Chat

Real-time messaging for your group — with threads, reactions, @mentions, and deep integration with the rest of the app.

Finding Chat

Tap Chat in the bottom navigation bar (mobile) or the left sidebar (desktop) to open your group's main chat.

Switching between chats

If your group has multiple chats, a chat selector appears at the top of the screen. Tap the current chat name to open the selector and switch to a different chat.

Unread indicators

• A green dot or unread badge next to a chat name means there are new messages you haven't seen.
• An amber dot means you have been @mentioned — someone addressed you directly.
• Both indicators clear automatically once you open and view the chat.

Online count

The chat header shows how many group members are currently active (e.g. "4 online"). This updates in real time.

Sending Messages

Writing and sending

Type in the message box at the bottom of the screen. Press Enter (or tap the send button) to send. Press Shift + Enter to add a line break without sending.

Messages can be up to 5,000 characters long.

Images

Tap the image icon in the message toolbar to attach a photo from your device. Images display inline in the chat.

Files

Tap the attachment icon (paperclip or + button) and choose File to upload a document, spreadsheet, PDF, or other file. Recipients see the file name and a download button.

Editing a message

Tap and hold (mobile) or hover over (desktop) a message you sent, then choose Edit. The message box fills with your original text. Make your changes and send. An (edited) label appears next to the timestamp after saving.

Deleting a message

Tap and hold a message you sent (or any message if you are an admin), then choose Delete. Deleted messages are replaced with "This message was deleted" so the conversation remains readable.

Typing indicators

When someone is typing, a "[Name] is typing…" indicator appears below the message list so you know a reply is coming.

Reactions

Any message can receive emoji reactions. Tap and hold a message (mobile) or hover over it (desktop) to reveal the reaction picker. Available reactions:

👍 👎 ❤️ 😂 😮 😢 😡 🎉 🚀 💯

• Tap a reaction to add yours.
• Tap a reaction already on the message to add your vote to the same count, or to remove your existing reaction if you've already added it.
• The message author receives a push notification when someone reacts to their message.

Replies & Threads

Threads let you have side-discussions attached to a specific message without cluttering the main chat scroll.

Starting a thread

Tap and hold any message and choose Reply. Your reply opens in a dedicated thread view, with the original message shown as context at the top.

Viewing a thread

Messages with replies show a thread pill below them — for example: "3 replies · Last reply by Jane". Tap the pill to open the thread and read or add to the conversation.

Replying inside a thread

When the thread is open, the message input at the bottom sends your reply into the thread — not the main chat. Your replies in a thread don't appear in the main chat scroll, keeping it clean.

Muting a thread

Inside a thread, tap the bell icon in the header to mute notifications for that thread. You'll still see replies when you open the thread manually, but you won't get push notifications for new replies.

Thread @mentions

If someone @mentions you inside a thread, an amber dot appears on the thread pill in the main chat, and the message appears in your @mentions filter. The amber dot clears once you open that thread.

@Mentions

@Mentions call a specific person's attention directly. The person you mention gets a push notification regardless of their general notification settings (unless they've completely disabled notifications for that chat).

Mentioning someone

Type @ in the message box to open the mention picker. A list of group members appears. Keep typing to filter by name — the search is fuzzy, so typing js will match John Smith.

Use the arrow keys to navigate the list, then press Enter or Tab to insert the mention. Press Escape to dismiss the picker.

Special mentions: @here and @channel

Mentions filter

Tap the @ icon in the chat header to filter the message list to only messages and threads where you were mentioned. An amber badge (e.g. @ 3) shows your unread mention count. The count clears when you open the filter.

Search

Tap the search icon (magnifying glass) in the chat header to search messages. Type at least two characters to begin. Results show the sender's name, a snippet of the matched message, and the timestamp. Tap a result to jump directly to that message in the chat.

Search history is available back to your plan's history limit — see the plan comparison below.

Sharing Content into Chat

You can share almost anything from Grūps App directly into a chat conversation. Tap the + or attachment icon in the message toolbar to open the Add to Chat menu.

