Overview: Chat workspace
(App)

This article provides a general overview of the Chat workspace in App.

In this article

Overview

In App, the Chat workspace allows you to collaborate with your coworkers and message with external phone numbers.

The Chat workspace is made up of:

• Public channels

• Private channels

• Direct messages

• Private messages

You can define who you want to message back and forth with either as a one-on-one conversation or as a group chat.

Review each important area of chat below to become more familiar with this important communications workspace.

Visual breakdown

Chat workspace

• Search Channels (A): The Search Channels field gives you the ability to quickly search for and locate a specific Channel or Direct Message that you are a member of. 

• Channels (B): The Channels menu is where users create and manage public or private conversations between multiple users. Private channels are marked with the lock icon. Public channels are marked with an octothorpe (#) icon. Each channel can also support voice calls if your admin provisions a phone number to it in Console.

• Direct Messages (C): The Direct Messages menu is where users create and manage private, direct conversations between you and a coworker or you and multiple coworkers. If your DID is provisioned to receive SMS messages, conversations between you and external phone numbers are managed here as well. This area also displays your coworkers’ user statuses. Each direct message can also support voice calls if your admin provisions a phone number to it in Console.

• Notification (D): Notifications are how users see chat alerts to signal the arrival of a new, inbound message. If your browser settings are set to allow notifications from the system, you can also see and hear alerts in the top right corner of your screen. 

• Messaging (E): From the selected channel or direct message, the messaging area is where you create and send messages. The current messaging formats are - typed messages, Gifs, files, and emojis. Once you send a message, you can hover over the message to either delete or edit it. You can only edit your own messages.

• Conference Info (F): The Conference Info button allows you to join a Sync video conference for the active messaging channel. In the image above, click the Conference Info button to join the Sync video conference session.

• Channel settings button (G): The settings panel is where you can update channel or direct message details, like renaming the channel, adding/removing users, or archiving the conversation.

• Profile details (H): The Profile details panel is where you can quickly find the contact information for another Avaya.cx chat user. Open a user’s profile by clicking their name within the message thread of a conversation. The selected user’s profile displays the following: user status, name, email address, extension, and mobile phone number (if applicable). Click the user’s email address to send an email and/or click the extension or mobile phone number to create an outbound call to that user through your softphone.

Channel creation interface

• Access type (A): The access type toggle  is where you define the channel’s access level, which is either Public or Private. A private channel is only accessible to specific coworkers defined in the group members list. Once the channel is created, add and/or remove members from the channel through the settings panel. If you want all users on your account to have access to the channel, set the access type to ‘Public’. The access type can’t be changed once the channel has been created.

• Channel Name (B): The Channel Name field where you define the name of the group. You can update the channel’s name from the settings panel any time after the channel has been created.

• Group members (C): Group members are specific users who you want to have access to the private channel you are creating. Currently, there is no limit to the number of users added to a private channel. Once the channel is created, update the channel group members list from the settings panel.

Direct message creation interface

• Message members (A): The message members field is where you define the members you want included in the new direct message conversation. After the direct message group is created, any of the members have the ability to add or remove users to the conversation from the settings panel. You can only add either internal members or a single external phone number, you can’t combine the two in a single conversation.

• Text message (B): The Text message field is where you can add a single mobile phone number to create a direct message conversation with. You and the external number are the only two members you can include in a single direct message conversation. You can’t add more than one number or additional internal users to this type of message.