Chat and Files

Chat

There are two kinds of conversations: direct messages, between two people, which anyone can start, and channels, which admins create. Channels appear at the top of Chat with a megaphone (broadcast) or a group icon. A direct message shows the other person.

Messages are kept for 90 days from when they're sent, then deleted. The conversation itself stays. See How long we keep things.

Turn on chat

Chat is off until an admin turns it on. Click Communication, then click Chat, and turn on Direct messages, Broadcast channels, or both. If you turn them off later, nothing is deleted, and every conversation is there when you turn them back on.

Many teams already have a group text they're happy with, and Skidle doesn't need to replace it.

When you turn on channels, your account starts with one: Team Announcements, for everyone, in broadcast mode.

Direct messages

A direct message is between you and one other person. To start one, tap the pencil in the phone app (or click New on the website), then choose who it's with. To search by name or @handle, tap the magnifying glass. If you already have a direct message with someone, choosing them opens it, even if you closed it. Only the two people in a direct message can see it. Admins can't.

Channels

A channel can be for a group, not just people: a location, a role, Everyone, or a group you create in Identities. Everyone in the group is in the channel, including people who join the group later. Only admins and owners can create, change, and delete channels. To create one, tap the megaphone in the phone app, or click New, then click New channel on the website. Admins and owners can read every channel, even ones that aren't addressed to them. A channel that isn't addressed to you doesn't notify you or add to your unread count.

A channel in broadcast mode is one-way: only admins and owners can post. When broadcast mode is off, the team can reply. Team Announcements is for everyone and starts in broadcast mode. An admin can rename or delete it. Once it's deleted, it doesn't come back.

Handles and mentions

Everyone has an @handle, and so does every group, like @maya, @east_side, or @baristas. Type @ to choose one: people in a direct message, or people and groups in a channel. When you mention someone, they get a notification even if they muted the conversation. When you mention a group, everyone in it does. @everyone reaches everyone in the conversation.

Handles are created from names, and each handle can be used only once in an account. To change yours, click Settings, then click Profile (in the phone app, tap Account). Admins can change anyone's handle from that person's page in People, and a group's handle when they edit the group in Identities.

Notifications for a conversation

Each conversation notifies you about every message unless you Mute it. A muted conversation doesn't notify you at all, even for mentions, and shows a crossed-out bell. New messages still appear in Chat. In the phone app, swipe a conversation right and tap Mute (or Unmute). On the website, use the ⋯ menu in the conversation.

You can also set a channel to Mentions only from its ⋯ menu. It notifies you only when someone @mentions you or a group you're in, and shows an @ next to it.

Close a direct message

If you're done with a direct message for now, Close it. It's removed from your list and comes back with the next message, with everything still in it. In the phone app, swipe it left and tap Close (or keep swiping). On the website, hold the pointer over it in the list and click the close button, or choose Close conversation from its ⋯ menu.

You can't close channels. Admins can delete a channel for everyone, including all its messages. In the phone app, swipe it left. On the website, choose Delete channel from its ⋯ menu.

Read receipts

In a direct message, your most recent message shows Read once the other person opens it. In a channel, each of your posts shows how many of the people it reaches have seen it, like "Seen by 12 of 48." Admins can tap or click that line to see who has seen it and who hasn't, which helps you know who to follow up with about an announcement. "Seen" means they opened the channel after the post was sent. It updates as people read, on the website and in the phone app.

Read receipts are on for everyone unless an admin turns them off. Click Communication, click Chat, then turn off Read receipts. When they're off, no one can see who has read what.

When messages are left unread

An admin can set up a workflow that reacts when someone leaves messages unread for a while. It can email them, tell a manager, or send a message anywhere a web request can reach. See Start a workflow.

Files

Files is where your team keeps shared files, like the employee handbook, the allergen sheet, or a photo of how the bakery case should look.

Admins create folders and upload files. Everyone else can open and download them. Each folder has its own address, so you can link to it from a task, like "Set up the espresso machine the way it's shown in Files > Training > Espresso." Search looks in every folder.

Files count toward your plan's file storage, which you can see in Account under Usage.