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Team chat

Message your team: direct messages and group chats with reactions, editing and forwarding, plus WhatsApp and SMS customer threads in the same inbox.

5 min read · Last updated 2026-10-21

Collaboration → Chat brings your team's direct messages, group chats and customer conversations into one inbox: WhatsApp threads when WhatsApp Business is connected, and SMS threads through your Twilio number. Filter the list with All / Direct / Groups / WhatsApp / SMS — each shows a count and an unread dot — search conversations, and move through the list with the arrow keys. On wide screens the conversation's details open as a side pane; on smaller screens as a sheet.

Start a conversation

1. Open New Conversation. Click the new-chat icon at the top of the Messages list.
2. DM or group. Click a teammate to open or start a direct message instantly. For a group, choose Create a Group Chat, pick the Members, and optionally set a Group Name (up to 40 characters — left blank, it's named from the members) and a Description (up to 100), then Create Group.
3. Chat away. Enter sends, Shift+Enter adds a line. Attach any files with the paperclip, drag them in, or paste images from the clipboard; add emoji, or let the AI polish your draft. Unsent drafts are kept per conversation.

What you can do with messages

• React with emoji, reply in-line, edit, or delete your messages — with live read receipts and typing indicators. On touch screens, long-press a message for its menu.
• Forward one message, or select several and forward them together to any conversation.
• Links preview automatically; you can dismiss the preview before sending.
• Earlier messages load with Load earlier messages at the top of the thread; if new messages arrive while you're reading back, a Jump to latest pill shows how many.
• Mute or archive any conversation from its row menu. Archived chats collect under Archived and are read-only until you unarchive them.
• Chat heads — Open as bubble in the thread header pops a conversation into a floating bubble you can keep open on other screens. The chat heads settings (gear icon above the list) turn bubbles on or off, remember their position, allow resizing and play a notification sound. Bubbles stay with the organization they were opened in — switch organization and they're put away until you switch back.

Group management

Only the group's creator can change the avatar, add members, edit the name/description, or transfer ownership. Members other than the owner can leave (the owner transfers ownership first); anyone can mute or archive for themselves.

WhatsApp threads

Conversations under the WhatsApp filter are real customer chats through your connected WhatsApp Business number — replies go to the customer. You can reply to a specific message (it's quoted on WhatsApp), but reactions, editing, deleting and forwarding aren't available there. Messages that failed to send show WhatsApp's reason on the bubble.

• The 24-hour reply window — a chip in the thread header shows the time left (for example “3h left”), Window closed, or Template only for a contact who hasn't written yet. WhatsApp only allows free-form messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message.
• Window closed — when it has closed (or the contact has never written), the composer shows Reply window closed and only Send a template works: pick an approved template, fill its variables, check the preview and send. The customer's reply reopens the window. Templates are created on the WhatsApp settings page.
• Media — Send media sends an image, video, document or audio file from a public https:// link, with an optional caption.
• Chatbots — when a WhatsApp chatbot is talking to the customer, a banner under the thread header shows it — Take over, Return to bot, End, or Start a bot — and messages the bot sent carry a Bot tag. See chatbot hand-off.

SMS threads: SMS conversations appear under the SMS filter once your organization has connected Twilio. Text a lead from their profile to start one; replies arrive in the same thread.

The Chat / Mail switch above the search box flips the inbox to your email threads with leads (All / Received / Sent), with a compose button in place of new chat.

Access

Chat needs its own permission — and uniquely, opening a conversation window requires Update on Chat; users with View only see the list and get “You can’t view this chat” when they open one. Sending on WhatsApp also needs the WhatsApp permission (Update), and the chatbot banner's controls need WhatsApp Manage. Ask your admin via Roles & Permissions.

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