Messaging

## Purpose and prerequisites

Send team or direct messages within your organization. Your account needs messaging access. Check the recipient/channel before sending. A scheduled or queued message is not proof of immediate delivery or reading.

## Employee walkthrough

1. Open `/dashboard/messages`. Under **Channels**, select **General Team** or an available location/group. For a direct conversation, select a coworker under **Direct Messages**.
2. Verify the conversation heading, enter your message and choose the paper-plane send button. The desktop control uses an icon.
3. To attach an image, choose the camera button titled **Attach photo**, select the file, review the preview and send. Check any upload/send error.
4. Use channel **Pin**/**Unpin** and **Mute**/**Unmute** controls as needed. Muting concerns notifications; it does not remove the conversation.
5. Use **Load earlier messages** when available to retrieve older history.

Mobile web: open `/mobile/chat`, use **Search people & groups...**, then select a channel or coworker under **Direct Messages**. The plus control (**New conversation**) directs you to tap a coworker; it is not a separate creation wizard. The conversation route is `/mobile/chat/[id]`. Enter text in **Message...**, then use the button with accessible label **Send message**. **Attach image** and **Emoji picker** controls are also present.

## Manager walkthrough

1. Choose the intended team channel, location group or coworker. **Managers Only** appears conditionally for administrative users on web; do not assume every person with a manager title has it.
2. The desktop composer options include **Schedule**, **Auto-Expire**, and a location selector defaulting to **No Location**. Choose the appropriate option, then send and check its feedback. Check the resulting message state before relying on scheduled delivery or expiration.
3. Desktop **Audit Mode** disables sending. If you intend to send a message, exit audit mode and choose the actual conversation first.
4. Treat emergency-alert functions as separate from ordinary messaging. Ordinary messages are not emergency alerts.

## Platform differences

- Desktop web: channels/direct messages, photo upload, history loading, pin/mute preferences, scheduled/expiring/location options and conditional audit mode are present.
- Mobile web: conversation list/search, dedicated thread, image attachment, emoji picker and **Send Later** option exist. Confirm scheduled-send behavior before relying on it. Do not rely on the voice-call icon to place a call.
- Native iOS and Android: unverified. Do not infer native feature parity or notification behavior from mobile web.

## Troubleshooting

- No access: ask an administrator to review the messaging feature permission.
- Empty send: mobile text sending requires nonblank text and a signed-in user; desktop also permits photo-only messages.
- Failed image/send: preserve the draft and inspect the error. Verify whether the message already appears before retrying.
- **Right to Disconnect** or queued feedback: desktop application can queue messages based on configured quiet hours. The word “offline” in this feedback does not establish network disconnection. Check the state instead of assuming immediate delivery.
- Missing history or image preview: use available history retry controls or **Open photo** fallback. Do not claim inaccessible history contains no messages.

## Knowledge check

1. How do you start a mobile web direct conversation? **Answer:** Tap a coworker under **Direct Messages**.
2. Can you send while desktop **Audit Mode** is active? **Answer:** No; sending is disabled.
3. Does a queued message prove immediate delivery? **Answer:** No; verify the resulting delivery state.