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Direct Messages (DMs)

Status: Complete

Direct messages are private conversations between two users. DMs exist outside the Community/Group/Channel hierarchy and are accessible from the DMs tab in the sidebar.

Starting a DM

There are two ways to start a direct message:

From the Sidebar

  1. Switch to the DMs tab in the sidebar.
  2. Click the New DM button (the + icon).
  3. Search for a user by username or display name (minimum 2 characters).
  4. Click on the user to open the conversation.

From a User Profile Card

  1. Click on any username in a channel (in a message or the member list).
  2. In the profile card that appears, click Message.
  3. A new DM conversation opens (or the existing one, if you have already messaged this user).

Tip: You can only DM users who share at least one Community with you. If you leave all shared Communities, you will no longer be able to send messages in that DM.

DM List in Sidebar

The DMs tab shows all your existing conversations. Each entry displays:

  • The other user's avatar and display name
  • An online status indicator (green for online, yellow for idle, red for DND, gray for offline)
  • An unread message count badge, if applicable

DMs are sorted by most recent activity.

End-to-End Encryption

DMs are encrypted using the Double Ratchet protocol (the same protocol used by Signal). When encryption is active:

  • Messages are encrypted on your device before being sent.
  • The server stores only ciphertext -- it cannot read your messages.
  • Each message uses a unique encryption key derived from the ratchet state.

If encryption has not been initialized (for example, on first login before key exchange completes), messages fall back to plaintext with a warning logged to the console.

Block Protection

If either user has blocked the other, messages cannot be sent in the DM. The sender receives an error: "cannot send messages to this user."

How DMs Differ from Channels

Feature Text Channel DM
Encryption Sender Keys (group) Double Ratchet (1:1)
Membership Multiple users Exactly two users
Location Inside a Group Independent (sidebar DMs tab)
Roles/Permissions Owner, Admin, Member Equal (no roles)
Threads Supported Supported
Reactions Supported Supported
File sharing Supported Supported
Pins Supported Supported