A Private Message is a closed conversation between specific people — either one-on-one or a group. Private Messages never appear in the channel list; they have their own list.
Starting a Private Message
Click New Private Message.
Type a name. One Church suggests people as you type.
Pick one person for a one-on-one, or several people for a group.
A Private Message can include between 2 and 25 people. A one-on-one shows the other person's avatar; a group shows a combined avatar and lets you set a custom group picture.
Tip: The same set of people always reuses the same conversation — starting a "new" one with the identical people just reopens the existing thread.
Adding people to a Private Message
Using Add People on a one-on-one does not add them to that conversation. Instead, it starts a brand-new group conversation with those people once they accept — and the earlier messages are not carried over. The original one-on-one stays separate.
Tip: A group needs at least 3 people, so you can't add a single person to a one-on-one to make another one-on-one.
When a Private Message can't be started
You can't start a one-on-one with someone if either of you has blocked the other. See Staying safe in Chat: Block, Ignore, and Reporting.
A minor (13–17) and an adult (18+) can't be in the same Private Message. See Age requirements and child safety in Chat.
Seeing who's around
Each Private Message shows the other people's presence as a colored dot. To learn what each status means, see How do I manage notifications, mute, and presence in Chat?