Understand direct messages

Direct messages (DMs) are smaller conversations in Slack that happen outside of channels. DMs work well for one-off conversations that don’t require an entire channel of people to weigh in, like if you wanted to ask a coworker to reschedule a meeting.

What you need to know

• DMs can be one-to-one, or they can include up to nine people.
• Starting and sending DMs is just like writing any other messages in Slack. Learn how to send and read messages.
• If your company uses Slack Connect, you can send DMs to people from other companies. 

Tip: You can quickly start a new DM by clicking the   plus button in the sidebar (desktop) or tapping the   compose button (mobile).

Access your direct messages

Desktop

Mobile

Click   DMs to see a list of your direct messages. You can   search or   filter to find a specific conversation, or click the   new message icon to compose a new message.

Tap the   DMs tab to see a list of your direct messages. You can   search or   filter to find a specific conversation, or click the   new message icon to compose a new message.

Note: You can add people to a DM to loop them into a conversation or convert a group DM to a private channel.

Who can use this feature?

• All members and guests
• Available on all plans