Shared items appear as rich cards with a title, preview, and a tap-to-open link. The options available depend on which features your group has enabled.

You can also share directly from any feature's detail page — look for a Share to Chat option on events, posts, polls, Q&A questions, and more.

Chat Info Panel

Tap the chat name at the top of the screen to open the Chat Info panel. This panel has several tabs:

Members tab

Lists all members of the current chat. Admins can add or remove members from here. Shows each member's name and avatar.

Media tab

A gallery of all photos and images shared in this chat. Tap any image to view it full size.

Links tab

A list of all URLs shared in this chat, with previews. Useful for finding a link that was shared earlier without scrolling back through the history.

Files tab

All files that have been uploaded to this chat, with file name, size, and a download button.

Notifications tab

Set your notification level for this specific chat. See the Notifications section below.

Chat Theme

You can personalize how the chat looks for yourself without affecting how it looks for anyone else.

On desktop, tap the palette icon in the chat header. On mobile, open the chat menu (the list icon) and choose Theme.

The theme panel lets you change the background color or pattern of the chat. Your theme choice is personal — only you see it.

Notifications

Per-chat notification level

Open the Chat Info panel (tap the chat name), then tap Notifications.

This setting applies only to this chat — other chats and group-level notifications are unaffected.

Thread notifications

By default, you receive notifications for replies in threads you've participated in. Mute individual threads using the bell icon inside the thread view.

Unread badge logic

• The green unread badge tracks new messages you haven't seen.
• The amber @ badge tracks unread @mentions specifically.
• Both update in real time — no refresh needed.

Bookmarks

Bookmark any message to save it for later. Tap and hold a message and choose Bookmark. Your bookmarks are personal and visible only to you. Access all your bookmarks from the main navigation under Bookmarks.

See the Bookmarks guide for more.

Voice Messages

Depending on your plan, you can send voice messages directly in chat.

Tap and hold the microphone icon in the message toolbar to start recording. Release to send, or swipe left to cancel. Voice messages are played back inline in the chat.

AI Chat Summary

Depending on your plan, tap the sparkle icon (✨) in the chat header (or choose AI Summary from the mobile menu) to generate a private catch-up summary of recent chat activity.

• Summaries are private to you — no one else sees them.
• Tap to generate a fresh summary at any time.
• Useful for catching up after being away from a busy group chat.

Additional Chats

Some plans support creating multiple chats — useful for sub-teams, project channels, or topic-specific conversations. Admins can always see every chat; regular members only see chats they've been added to.

Creating an additional chat

1. Open the chat selector (tap the chat name dropdown at the top of the screen).
2. Tap + New Chat.
3. Give the chat a name, and optionally a description and avatar.
4. Add members from the group.
5. Choose whether members can invite others to this chat.
6. Tap Create. The new chat is ready immediately.

Managing an additional chat

Open the chat, tap the chat name to open the Chat Info panel, then tap Settings (admins only) to rename, change the description, update the avatar, add or remove members, or delete the chat.

Limits by plan

Admin & Moderation Admin

Message moderation

Group admins can delete any message in any chat, regardless of who sent it. Regular members can only edit or delete their own messages.

Content Filter

When a group admin has enabled the Content Filter, chat messages are automatically screened before they appear. Depending on the enforcement mode configured by the admin:

• Replace — filtered words are replaced with *** and the message is published
• Block — the message is rejected and the sender sees an error toast: "Your message contains content that is not allowed in this group."
• Send to Queue — the message is held for moderator review; it appears to the sender with an Under review badge and is hidden from other members until approved

Admins and moderators manage flagged messages from the Moderate tab on the Admin Dashboard. See the Content Filter guide for setup and configuration.

Managing chat members

In the Chat Info panel, admins can view all members, add new members, remove members, and control whether members can add others themselves.

Chat settings (additional chats)

For additional chats (where available on your plan), admins can rename the chat, update the description and avatar, set a member limit, toggle member invitations, and delete the chat entirely.

Plan Comparison