A Chat is a conversation between one or more Blink users. They can be 1-on-1 or Group Chats.
This article will also cover:- What you need to know about Chats
- How to send a message
- Using emojis and GIFs
- Using Superpowers
- Read-Message Indicators
- The Sidebar
- Leaving a Chat AND
- Moving a Chat to the Archived section
1-on-1 chats are just that, one person to one person, whereas a Groupchat is multiple people! Chats are completely private between the members of each specific Chat
Things to remember about Chats on Blink:
- Any member of a Chat can add a new member, but only administrators can remove people
- Only administrators can change Chat details such as the title, description or icon
- When someone leaves a Chat, they will disappear from the Chat list of members. They lose access to the Chat entirely, including all content that was shared, and the conversation history
- To rejoin they must be re-invited by an existing member of the Chat
Sending messages in your chats!
The Chat section of Blink allows you to create 1-on-1 and group chats with anyone within your organisation. All you need to do it:
- Just select a Chat from your chat list
- Type your message into the reply-area
- Hit [return/enter] and your message is sent!
You can add emojis and GIFs into your chats too! You can find them on the right-hand side of the reply area.
If you click on the + on the left-hand side of the reply area, you will have the option select a Chat Super Power! For more information on your Blink Chat Super Powers click here.
Read-message Indicators
We don't do any of this with messages in chats. We strongly believe that read-message indicators are unhelpful in the work environment. They can mislead the sender, force ill-considered responses, make recipients feel under pressure and they introduce a feeling of mistrust and Blink has reliable message delivery.
If you send a message to a chat, we guarantee that every member has received it! We can't however make any guarantee that they have actually read it. No-one can. Indicating that a chat message was on screen is different from knowing it has been seen. In busy chats at work, people frequently skim-read up and down the chat history, particularly when catching up after hours, or days, that were missed or trying to avoid parts of a conversation that may have gone off topic. We think the risk of chat messages being marked as read but actually going unseen by the user is high enough for the metric to be unreliable.
The Sidebar
The sidebar contains information you need to know about the chat you're in and its members. As an admin, it's where you manage the chat and for everyone else it's how they turn off notifications, invite someone new to it or leave the chat completely.
Withing the Sidebar you can:
- favourite a chat
- disable notifications
- view media and docs posted into the chat
For Admins
Admins can additionally change the title, chat purpose and icon as well as removing people from the chat and deleting the chat for all users. Admins also hold the power to grant admin rights and to revoke it.
If you can't see the sidebar for the chat you're in, slide it out by clicking on the information button in the top right hand corner of the chat window. You can access the sidebar options on mobile the same way.
From the Sidebar you can also Leave your Groupchat
We understand that you may not need to be in a Chat anymore so you do have two options, you can either leave the chat or archive the chat.
To leave a chat you should:
- Head to the chat you want to leave
- Open the Sidebar
- Press "leave chat"
Archiving a chat
Moving a chat to the Archived inbox will allow you to retain all chats without leaving a chat and also clear up your inbox.
Doing this is very easy, but changes between devices.
Archiving a chat on Desktop:
- Hover over the chat you want to archive
- An icon on the far right of that exact chat will appear
- Click this icon to Archive a chat!
Viewing your archived chats on Desktop:
- Open the chat page
- Under the Highlights category will be an 'Inbox' option
- Press the 'Inbox' option and a drop down option will appear
- Within this chaat will be 'Archived' chats!
Archiving a chat on Mobile:
- Find the chat you want to archive
- Press and slide it to the right
- Your chat will now be archived!
Viewing your archived chats on Mobile:
- Head to the chats page
- At the top of the page will be an 'Archived' option, click that
- You will have access to your Archived chats!