Skip to content
HakoSpace

    4. Direct Messages (DMs)

    Direct messages (DMs) are how you have a 1:1 conversation with a single member in HakoSpace. They belong to a separate system from regular text channels: direct messages aren’t managed under any channel and aren’t restricted by channel permissions (as long as both of you are still on the same server). This chapter explains how to open a direct message, how direct messages differ from regular channels in features, and how the 1:1 voice / video calls built into DMs work.

    4.1 Opening Direct Messages and the DM List

    Section titled “4.1 Opening Direct Messages and the DM List”

    The DM list is in the Direct Messages section at the very bottom of the member list on the right. On mobile, it’s in the Members tab at the bottom of the screen, at the very bottom of the member list. Click the Direct Messages heading (it has a small triangle in front of it) to collapse or expand the whole list.

    When you have unread direct messages, a number badge appears next to the Direct Messages heading, showing the total number of unread messages across all your DM conversations. The badge stays next to the heading even when the list is collapsed.

    Each conversation shows:

    • The other person’s avatar and nickname
    • The time of the latest message (shown when the conversation has messages)
    • An unread badge (shown when the conversation has unread messages)

    When someone sends you a direct message for the first time, the new conversation appears in the list right away. A notification sound plays when a new direct message arrives; for the rules, see §8.3. For how unread counts are calculated and when they clear, see §8.4.

    Move the mouse over a conversation, and a star icon button appears on its right (tooltip: Pin or Unpin). Pinned conversations stay at the top of the list and always show the star, with a faint divider line between them and the unpinned conversations, so you can quickly find the people who matter most to you. When an unpinned conversation gets a new message (including one you send), it moves to the top of the list automatically (below the pinned section).

    There are two ways to open a new direct message:

    1. From a member’s profile card: In the member list on the right, click the member you want to message to open their profile card, then click Send Message. You can also right-click the member (on touch devices, long-press) and choose View Profile from the member menu to open the profile card (see §1.4).
    2. AI chat button [Experimental]: Click the sparkle icon button to the right of the Direct Messages heading (tooltip: Start AI Chat) to quickly open a conversation with the server’s AI bot (for details, see §9).

    Either way, if the conversation already exists, it opens directly; if it doesn’t, a new DM conversation is created automatically.

    [Experimental] Talking with the AI bot This feature is experimental. Its interface and behavior may change in future versions. Evaluate it carefully before enabling it in production.

    4.2 DM Characteristics

    Section titled “4.2 DM Characteristics”

    At the message level, direct messages are almost exactly the same as text channels, and they have the following characteristics:

    • Supported message features: bold / italic / spoiler / custom fonts / inline code / multi-line code blocks, stickers, sounds, emoji, URL previews, image and file attachments, and reactions, replies, editing, deleting, and pinning on messages.
    • @username in messages renders in mention style: It still appears highlighted, which makes it easy for you to refer to the other person’s nickname.
    • Chat-bubble layout: Your own messages are on the right and the other person’s are on the left, so you can tell who said what.
    • 1:1 conversations: A direct message is a conversation space for the two of you alone.
    • Built-in 1:1 voice / video calls: In a DM, you can start a 1:1 call directly from the title bar. See §4.3 for details.

    For a conversation with three or more people, create a new text channel. (Creating a channel requires the Manage channels permission, which the owner and admins always have; other members can ask the owner or an admin.)

    4.3 1:1 Voice / Video Calls

    Section titled “4.3 1:1 Voice / Video Calls”

    When you open any DM conversation, the title bar at the top of the window has two buttons on its right side:

    • Start Voice Call
    • Start video call

    When you click either button, HakoSpace sends a call invitation. An incoming call window pops up on the other person’s side:

    • It shows the caller’s avatar and nickname
    • A label: Incoming Voice Call… (voice call) or Incoming Video Call… (video call)
    • Two buttons: Accept and Decline
    • A ringtone plays at the same time to announce the call.

    Once the call connects, a call bar appears above the message area and shows In call with {name}. The call bar also has the call controls:

    • Voice call: a button with a video-camera icon (tooltip: Upgrade to video). Click it to turn the call into a video call.
    • Video call: a camera button (tooltip: Start camera or Camera off) that turns your own camera on or off.
    • An End Call button.

    In a video call, a video area appears at the top of the DM conversation and shows the other person’s camera; the messages continue below it. Until the other person turns on their camera, this area shows their avatar and Waiting for the other person to turn on their camera… Your own camera appears as a small picture in a corner of this area; while your camera is off, that spot shows a Turn on camera button.

    If the other person ends the call, the call bar (and the video area) closes automatically.

    After the call ends, a system message appears in the DM’s message stream showing the call status:

    • Voice call started / Voice call ended — {duration}: the start and end records of a successful call (including how long it lasted).
    • Call declined: The other person clicked Decline, ending the invitation.
    • Call cancelled: You hung up before the other person answered.
    • Missed call: The other person never answered.

    While you’re calling, the call bar shows Calling {name}… and an End Call button, and the two call buttons on the right of the title bar are replaced by a hang-up button (tooltip: End Call). To cancel, click either one.

    During a video call, you can turn your camera on or off at any time with the camera button in the call bar. When you click End Call or the other person ends the call, the system leaves a matching message record in the conversation.