Chat

Overview

A chat room allows users to exchange messages and collaborate in real-time.

There are three ways to use chat on the platform:

1. Interact with other users in a course or class chat room.
   
2. Interact with other users in a group chat room.
   
3. Chat directly with other users that are online.
   

The chat app can be installed or uninstalled by an administrator.

Course or class chat

CYPHER for business defaults to courses. CYPHER for academia defaults to classes. The terms courses and classes are interchangeable in this article and customizable on your platform. 

If enabled, Chat will display in the secondary navigation bar of a course or class. To chat:

1. Access a course or class.
2. Click Chat in the secondary navigation bar.
3. Click on a chat room.
   
1. Each chat room displays their name, number of occupants, and number of messages. 
   

Please note that not all courses have the chat feature enabled. Instructors, teachers and administrators can enable chat for individual courses/classes. 

After clicking a chat room, the chat will appear.

1. A sound is played whenever a new message arrives or if another user enters or leaves the room.
   
2. To turn off the sound select the option Mute.
3. To open the chat room in a new window click . 
   
4. To leave the chat room, close the window.
   

Group chat

If enabled, Chat will display in the secondary navigation bar of a group. To chat:

1. Access a group.
2. Click Chat in the secondary navigation bar.
3. Click on a chat room.
1. Each chat room displays their name, number of occupants, and number of messages. 

Please note that not all groups have the chat feature enabled. Group administrators can enable chat for individual courses/classes. 

Chat directly with a user

If a user is online, you can start a chat with them directly without first going to a specific chat room.

1. Click the user's profile.
   
2. Click Chat.
   
1. The user will get a visual and audio alert on their current page that allows them to either accept or ignore the chat request. 
   
2. If you have a personal chat with another user, the chat messages will be saved and display when you chat with them again. 
   

You can also chat directly with a user from with a course or group chat room.

1. Hover over a user's name.
   
2. Click Chat in the pop-up.
   

Transcripts

To see a transcript of the chat room conversation, click theicon on its tile.

Retention

Chat messages are automatically purged after one month

Installing the Chat app

If chat is not currently available on your platform, administrators can install if from the app center:

1. Click Admin from the main navigation menu.
   
2. Click App center.
   
3. Install Chat from the Collaboration section.
   
1. Blogs can also be uninstalled from the App center by selecting Uninstall.
   

Enabling course and class chat

Instructors, teachers and administrators can enable chat for courses and classes:

1. Access the course or class.
   
2. Click Admin from the course/class navigation menu.
   
3. Click Features.
   
4. Select Chat.
   

To add a chat room:

1. Click Add.
   

The course/class chat page lists all of the chat rooms associated with the course. Each chat room tile displays:

1.  The chat room name.
   
2. The number of occupants.
   
3. The number of messages in the chat room. 
   

To configure a chat room:

1. Click the  icon on the chat room tile.
   

A dialog box displays that allows you to edit the chat room.

1. Update the Name of the chat room.
   
2. Click Change Picture to update the image on the chat room tile.
   
3. Click Save.
   

You can also delete a chat room. 

1. Select the chat room.
   
2. Click Delete.
   

Enabling group chat

Group administrators can enable chat for the group.

1. Access the group.
   
2. Click Admin from the group navigation menu.
   
3. Click Features from the pop-out menu.
   
4. Select Chat.
   

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