You can send messages to your professors or other students in your course directly from Canvas by using the Inbox link in the Global Navigation Menu. Canvas also calls these types of communications Conversations, and you can set up Canvas account so that these messages are sent to any email account that you'd like (more information about setting up these types of preferences will be covered later in the course, but for a preview, click here). When a Canvas conversation is sent to your email inbox, you can respond directly to the message from your computer or mobile device, instead of needing to return to Canvas to respond from there.

The Inbox allows you to target the specific people or groups who want to receive your message. You can email anyone associated with your course - individuals, groups, and sections.

To learn more about how to use the Canvas Conversations Inbox, view the video below.

115 - Conversations Overview from Instructure Community.