Chat notifications and read receipts

Unread messages

When a direct message, a group, a message request you have not ignored, or Magpie support has a message you have not read, a red dot shows on your avatar in the page bar; on a phone it shows on the menu button. The dot updates while a page is open. Open the account menu and choose Unread messages to go to the latest one. Team channels do not add the dot; in Chat, a dot beside a channel's name marks its unread messages. The same avatar dot shows for unread mail; see Read and send mail.

Unread messages on the browser tab

While you have unread direct messages, or unread messages in one of your groups or in Magpie support, each open Magpie tab shows a dot on its icon and the number of those conversations in front of its title, such as (2) Chat. Team channels are not counted. The mark clears once you have opened those conversations. Safari may keep the tab's icon without the dot, but it shows the number.

To turn it off, open Account settings and switch off Unread messages on the browser tab, under New messages.

Message sound

When someone sends you a direct message, or writes in one of your groups or in Magpie support, an open Magpie tab plays a short sound. Team channels and message requests do not play it, and neither does a message in the conversation you are looking at. A browser plays sound only on a page you have clicked or typed in, so a tab you have not used since it opened may not play it.

To turn the sound off, open Account settings and switch off Sound for new messages, under New messages. The sound plays on the website only; the switch does not change the mobile app's notifications.

Notifications on your phone

Once you allow notifications in the mobile app, a new message in a channel you can read, a direct message, a group or Magpie support sends a notification to your phone, and so does an invitation to another team's channel. A message request does not. Notifications cannot be turned off for one channel; you can mute a person (below). To check that the phone is registered, see Change notification settings in the mobile app.

Mute notifications from one person

A muted person's messages play no sound in Magpie tabs and send no notification to your phone. They still count as unread, so the avatar dot, the tab mark and the conversation's unread mark are unchanged. Muting is yours alone; the person is not told.

• In a direct message, select the person's name at the top to open Conversation details and switch on Mute notifications.
• Anywhere in Chat, click or right-click someone's name or avatar and switch on Mute notifications on their profile card.
• In the list of conversations, right-click a direct message and choose Mute notifications.
• In the mobile app, open the conversation's menu and choose the person, or tap their name on a message, then switch on Mute notifications.

Muted people in Account settings lists everyone you have muted, with Unmute beside each.

Read receipts

In a direct message or a group, Seen appears under your newest message once the other person has opened the conversation since you sent it. In a group it names who, such as Seen by Ana and Ben. It shows only while your message is the newest in the conversation: a newer message hides it until that one has been seen too. Team channels do not have read receipts.

Read receipts work both ways. You see when someone has read your messages only if you both have Read receipts on in Account settings, under Privacy (in the app, Account settings too). With it off, nobody sees when you have read their messages, and you do not see when anyone has read yours. It is on unless you turn it off. Read receipts are not shown in a message request until it is accepted, or between you and someone either of you has blocked.

In your conversation with Magpie support, staff can always see when you have read their replies, whatever your setting. Whether you see when staff have read yours follows the rule above.

If notifications or the unread dot stay wrong after reloading the page, Contact support.