UK-hosted, encrypted connection
Messages travel over an encrypted connection and are stored on UK servers with backups in London.
No personal numbers
Staff never need to share a personal mobile number to talk to their team or manager.
atlasConnect in the staff app
Real screens from a demo kitchen on the current app. Staff choose light or dark, or let the phone decide.
The same conversations, at the office
Managers pick up the same chats on the website, with the conversation list beside them, while they build the rota or approve holiday.
- Pin the messages everyone must read
- React with an emoji to acknowledge
- Reply to a specific message
- Read ticks and unread counts
Team messaging compared
Built-in team chat and the platform around it, against the tools UK teams compare most often.
| Feature | atlasHR · WfMHubby SA12 | ConnecteamFrontline staff app | DeputyShift scheduling | BrightHRHR software + advice | PlandayRotas & workforce | RotaCloudRotas & attendance | BreatheSME HR software | When I WorkShift scheduling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial & terms | ||||||||
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card | Up to 31 days, no card | No free trial (free Rota Lite) | 30 days, no card | 30 days | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| Contract | Rolling monthly, 30 days' notice | Monthly or annual; charged in US$ | Monthly (£20 minimum) or annual | 24–60 months, 6 months' notice | Plus: 12 months, auto-renews | No contract | Rolling monthly | Monthly or annual; charged in US$ |
| Core HR | ||||||||
| Announcements & team chat | Included | Included | Included | Partly / limited | Included | Partly / limited | Partly / limited | Included |
| Platform & support | ||||||||
| iPhone app | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Android app | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| UK/EU data hosting | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Not offered |
| Two-factor sign-in | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Single sign-on | Included | Included | Included | Partly / limited | Included | Partly / limited | Included | Included |
Competitor information comes from each vendor's own website, help centre and price pages, checked on 19/10/2026. Prices are in pounds sterling, excluding VAT; where a vendor only publishes US dollars we converted at the rate shown on its page. "Not published" means we couldn't confirm it either way. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it. Full sources are listed on each comparison page.
Questions about atlasConnect
Does atlasConnect cost extra?
Why not just use WhatsApp?
Who can staff message?
Does it work on the desktop?
What happens when someone leaves?
Works hand in hand with
Move your team chat somewhere safer.
Start a free trial and have your team set up in minutes, or book a 20-minute demo and we'll show you on your own shift patterns.