Messages overview

Messages are private, one-to-one conversations between you and another member. Chats about a classified ad and direct messages to anyone on the site all live in one inbox at Messages. Only the two people in a conversation can read it.

Where do I find my messages?

• On a computer: tap the chat bubble icon in the top bar, next to the notification bell. It only appears when you're signed in.
• On a phone: tap Messages in the bar at the bottom of the screen.
• Anywhere: go to Messages.

If you're signed out, the page says "Sign in to see your messages" with a Sign in button. On a phone, the Messages tab takes you to sign in.

What are the two kinds of conversation?

• Listing conversations are about a specific classified ad. They start when a buyer taps Message on a listing. In your inbox they show the listing's photo and title. You get one conversation per listing per buyer, so if three people ask about your tank, you'll have three separate conversations.
• Direct messages are with a person, not about an ad. They start from the Message button on someone's profile or from New message in your inbox. In your inbox they show the person's profile photo and say "Direct message". You and any other member share just one direct conversation, whoever started it.

The same two people can have both: one direct conversation plus a separate conversation for each listing they've talked about. See Starting a conversation.

What's in my inbox?

Messages lists your conversations, most recent activity first. Each row shows:

• a photo: the listing's cover photo for listing conversations, or the person's profile photo for direct messages,
• the other person's name,
• how long ago the last message was sent,
• the listing title, or "Direct message", or "Listing removed" if the ad was deleted,
• a preview of the latest message, starting with "You:" if you sent it,
• a status tag: New, Sent or Seen.

At the top, next to the Messages heading, a pill shows how many conversations are unread (for example "2 unread"). The New message button is on the right.

Your inbox shows your 100 most recently active conversations.

What do Unread, New, Sent and Seen mean?

• Unread: conversations where the other person sent a message you haven't opened yet. They're grouped at the top under Unread, highlighted with a green edge, in bold, with a New tag.
• Read: everything else, listed under Read below the unread ones (the heading only appears when you have unread conversations).
• Sent: you sent the last message and the other person hasn't opened the conversation since.
• Seen: the other person has opened the conversation since your last message.

Opening a conversation marks it as read for you. The other person doesn't see anything special when you read their message, except that your own last message would show Seen on their side.

What does the empty inbox mean?

If you've never sent or received a message, you'll see "No conversations yet" and a note that when someone messages you, or you message them from a listing or a profile, it shows up here. There's a Browse listings button to get you started, and New message at the top.

Reading a conversation

Tap any row in your inbox to open it. At the top is a box showing what the conversation is about:

• Listing conversations: "With" and the other person's name, the listing title (tap it to open the ad) and its price. If the ad is no longer live, the price line adds "no longer listed". If the seller deleted the ad, it says "Listing removed". Wanted ads don't show a price.
• Direct messages: "Direct message", the person's name (tap it to open their profile) and their @username.

Below that, messages run oldest at the top to newest at the bottom. Yours are on the right and theirs on the left. Under each message is who sent it ("You" or their name) and how long ago.

Tap All messages at the top to go back to your inbox. On a phone, the bottom bar is hidden inside a conversation to give you more room, so use All messages to get back.

How do I reply?

1. Open the conversation.
2. Type in the box at the bottom. It says "Reply to" followed by the person's name.
3. Tap Send, or press Enter.

Press Shift + Enter for a new line without sending. Messages can be up to 4,000 characters. While sending, the button shows Sending…, and your message appears in the conversation once it's sent.

Do new replies appear automatically?

Your chat bubble count updates on its own, without refreshing. But an open conversation doesn't add new incoming messages by itself. If you're waiting on a reply while the conversation is open, refresh the page, or go back to All messages and open it again.

How will I know I have a new message?

• Chat bubble (computer) or Messages tab (phone): a red badge shows how many conversations are unread, up to "9+".
• Email: each new message sends you an email with a preview and a Read and reply button.
• My listings: conversations about your ads also show an unread count on that listing in My listings.

New messages don't appear in the notification bell. See Message notifications.

Can I send photos or links?

Messages are text only. There's no way to attach photos or files. You can type a web address, but it won't turn into a clickable link, so the other person would need to copy it.

Can I edit, delete or archive a message or conversation?

No. Once a message is sent, it can't be edited or deleted, and conversations can't be deleted, archived or hidden from your inbox. If you sent something by mistake, send a follow-up message to correct it.

If a conversation contains something that needs to be removed (for example harassment or personal information), email support@undergroundaquarium.com.

Who can read my messages?

Only you and the other person in the conversation can open it. Anyone else who tries to open the link gets a "page not found" message. Your email address is never shown in messages. The other person sees your name and username.

Messages are included when you download a copy of your data from Account & data. See Privacy and your data.

Common problems

I can't find a conversation. Your inbox shows your 100 most recently active conversations, newest first. Scroll down, and check both Unread and Read. Sending a new message in an old conversation moves it back to the top.

The unread count won't go away. Open each conversation under Unread in your inbox. The badge updates within about a minute, or right away when you switch back to the tab.

The other person's name looks different in different places. Your inbox shows people's display name when they have one. Inside a listing conversation, and in the emails we send, you may see their username instead. It's the same person.

It says "Sign in to read this conversation." You're signed out. Sign in with the account that's part of the conversation.

More fixes in Messages troubleshooting.