Chat

Overview

Chat is Astalty's built-in messaging feature that allows your team to communicate directly within the platform. Whether you need to have a quick one-on-one conversation with a colleague or collaborate with a group of team members, Chat keeps your communication organised and in one place.

With Chat, you can:

• Send direct messages to individual team members

• Create group channels for team-wide or topic-based conversations

• Share files, mention colleagues, react to messages, and pin important information

• See who is online in real time

Key Concepts

Direct Messages

A direct message is a private, one-on-one conversation between you and another team member. Only the two members can see the messages in a direct conversation.

Group Channels

A group channel is a conversation with multiple team members. Group channels have a name (e.g., "Team Standup" or "SIL House A") and can have members added or removed at any time. You can also link User Groups to a channel so that membership stays in sync automatically.

Accessing Chat

To access Chat on the web browser version of Astalty, click the Chat icon in the left-hand menu. You can access Chat directly here.

To access Chat on the app, click the Chat icon at the bottom of the screen.

The Chat Interface

The Chat interface is split into two main areas:

Channel List (Left Panel)

The left panel displays all of your conversations, including both direct messages and group channels. Each conversation shows:

1. The name of the channel or the other participant (for direct messages)

2. A preview of the latest message

3. An unread indicator if there are messages you haven't read yet

4. A timestamp showing when the last message was sent

You can scroll through your conversations to find the one you are looking for, or use the search feature to find specific messages.

Message Thread (Right Panel)

When you select a conversation from the channel list, the message thread opens in the right panel. This displays the full conversation history, with the most recent messages at the bottom.

At the top of the message thread, you will see the channel header, which shows the channel name (or the other participant's name for direct messages) and options such as viewing members and pinned messages.

Compose Area

At the bottom of the message thread is the compose area, where you can type and send messages. The compose area includes a rich text editor with formatting options, file attachments, and the ability to mention other team members.

Online Presence

When you are in Chat, you can see which of your team members are currently online. Online team members will have a green presence indicator next to their name or avatar.

Starting a Direct Message

To start a new direct message:

1. Navigate to Chat

2. Click the New Message button (compose icon) at the top of the channel list

3. Search for the team member you would like to message

4. Select the team member from the search results

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.

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.

Group Channels

Group channels allow multiple team members to communicate together in a single, named conversation. Group channels are ideal for team discussions, project-based communication, or any situation where more than two people need to collaborate.

Creating a Group Channel

To create a new group channel:

1. Navigate to Chat

2. Click the New Message button (compose icon) at the top of the channel list

3. Enter a Channel Name (e.g., "SIL House A" or "Monday Team Meeting")

4. Add members to the channel by searching for and selecting team members

5. Optionally, link one or more User Groups to automatically include all members of those groups

6. Click Create to create the channel

Once the channel is created, a system message will appear confirming the channel has been created, and all added members will see the channel in their channel list.

Updating a Group Channel Name

To update the name of an existing group channel:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click on the channel name in the header

3. Enter the new name

4. Confirm the change

A system message will be displayed in the channel indicating that the channel name has been updated.

Managing Channel Members

Group channels support flexible membership management. You can add or remove individual members, or link User Groups for automatic membership syncing.

Viewing Channel Members

To view the current members of a group channel:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click the Members option in the channel header

This will open a dialog showing all current members of the channel.

Adding Members

To add a member to a group channel:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click the Members option in the channel header

3. Click Add Members

4. Search for and select the team member(s) you would like to add

5. Confirm your selection

A system message will appear in the channel for each member that is added. This requires the Manage Channel Members permission.

Removing Members

To remove a member from a group channel:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click the Members option in the channel header

3. Find the member you wish to remove

4. Click the remove option next to their name

5. Confirm the removal

A system message will appear indicating that the member has been removed. The removed member will no longer see the channel in their channel list.

Linking User Groups

You can link one or more User Groups to a group channel. When a User Group is linked:

• All current members of the User Group are automatically added to the channel

• When new users are added to the User Group in the future, they will automatically be added to the channel

• When users are removed from the User Group, they will automatically be removed from the channel (unless they were also added manually or are covered by another linked User Group)

To link a User Group:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click the Members option in the channel header

3. Select the User Groups tab or section

4. Search for and select the User Group(s) you would like to link

5. Confirm your selection

A system message will appear confirming the User Group has been linked.

Unlinking User Groups

To unlink a User Group from a channel:

1. Open the group channel

2. Click the Members option in the channel header

3. Navigate to the User Groups section

4. Click the remove or unlink option next to the User Group

5. Confirm the removal

When a User Group is unlinked, members who were added solely through that User Group will be removed. Members who were also manually added, or who are covered by another linked User Group, will remain.

Message History for New Members

When a new member is added to a group channel, whether they can see messages sent before they joined depends on the Show Message History to New Members setting in your Chat Settings. If enabled, new members can see the full history. If disabled, they will only see messages sent after they joined.

Messaging

Chat provides a rich messaging experience with formatting options, file attachments, mentions, and more.

Sending a Message

To send a message:

1. Open the conversation (direct message or group channel)

2. Click into the compose area at the bottom of the message thread

3. Type your message

4. Press Enter or click the send button

Rich Text Formatting

The message composer supports rich text formatting. You can use the formatting toolbar to:

• Bold text

• Italic text

• Create bullet lists

• Create numbered lists

• Add code formatting

• Add links

Editing a Message

If message editing is enabled by your administrator, you can edit your own messages after sending them.

