Groups and Public Posters
Groups help a real community work together
FinderHelper groups are designed for schools, events, apartment buildings, clubs, churches, teams, and community desks that want one shared place for lost-and-found activity. Groups can be private or public, and public groups can use QR invites and printable posters when those tools fit the community.
Private vs public groups
Best when access needs to stay limited
- Best for internal teams or closed communities
- Access is shared by invitation or internal coordination
- Good for staff-only or member-only workflows
Used when people nearby need an easy way in
- People can find the group through public search
- Owners can require approval before someone joins
- Public groups can use QR codes and printable invite posters
What owners and co-owners can control
- Whether join approval is required
- Whether Helpers can invite other people
- Whether owners and co-owners can generate invite posters
- Whether only owners and co-owners can post found items or use the board
When a public group poster is useful
- School front office or campus safety lost and found
- Gym, arena, dance studio, or sports event pickup area
- Apartment lobby, mail room, or common-area board
- Festival, church, fair, market, or conference recovery table
What members can do inside a group
- Post group-specific lost or found items when the group settings allow it
- Open the group map and browse only that group's items
- Use the group chat and member tools
- Open the group board and related item details
How joining works
- Search for a public group or receive an invite.
- If approval is required, send a join request.
- An owner or co-owner reviews the request.
- Once approved, you can open the group and use the allowed tools.
Invitations and notification badges
When someone invites you to a group, FinderHelper shows a red notification count on the Groups tab. Inside the group list, an unread invitation also shows a red dot until you open it.
- Opening the invitation clears the unread dot, but the invitation remains until you accept or decline it.
- Accepting joins the group when the invite and group settings allow it.
- Declining removes the invitation from your pending choices.
Poster links follow current group settings
A poster QR code points people to the group, but FinderHelper checks the group's current settings when the link is opened. If a group was public when the poster was printed and later becomes private or approval-required, the old poster still follows the current access rules.
Profile QR code vs group invite poster
Share your profile QR
Your Profile tab can create a temporary QR code. A group owner or co-owner can scan it to add you without typing your details.
Invite nearby Helpers
A public group poster works well when a school, event, or venue wants many people to open the right group from one printed sign.