Sending Messages

You can send messages in any direct message, group chat, or channel you belong to. Type in the message box at the bottom of the conversation, which reads Message followed by the name of the person, group or channel, and press Enter or click the send button. Press Shift+Enter for a new line. Inside a list, codeblock, quote or heading, Enter starts a new line or list item instead of sending, so click the send button or move out of that block to send.

Messages are encrypted at rest by Pentos with AES-256-GCM, using a separate key for each conversation and channel, and travel over TLS. Collab is not end-to-end encrypted. See Security.

Writing a Message

The message box has these tools:

• Menu (+): Open Add to choose Add a File, Add a Table, or Add a Codeblock. See Attachments and Chat Objects.
• Record: Speak your message and Pentos types it out for you.
• Formatting: Show or hide the formatting toolbar for bold, lists, colors, math and more. The toolbar also has AI Assist, which can refine, expand, shorten, fix the grammar of, or translate your draft.
• Emoji: Open the emoji picker.
• Right-click menu: Right-click in the message box for Copy, Paste, Paste and Match, Link, Inline Code, Codeblock, Insert Table, and AI Assist.
• Mentions: Type @ to mention someone. See Mentions.

To attach files, drag them onto the page or paste text longer than 5,000 characters, which becomes a file. See Attachments.

Mentions

Type @ and start typing a name or username. A list of up to five matching friends appears; use the arrow keys and press Enter or Tab, or click a name, to insert the mention. You can also type someone’s full @username yourself.

Only members of the conversation or channel are notified when you mention them. In a group chat or channel, if you mention someone who isn’t a member, Pentos asks before sending, in a prompt called Add to Conversation (group chat) or Invite to Channel (channel):

• Add: Adds them so they can see your mention and reply. In a group chat any member can add people. In a channel, only admins can add people, and the person needs a paid plan. If they can’t be added, your message is still sent without them.
• Send anyway: Sends your message without adding them. They are not notified.

Only people you pick from the list are checked. If you type an @username yourself and that person isn’t a member, Pentos doesn’t ask, and they aren’t notified.

In group chats this check runs for messages in the main conversation, not for replies. Mentions in direct messages are never checked, so only the other person can be notified.

Sharing Pentos Links

When a message you send in the main conversation includes a Pentos link to a chat, file, folder, channel, or group chat, Pentos checks whether everyone in the conversation can open it. Replies sent in the Replies panel are not checked. If some people can’t open it and you are allowed to share it, a Share Resource prompt appears:

• Share & Send: Gives the members who are missing access Editor access, then sends. For a channel link they are added as Members; for a group chat link they are added to the group.
• Send Without Sharing: Sends the message as it is.

If you close the prompt without choosing, the message is not sent and the text you typed is gone, so you’ll need to write it again. Choose Send Without Sharing if you just want to send it. If you aren’t allowed to share the item, Pentos says so and sends the message without sharing it.

If Pentos can’t give everyone access, your message is still sent and Pentos shows “Sorry, your message was sent, but we couldn’t give everyone access to what you shared. Please share it again.”

Typing Indicator

While you type, others see “Your Name is typing…” above the message box. When several people type at once it reads “Name and Name are typing…” or “Several people are typing…”. Replies have their own typing indicator inside the thread.

Real-Time Delivery

Your message appears right away and reaches everyone else in real time, with no need to refresh. If you send several messages quickly, they arrive in the order you sent them. If a message can’t be sent, it disappears from the conversation and its text is not put back in the message box. Pentos shows an error that says why, for example “Sorry, you can only attach files you have access to.”

Scroll up to load older messages. When new messages arrive while you are scrolled up, a button with the number of new messages takes you back to the bottom.

If you send a burst of messages very quickly, Pentos asks you to wait a moment before sending more.

Notifications

Each person gets one message notification per message, and a mention takes priority over a reply or new-message notification. If the message has files you can share, each member also gets a File Shared With You notification for each file.

If someone has the conversation open when your message arrives, their notification is marked as read and no pop-up appears. See Notifications.

When You Can’t Send

• Channel viewers: If your channel role is Viewer, the message box is locked and reads “View-only access. To send messages, please ask an admin to upgrade your permissions.” Viewers can’t add reactions or reply either. See Sharing & Permissions.
• Archived channels: No one can send messages in an archived channel until an admin unarchives it. See Archive, Delete & Restore.
• Blocked users: A direct message with someone either of you has blocked is hidden from both of you and takes no new messages. It comes back, with its history, when the block is lifted. See Unblocking a User.
• The other person left: If the other person leaves a direct message, it becomes read-only for you and moves to the bottom of your list. You can still read it, but you can’t send messages or replies. If you leave too, it moves to your Recycle Bin, where you can restore it for 30 days. To talk to that person again, message them: while the old DM is still in your Recycle Bin, this usually brings it back with its history. See Conversations.