Direct messages

A direct message is a private conversation between two people. Start one with Message on someone's portfolio or on their card in a room. It is listed under DMs on the Social page until you close it.

How it works

• Messages work as in rooms: attachments, reactions, @mentions and deleting your own.
• You see when the other person is typing, and whether they have read your message unless they turned read receipts off.
• Each message sends a notification unless they have muted the conversation or turned off Direct Messages.

Who can message you

Choose under Messages in Settings → Privacy: Anyone, People you follow or No one. A room invite arrives as a message, so the same choice decides who can invite you to a group chat.

• A conversation you have written in stays open whatever you choose. One where only the other person wrote closes to them; they can still read it.
• The people who run a course you take can message you whatever you chose, unless you turn Course staff off.
• Members under 18 hear first only from people they follow, or from no one if they choose that. Course staff are not an exception for them.
• A block always ends a conversation, whatever either of you chose.

Message requests

Turn Message requests on under Messages and someone your choice leaves out can still send you one message. It waits under Message Requests on the Social page, out of your conversations, with one notification. Choose Accept, Decline or Block, or reply, which accepts it. Until you accept, they cannot send more or see that you read it. Declining tells nobody: to them it still looks unanswered. Members under 18 cannot take requests.

How to close a conversation

1. 1.

   Open the Social page and find the conversation under DMs.

2. 2.

   Choose Close conversation on its card.

3. 3.

   Confirm with Close.

Closing removes you from the conversation and you lose its messages. The other person keeps their copy.

Rules and limits

• The Community Guidelines apply in direct messages as anywhere else.
• Report a message with Report this message beside it.
• Blocking someone closes the conversation and stops either of you starting a new one. See Blocking and unblocking.

If something goes wrong

"This person only receives messages from people they follow."

Their setting is People you follow, and they do not follow you. The message was not sent.

"This person is not accepting new messages."

Their setting is No one. The message was not sent.

"This person takes message requests…"

Your first message goes to their Message Requests. You can send one until they accept.

"Your message request is waiting…"

They have not accepted your request. You can write again once they do.

"You have sent 20 message requests today…"

You can start 20 new requests a day. Try again tomorrow.

"You cannot message this person."

One of you has blocked the other.

"This account is closed."

A closed account cannot receive messages.

"Messaging is restricted on your account…"

A restriction is in place. Settings → Account standing says why and until when.

"The conversation was not closed. Try again."

Nothing changed. Try again.