# Get to know the messaging feature

https://help.circle.so/p/chat/dm/get-to-know-direct-messaging

Category: [Chat](https://help.circle.so/p/chat) › [Direct messaging](https://help.circle.so/p/chat/dm)

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_Last updated: February 24, 2025_

Circle’s messaging feature allows community members to communicate with each other privately and in real-time.

## **About messaging in Circle**

Whether you're looking to enable your members to engage in one-on-one conversations, participate in group discussions, or share multimedia, messaging makes it easy to stay connected.

With Circle’s messaging feature, you can:

- **Send one-to-one messages** – Start one-on-one conversations with other community members.

- **Create group message rooms** – Engage with multiple members in a shared conversation.

- **Send multimedia messages** – Share [voice messages](https://help.circle.so/c/chat/how-do-i-send-voice-messages), images, videos, files, and GIFs.

- **Utilize chat threads** – Organize discussions within message threads for better clarity and engagement.

Additionally, you can use [Circle workflows](https://help.circle.so/p/workflows/workflow-setup) which allows you to perform various messaging-related [tasks](https://help.circle.so/p/workflows/workflow-setup/workflows-roadmap) for community members, including:

- Sending direct messages.

- Enabling or disabling messaging.

- Triggering automated actions when an admin receives a direct message.

### Availability

Messaging is available to all community plans on Circle.

You can use the messaging features on all supported platforms, including desktop and mobile browsers, as well as Android and iOS mobile apps.

## **Accessing messages**

Members, including admins, can access their messages by clicking the **Direct messages** icon on the top navigation bar on the desktop. Here, you can:

- Start a new one-to-one or group message room.

- Browse your conversations or use the **Unread** tab to see all unread messages in one place.

- Click on any conversation to open and continue the discussion.

> 💡 **Tip:** On the Android or iOS mobile app, users can access messages by tapping the Direct message icon on the control bar located at the bottom of the screen.

📚 To learn more about one-to-one and group messaging, see the following articles:

- [Send and manage one-to-one direct messages](/p/chat/dm/send-and-manage-one-to-one-direct-messages)

- [Create and manage group messages](/p/chat/dm/create-and-manage-group-messages)

## Understanding messaging feature availability

As a community admin, you have full control over messaging availability in your community. To give you greater flexibility, messaging can be managed at both the community and account levels, allowing you to tailor its availability to your preference and use case.

📚 For more details on managing direct messages, explore these articles:

- [**Understanding and managing messaging settings within your community**](https://help.circle.so/p/chat/dm/manage-availability-of-direct-messaging-in-your-community)

- [Disable direct messages for your account](/p/chat/dm/disable-direct-messages-for-your-account)