A direct message is a private conversation between you and one other person. Only the two of you can see it. Direct messages are not part of a workspace, so you see them from every workspace.
Open your direct messages
Click the people icon in the left rail. The Direct Messages list shows your conversations, with the most recent at the top. A count on a row shows how many messages you haven't read. If you have started a message and not sent it, the row shows it as a draft.
Click a conversation to open it.
To move between conversations with the keyboard, press Alt + Down arrow or Alt + Up arrow, or Option + Down arrow or Option + Up arrow on a Mac. Add Shift to jump to the next conversation with unread messages.
Start a direct message
There are a few ways to start one:
- From a message: point to a person's name or photo on a message, or to a mention of them. Their profile card opens. Click Message.
- From the command palette: press Ctrl + K, or ⌘ + K on a Mac. Type the person's name, then click them in the list.
- From a channel's members: click the channel name, then Members. Point to the person's row, click ⋯, then click Message.
- From the Direct Messages list: while you have fewer than five conversations, people you haven't messaged yet are listed below them. Click a name.
If you already have a conversation with the person, it opens. Otherwise a new one starts.
The profile card shows the person's name, email address, availability and status. It shows their phone number too, if they have added one.
Conversation details
Click the person's name at the top of the conversation.
- View profile shows the person's email address and phone number. Click one to copy it.
- Files lists the photos, videos and documents shared in the conversation.
- Links lists the links shared in the conversation.
- Threads lists the threads started in the conversation.
The panel also has a Pins tab with the pinned messages. When the conversation has pinned messages, the pin icon next to the name shows how many.
If the other person's account is deactivated, you can still read the conversation, but you can't send new messages.
On the mobile app
Tap DMs at the bottom of the screen. Tap a conversation to open it. To start a new one, tap a person's name or photo on a message, then tap Message.
