# Direct Messages

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/chat/direct-messages

> Have one-on-one conversations with another team member.

> **Enabling Chat**
>
> Chat is an optional feature. The Account Owner can turn it on from the [Optional Features](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/optional-features#chat) page.

A direct message is a one-on-one conversation between you and another team member. Only those two people are members, and the conversation does not appear in anyone else's normal Chat list or search results. An Admin can also open and export a conversation they have not joined. For more detail, see [Chat Privacy and Visibility](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/chat/chat-privacy).

## Starting a Direct Message

To start a new direct message:

1. Navigate to [Chat](https://app.astalty.com.au/chat)
2. Click the **New Message** button (compose icon) at the top of the channel list

![The Chat page on the web, with the Create a new chat compose icon beside Search chats highlighted and its tooltip showing. The New Message panel is open with its To and User Groups fields.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/create-chat-1.png)

3. Search for the team member you would like to message
4. Select the team member from the search results

![The New Message panel on the Chat page, with an arrow pointing to the To field and its open dropdown highlighted, with an typed in its Search box above the matching team members, such as Alexzander Nader, Damian Barrows and Hannah Clarke.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/select-members-1.png)

5. Type your message in the compose area and press **Enter** or click the send button

If you already have an existing direct message conversation with that team member, it will open the existing conversation rather than creating a new one.

> **Seeing only your direct messages**
>
> Select the **Direct** tab above your chat list to hide group channels and leave only your one-on-one conversations. See [Filtering Conversations](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/chat/filtering-conversations).

## Starting a Direct Message from a Shift

If you are already looking at the schedule, you can message the Support Worker on a shift without going to Chat and searching for them.

1. Go to the [Schedule](https://app.astalty.com.au/scheduling/schedule) and click on the support you want to open.
2. On the right-hand side, find the assigned Support Worker, click the three dots next to their name, and select **Contact** followed by their name.

![A shift drawer with the actions button on the Alexzander Nader shift card highlighted and its menu open, with an arrow pointing to Contact Alexzander Nader between Unassign Support Worker and Unpublish Shift.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/chat-shift-contact-support-worker-menu-guide.png)

3. In the **Contact** window, click **Send Chat Message**.

![The Contact Alexzander Nader window with no Mobile number recorded, and buttons along the bottom: Close, Send Chat Message marked by an arrow, and a greyed-out Call button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/chat-shift-send-chat-message.png)

The direct conversation opens in a new browser tab. As with any direct message, if you already have a conversation with that Support Worker it opens the existing one rather than starting a new conversation - and if you had [archived](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/chat/archiving-conversations) it, it returns to your chat list.

The **Contact** option appears on any shift that already has a Support Worker assigned. On an unassigned shift you will not see it. The window also shows the Support Worker's mobile number, which you can copy, along with a **Call** button - **Call** is unavailable when there is no mobile number recorded on their profile.

> **The usual messaging rules still apply**
>
> If the **Who Can Message Who** settings do not allow your role to start a conversation with Support Workers, the chat will not open. See [Chat Configuration](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/chat/chat-configuration#conversation-permissions).

## Viewing Conversation History

Your full message history with each team member is preserved. When you open a direct message conversation, you can scroll up to view older messages. Messages are loaded as you scroll, so you can go as far back as needed.