Direct messages

Direct messages are conversations outside any room: one other person, or a group of up to 10 people. Open them with the messages button at the top of the community bar, next to your communities. The number on it counts unread messages and new requests.

Only the people in a conversation can read it. Direct messages don't belong to any community, so they don't count toward a community's OpenCtrl Cloud usage.

Start a conversation

1. Open direct messages and choose New message.
2. Search for people you share a community with. Pick one person, or up to nine for a group (you can name the group).
3. Write the first message and send it.

Messaging the same person again always opens your existing conversation with them.

Requests

The first message from someone you haven't talked with lands in Requests. You can read it, but you can't reply until you Accept. If you Ignore it, it moves to the Ignored list and won't notify you again. You can still accept it later.

Who can message you

In Settings → Privacy, choose who can start a conversation with you:

• People in your communities (default): anyone you share a community with.
• Anyone on Ctrl Room: people outside your communities can find you by your exact username.
• Nobody: no new conversations. The ones you've already accepted keep working.

Groups

Anyone in a group can rename it and add people (each person's setting still applies). Use Leave group in the conversation's menu to leave. You keep what you could already read, and you won't get anything new. Someone in the group can add you back; you'll get it as a request.

Mute, block and report

• Mute a conversation with the bell in its header: no sounds or alerts, and it stops counting toward the badge.
• Block someone from the conversation menu, the people list in a group, or a message's menu. They can't message you or start conversations with you, your 1:1 with them leaves your messages, and their messages in groups are hidden for you. They aren't told. Unblock people in Settings → Privacy.
• Report a message from its menu. Reports go to the people who run this Ctrl Room, with a copy of the message.

You can edit and delete your own messages. Deleted messages show as "Message removed".

Notifications

New direct messages play the dm sound (Settings → Sounds, under Mentions, replies & DMs) and show a desktop alert if you turned those on. Do not disturb, muted conversations and ignored requests stay silent.