Skip to main content
Chat lets you message colleagues in your organisation, one to one or in a group. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, so only the people in a conversation can read them. Who can do this: anyone whose role includes Chat. By default that is every role except Read Only Auditor. Your organisation can change this in Settings > Permissions. You can chat with anyone in your organisation whose role also includes Chat.
Your organisation may use different words for some things, such as “Service users” instead of “Support recipients”. Elate shows your organisation’s words everywhere, so follow what you see.

​
What end-to-end encrypted means for you

  • Your messages are locked on your device before they are sent, and only unlocked on the devices of the people in the conversation. Elate cannot read them.
  • Each device you use for chat has to be let in before it can read your conversations. See Linking a new device to chat.
  • A recovery code is a phrase you choose that lets a new phone or computer restore your chats when none of your other devices is to hand to approve it, as long as one of them is still signed in to chat. If every device you used for chat is signed out or lost, your earlier messages cannot be recovered, with or without a code. Colleagues keep their own copies.
  • Search runs on your own device, over the messages that device holds. Nothing is sent to the server.

​
Open chat

Select Chat in the sidebar. The number beside it is how many unread messages you have.
Use All, Unread and Groups above the list to filter your conversations.

​
Start a conversation

1

Open a new conversation

In Chat, select the + button (New conversation) beside Chats.
2

Find your colleague

Type a name in Search the team.
3

Pick them

Select their name. The conversation opens and you can start typing.
You can also select the message button beside a colleague’s name in a visit’s assigned list, or Message followed by their first name on their team member profile.
A colleague who has never opened Chat shows Will get it when they open Chat on the web, or Not on chat yet in the app. You can still write to them. They read your message once they open Chat.

​
Groups

1

Start a group

In the new conversation screen, choose Create a group.
2

Name it and add people

Enter a Group name, then search and tick the people to add.
3

Create it

Select Create group.
The person who creates a group is its Group admin. In Conversation info, the group admin can rename the group, use Add people and remove members. Anyone added can read messages from the time they join, not earlier ones. Anyone can choose Leave group.

​
Messages, photos and files

  • On the web: press Enter to send and Shift+Enter for a new line. Use Attach a file (the paperclip) to send a file of up to 25 MB. Photos show in the conversation and other files can be downloaded.
  • In the app: tap + (Share a photo), then Take a photo or Photo library.

​
Conversation info, search and mute

Open Conversation info to see the members, search the conversation, or Mute it. On the web, select the Conversation info button at the top of the conversation. In the app, tap the name at the top. Mute silences that conversation for 8 hours. Select Unmute to turn it back on sooner. To search all your chats, use Search people and messages at the top of the list.

​
Report or block someone

Report and block are in the Elate Care app.
  • Report a message: press and hold someone else’s message, tap Report to the office, choose a reason (Offensive or abusive, Harassment or bullying, Spam or unwanted messages or Something else), add a note if it helps, and tap Send report.
  • Block from a message: press and hold their message and tap Block followed by their first name, then confirm with Block.
  • Report or block a person: in a one-to-one conversation, open Conversation info and tap Report or Block followed by their first name.
Your report goes to your organisation’s administrators with your name. Because chat is end-to-end encrypted, the message itself is not sent, so describe it in the note if that helps. When you block someone, you do not see their messages and they cannot start a new chat with you. They are not told. The block applies on the web too. To lift it, tap Unblock in the conversation.

​
Your recovery code and devices

Open the profile menu, choose Account, and find the Secure chat section. Under Recovery code, choose Set, or Check and Change once a code is set. Your code must be at least 8 characters. Devices lists every device signed in to chat.
To sign a lost device out of chat, see Linking a new device to chat.

​
Message notifications

New messages show in your notifications in the app and, on your phone, as push notifications, both on by default. Quiet hours still hold the push overnight; the bell in the app is never held. You can switch either off for Messages in your notification settings. A message notification on your phone’s lock screen says only “You have a new message. Open Elate to read it.” Messages are never sent by email. See Your notifications.