Create a New Direct Message

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You can create a Direct Message (DM) in Rocket.Chat to communicate privately with one or more users.

Create a 1:1 and 1:M DM from the menu bar

To create a direct message from the menu bar:

  1. On the menu bar, click Create New → Direct Message .

  2. Select one or more users you want to message. You can add multiple users to create a 1:M DM, allowing you to chat privately with several users at once.

  3. Click Create.

A new DM is opened with the selected user(s), and you can start communicating privately.

To create a direct message from the Rocket.Chat mobile app:

  1. On the menu bar, click Create New → Direct Message .

  2. Choose one or more users you want to message. You can add multiple users to create a 1:M DM for group messaging.

  3. Tap Create.

A new DM is opened with the selected user(s), and you can start chatting privately.

Create a 1:1 DM from a room

To create a 1:1 DM from a room:

  1. Click the Members icon at the top-right of the header, or click the kebab menu (â‹®) and select Team Members to view the list of members.

  2. Select the member from the list with whom you want to start a DM. You can also search for a specific member using the search bar.

  3. Next to the search bar, you can filter the list to show all members or only online members.

  4. Once you’ve selected the member, their User Info page opens. Click Direct message below their avatar to start a private 1:1 conversation.

You can open a 1:1 direct message on Rocket.Chat mobile app with a user if you are in the same room by following these steps:

  1. Tap the user’s avatar or name to open their User Info page. Then, tap Message to start a direct message with that user.

  2. Alternatively, tap the room name to open the room options. Tap Members, select the user you want to message, and tap Direct message. A new DM room opens where you can chat privately with that user.

Here are some important features to note about DM rooms:

  • You can't create a multi-user DM with the same user combination.

  • Once a DM is created, the membership can't be updated. So, you can't add or remove members to the DM.

  • No one is the owner, unlike channels.

  • The DM can not be deleted. You can only hide the conversation.

  • You can not ignore, block, mute, or remove a user for multi-user DMs. Although, you can start a call or start a 1:1 DM with them.

We recommend a maximum of 8 users in a DM. However, contact your workspace administrator if you need to update it to suit your needs.

Mark DM as favorite

Marking a DM as a favorite keeps it pinned at the top of your sidebar for quick access.

You can favorite a DM in two ways:

  • From the sidebar: Hover over the DM, click the kebab menu (⋯), then select Favorite.

  • Inside the DM: At the top of the DM screen, click the star icon next to the discussion name to mark that discussion as Favorite.

To remove a discussion from your favorites, repeat the same steps and select Unfavorite.