# Chats

> Direct messages, group chats, event chats and group chats, with replies, reactions, files and voice messages.

Source: https://help.gathereasy.rsvp/social/chats/

**Chats** keeps the conversation going between events. Open it from the main navigation.

## Kinds of chat

| Chat               | Who's in it                                 | How to open it                                                        |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Direct message** | You and one other person.                   | **Start a DM** on their profile, or **Create** in Chats.              |
| **Group chat**     | People you choose, with a name you give it. | **Create** in Chats and add more than one person.                     |
| **Event chat**     | An event's hosts and guests.                | **Open event chat** on the event page, once you're on the guest list. |
| **Group**          | A group's members.                          | **Group chat** on the group page, once you've joined.                 |

## Start a chat

1. In **Chats**, choose **Create**.
2. Under **People**, search by name or handle and pick people. One person makes a direct message. Add more for a group chat (up to 50 people).
3. For a group chat, enter a **Chat name**, for example "Saturday hikers".
4. Choose **Start chat** or **Create group chat**.

Use **Search chats…** to find a conversation.

## Send messages

Type in **Write a message…** and send. You can also:

- **Attach** a file, such as a photo or a PDF. Files must be 10 MB or smaller.
- **Record a voice message** with the microphone button. Allow microphone access when asked. Choose **Stop recording** to send, or **Discard recording**.
- **Mention** someone by choosing their name in the chat and **Mention**.

If a message shows **Not sent**, choose **Try again** or **Discard**.

## Message actions

Press and hold a message (or hover over it on a computer) to:

- **Reply** to it,
- add a **reaction**. Choose **More reactions** for every emoji,
- **Copy** the text,
- **Delete** your own message. It shows as "This message was deleted",
- **Report** or **Block** the sender. See [Privacy and safety](https://help.gathereasy.rsvp/account/privacy-and-safety.md).

Hosts can remove messages in their event's chat, and group managers in their group's chat.

## People in a chat

Open the chat's member list to see who's in it.

- In a group chat you started, choose **Add someone**. They can read everything said from then on.
- **Remove** someone from a group chat you started.
- **Leave chat** to leave a group chat.

## Mute a chat

Choose **Mute** to stop notifications for a conversation. Messages still arrive. You just aren't nudged about them. Choose **Unmute** to turn notifications back on.

## Notifications

GatherEasy sends one push notification per conversation, not one per message. Once you've read the chat, the next new message nudges you again. Chat messages are never emailed. To turn chat notifications off entirely, go to [Notifications](https://help.gathereasy.rsvp/account/notifications.md) and switch off **Chat messages**.