Upwork Mobile App: Tips for Seamless Messaging

The Upwork mobile app gives you the flexibility to engage freelancers as a client, find work as a freelancer, and keep projects moving forward—even when you’re away from your computer. 

If you’re using the Upwork mobile app as a client, you can post jobs and receive proposals, find freelancers with the skills you need, efficiently manage projects, and process safe and secure payments on the go. As a freelancer, you can use the Upwork mobile app to search millions of jobs, submit proposals, collaborate with clients on projects, and receive secure payments wherever you go. 

Based on feedback from Upwork users like you, we’re always looking to make improvements to the Upwork mobile app and ensure you have a consistent experience across the platform. Whether you’re a client or a freelancer, understanding key features and enhancements to the mobile app can help you increase your productivity. 

Tips to make the most of the Upwork mobile app messaging feature enhancements include:

• Draft and save messages to finish later
• Format messages to communicate more effectively
• Quickly reply to direct messages 
• Reply directly to previous messages

Draft and save messages to finish later

Android and iOS Upwork mobile app users can now start a message and save a draft to edit and send later. With this feature, any typed text or uploaded attachment is saved as a draft once the message composer is open for five seconds. Drafts are also saved when replying to a message and each time a user stops typing a message or leaves the message room. 

This enhancement enables a seamless experience across devices, whether you’re accessing Upwork Messages via the Android app, iOS app, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

For example, if you’re a client, you may think of feedback you want to share with a freelancer when you’re away from your office. You can start drafting a message to the freelancer on your mobile device, then edit the message and add additional feedback at a later time and on a different device before sending. Or, as a freelancer, you may create a list of questions you want to ask a potential client and have the option to save a drafted message, as well as edit and update the message and list of questions before sending. 

Format messages to communicate more effectively

Whether you’re sending an Upwork message to a client or freelancer on the platform, clear communication is essential to articulating critical points. However, some points may get overlooked if the message is written using plain text and the user is reading the message quickly or on the go.

Aligning with the desktop Upwork Messages experience, Upwork users now have several options to format messages in the mobile app, including bold, italics, strikethrough, and code blocks, simplifying the process of highlighting key details and communicating more effectively. As a client, you may use bold or italicized formatting to highlight a list of skills or deliverables required for a freelancer. As a freelancer, you may use bold or italics to emphasize one or more words in a message to a client. 

Quickly reply to messages using pre-selected starter prompts

As a freelancer on Upwork, you now have the option to easily reply to clients’ inbound messages by selecting from a list of AI-suggested starter prompts. For example, if you receive a job invite from a prospective client, you have the option to select a prompt starting with, “I’m interested” if the project is the right fit or “No thanks” if you’re not interested. 

This feature will help surface better-matched opportunities for freelancers over time and increase message responsiveness, enabling clients to more quickly fill jobs with best-fit freelancers. 

Reply directly to previous messages

In some cases, you may want to reply directly to a previous direct message, rather than the most recent communication in your message room. This process is now easy on the Upwork mobile app—and in line with the existing desktop experience. 

Upwork mobile app users can reference and reply directly to specific, individual messages in Upwork Messages using a long press or swipe gesture. Responses show as a reply to a previous direct message and include a timestamp so the recipient knows when the message was sent.

For example, as a client or freelancer you may want to reference a project timeline or milestone discussed in a previous conversation when confirming upcoming priorities and deadlines. This enhancement makes conversations easier to follow while improving clarity and continuity in conversations.

Make the most of the Upwork mobile app’s messaging features

At Upwork, we’re committed to empowering clients and freelancers to communicate and collaborate with one another as seamlessly as possible. Log in to your account to experience the convenience of the Upwork mobile app’s enhanced messaging features firsthand. Draft and save messages to send later, format text to emphasize specific points in a message, and quickly reply to previous conversations. 

If you don’t already have the Upwork mobile app, download the app from Google Play or the App Store to get started. And learn more about the latest Upwork enhancements on Upwork Updates.