How to Start a Direct Message
Overview
A direct message is a private conversation between you and one other person on your project. Everything you send is visible only to the two of you.
This article covers how to find a team member and start a conversation with them.
For an overview of the chat list and how conversations are organized, see → Chats: Overview and Navigation.
--[Image: Chat details screen showing a 1-to-1 conversation with online status dot and typing indicator]--
How to Start a Direct Message
Open the chat list
From the sidebar, tap Chats.
Tap the new conversation button
Tap the button in the bottom-right corner of the chat list.
Select a person
A list of your project members appears. Tap the person you want to message.
- Only people assigned to your active project appear in this list.
- If you already have an existing conversation with someone, they will not appear here — tap their name in the chat list instead.
The conversation opens
You are taken directly into the chat. Type your message in the input field at the bottom and tap the send button.
--[Image: Project member list that appears after tapping the new conversation button]--
What You See Inside a Direct Message
Once you are inside a conversation, the screen shows:
| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Name | The other person's name at the top of the screen |
| Online status | A green dot next to their name when they are currently active in the app |
| Typing indicator | "typing..." appears below their name when they are writing a message |
| Message bubbles | Your messages appear on the right in blue. Their messages appear on the left in gray. |
| Input area | Text field, camera shortcut, file attachment button, and send button |
--[Image: Direct message conversation showing blue and gray message bubbles, online dot, and input bar]--
Sending Your First Message
Type in the text field at the bottom of the screen and tap the send button. Your message appears immediately.
To share a photo, video, or file in the conversation, see → Sending Messages, Photos, and Files.
To notify the other person with a direct mention, see → Mentioning Someone in a Chat.
Things to Know
You can only have one direct conversation with each person. Geo-CX prevents you from creating a second chat with someone you are already messaging. If a conversation already exists, find it in the chat list — use the search bar at the top to locate it quickly.
Direct messages are project-scoped. You can only message people who are assigned to your currently active project. If you need to reach someone on a different project, switch your active project first.
Messages load in batches. When you open a conversation, the most recent 30 messages load first. Scroll up to load older messages automatically.