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 you’d like to send a message to, or click the
compose button. - Click the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions, or formatting you’d like.
- 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 you'd like to send a message to.
- Tap the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions, or formatting you’d like.
- 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 Drafts & sent at the top of your sidebar to view any messages 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 (like editing, deleting and more), or click 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 to edit, reschedule, send, cancel, or delete it.
Read new messages
Desktop
Mobile
A bold channel or DM in your sidebar means there are unread messages in the conversation. Click the conversation name to view the unread messages.
You can also click Unreads 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 there are unread messages in the conversation. Click 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 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 you’d like to send a message to, or click the
plus button in the sidebar and select Message. - Click the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions, or formatting you’d like.
- 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 you'd like to send a message to.
- Tap the message field.
- Type your message and add any attachments, emoji, mentions, or formatting you’d like.
- 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 Drafts & sent at the top of your sidebar to view any messages 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 (like editing, deleting and more), or click 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 to edit, reschedule, send, cancel, or delete it.
Read new messages
Desktop
Mobile
A bold channel or DM in the sidebar in Home means there are unread messages in the conversation. Click the conversation name to view the unread messages.
You can also click Unreads 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 there are unread messages in the conversation. Click 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 the three dots , then Mark unread (on mobile, tap and hold a message, then tap Mark unread).