To edit a message:

1. Hover over the message you wish to edit

2. Click the Edit option from the message actions menu

3. Make your changes in the compose area

4. Press Enter or click the save button to confirm

Edited messages will display an "edited" indicator so other participants can see the message has been modified.

Deleting a Message

If message deletion is enabled by your administrator, you can delete messages.

To delete a message:

1. Hover over the message you wish to delete

2. Click the Delete option from the message actions menu

3. Confirm the deletion

Deleted messages will be removed from the conversation. If the deleted message was pinned, the pin will also be removed.

System Messages

System messages are automatic notifications that appear in a conversation when certain events occur. These are not sent by any user and are displayed differently from regular messages.

System messages are generated for the following events:

• A channel is created

• A channel name is updated

• A member is added to or removed from a group channel

• A User Group is linked to or unlinked from a channel

• A message is pinned or unpinned

Mentions

Mentions allow you to directly notify a team member or a group of team members within a conversation. When you mention someone, they will receive a notification drawing their attention to your message.

Mentioning a User

To mention a specific team member:

1. Type the @ symbol in the compose area

2. Start typing the team member's name

3. Select the team member from the suggestion dropdown that appears

4. Continue typing your message and send as normal

The mentioned team member will receive a notification alerting them to your message.

Mentioning a User Group

You can also mention an entire User Group. This will notify all members of that User Group who are also members of the current channel.

To mention a User Group:

1. Type the @ symbol in the compose area

2. Start typing the User Group name

3. Select the User Group from the suggestion dropdown

4. Continue typing your message and send as normal

Only members of both the mentioned User Group and the current channel will receive a notification.

Mention Notifications

When you are mentioned in a message, you will receive:

• An in-app notification within Astalty

• A push notification (if push notifications are enabled)

Channels where you have been mentioned will display a mention badge in the channel list, making it easy to find conversations that need your attention.

Reactions

Reactions let you respond to a message with an emoji without needing to type a reply. They are a quick way to acknowledge a message, show agreement, or express a response.

Adding a Reaction

To add an emoji reaction to a message:

1. Hover over the message you would like to react to

2. Click the Reaction icon (smiley face) from the message actions

3. Select an emoji from the picker

Your reaction will appear below the message. If other team members have already reacted with the same emoji, your reaction will be grouped with theirs, showing a count.

Removing a Reaction

To remove your reaction, simply click on the same emoji reaction again. Reactions work as a toggle.

Viewing Who Reacted

You can see which team members have reacted by hovering over the reaction emoji below the message. A tooltip will display the names of the users who reacted with that emoji.

Pinned Messages

Pinning a message allows you to highlight important information within a channel so that it is easy for all members to find.

Pinning a Message

To pin a message:

1. Hover over the message you would like to pin

2. Click the Pin option from the message actions menu

3. The message will be pinned to the channel

A system message will appear confirming that the message has been pinned.

Unpinning a Message

To unpin a message:

1. Hover over the pinned message

2. Click the Unpin option from the message actions menu

3. The message will be unpinned

A system message will appear confirming that the message has been unpinned.

Viewing Pinned Messages

There are two ways to view pinned messages:

Pinned Message Banner

The most recently pinned message is displayed as a yellow banner at the top of the message thread. You can click on this banner to jump to the pinned message in the conversation.

Pinned Messages Dialog

To view all pinned messages in a channel:

1. Open the channel

2. Click the Pinned Messages option in the channel header

3. A dialog will open displaying all currently pinned messages

4. Click on any pinned message to jump to it within the conversation

Attachments

You can share files with your team by attaching them to messages.

Uploading an Attachment

To attach a file to a message:

1. Click the Attachment icon (paperclip) in the compose area

2. Select the file(s) you would like to attach from your device

3. A preview of the attached file(s) will appear above the compose area

4. Type an optional message to accompany the attachment

5. Press Enter or click the send button to send

You can attach multiple files to a single message.

Downloading an Attachment

To download an attachment:

1. Find the message containing the attachment

2. Click on the attachment or the download icon

3. The file will be downloaded to your device

Search

Chat search allows you to find specific messages across all of your conversations.

Searching for Messages

To search for messages:

1. Navigate to Chat

2. Click the Search icon in the chat interface

3. Enter your search term

4. Results will appear showing matching messages across your conversations

Navigating to a Search Result

When you find the message you are looking for:

1. Click on the search result

2. The conversation will open and automatically scroll to the matching message, highlighted in context

This allows you to see the full conversation around the message.

Chat Settings

The Chat Settings page allows administrators to configure how Chat behaves across your organisation.

Accessing Chat Settings

Navigate to Settings in the left-hand menu, then select Chat. You must have the appropriate administrative permissions to access this page.

Available Settings

Allow Message Editing

When enabled, users with the appropriate permission can edit their own messages after they have been sent. Edited messages will display an "edited" indicator.

When disabled, no users will be able to edit messages, regardless of their individual permissions.

Allow Message Deletion

When enabled, users with the appropriate permission can delete messages. Depending on their permission level, users may be able to delete only their own messages or any message in the channel.

When disabled, no users will be able to delete messages, regardless of their individual permissions.

Show Message History to New Members

This setting controls whether new members added to a group channel can see messages sent before they joined.

• Enabled: New members can see the full conversation history

• Disabled: New members will only see messages sent after they were added

Permission Overrides

Chat Settings also includes permission override options for different roles:

• Managers

• Team Members

• Support Workers

This gives you fine-grained control over what each role can do within Chat.

To see how Chat operates in the app, click here.