Send and read messages
In Slack, conversations happen in channels and direct messages (DMs). To join in a conversation, learn how to send and read messages.
What makes a message
Messages can be more than just words. As you’re typing your message, use the icons below the message field to add attachments, formatting and more:
Send or schedule messages
You can send messages in real time, or schedule them to send later. If you start writing a message and don’t send it, it’ll automatically save as a draft.
Desktop
Mobile
- Open the channel or DM that you’d like to send a message to, or click on the
compose button. - Click on the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions or formatting that you want.
- Press Enter to send your message. Or click the arrow icon (next to the paper plane icon) to schedule it for later.
- Open the channel or DM that you'd like to send a message to.
- Tap the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions or formatting that you want.
- Tap the paper plane icon to send your message, or tap and hold the icon to schedule it for later.
Note: It’s not possible to schedule a reply to a thread.
Manage draft, scheduled and sent messages
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on Drafts & sent at the top of your sidebar to view any messages that you’ve drafted, scheduled or sent.
- Select the Drafts, Scheduled or Sent tab to view your messages.
Tip: Hover over a draft or scheduled message to view options (such as editing, deleting and more), or click on a sent message to jump to the conversation.
Manage drafts
- From the Home tab, tap Drafts at the top.
- Tap a message to open it, or tap and hold to delete, edit, schedule or send it.
Manage scheduled messages
- From the Home tab, tap Scheduled at the top.
- Tap and hold a message to edit, reschedule, send, cancel or delete it.
Read new messages
Desktop
Mobile
A bold channel or DM in your sidebar means that there are unread messages in the conversation. Click on the conversation name to view the unread messages.
You can also click on Unread messages at the top of your sidebar to see all your unread messages in one place.
A bold channel or DM in your channel list means that there are unread messages in the conversation. Click on the conversation name to view the unread messages.
Note: You can mark messages as unread to come back to them later. Hover over a message, click on the three dots, then Mark unread (on mobile, tap and hold a message, then tap Mark unread).
In Slack, conversations happen in channels and direct messages (DMs). To join in a conversation, learn how to send and read messages.
What makes a message
Messages can be more than just words. As you’re typing your message, use the icons below the message field to add attachments, formatting and more:
Send or schedule messages
You can send messages in real time, or schedule them to send later. If you start writing a message and don’t send it, it’ll automatically save as a draft.
Desktop
Mobile
- Open the channel or DM that you’d like to send a message to, or click on the
plus button in the sidebar and select Message. - Click on the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions or formatting that you want.
- Press Enter to send your message. Or click the arrow icon (next to the paper plane icon) to schedule it for later.
- Open the channel or DM that you'd like to send a message to.
- Tap the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions or formatting that you want.
- Tap the paper plane icon to send your message, or tap and hold the icon to schedule it for later.
Note: It’s not possible to schedule a reply to a thread.
Manage draft, scheduled and sent messages
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on Drafts & sent at the top of your sidebar to view any messages that you’ve drafted, scheduled or sent.
- Select the Drafts, Scheduled or Sent tab to view your messages.
Tip: Hover over a draft or scheduled message to view options (such as editing, deleting and more), or click on a sent message to jump to the conversation.
Manage drafts
- From the Home tab, tap Drafts & Sent at the top.
- Tap a message to open it, or tap and hold to delete, edit, schedule or send it.
Manage scheduled messages
- From the Home tab, tap Drafts & Sent at the top.
- Tap the Scheduled tab.
- Tap and hold a message to edit, reschedule, send, cancel or delete it.
Read new messages
Desktop
Mobile
A bold channel or DM in the sidebar in Home means that there are unread messages in the conversation. Click on the conversation name to view the unread messages.
You can also click on Unread messages at the top of your sidebar to see all your unread messages in one place.
A bold channel or DM in your channel list means that there are unread messages in the conversation. Click on the conversation name to view the unread messages.
Note: You can mark messages as unread to come back to them later. Hover over a message, click on the three dots, then Mark unread (on mobile, tap and hold a message, then tap Mark unread).