> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orbitmy.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Messages: chat with people in your Orbit

> Orbit Messages lets you message people in your network who are on Orbit — one-to-one or in groups — and turns accepted intros into a group chat for all three of you.

# Messages

Message the people in your Orbit who are on Orbit too. Chats are private to the people in them.

## Open Messages

* **iPhone:** tap the paper plane next to **Invite** at the top of the Orbit chat page
* **Mac and web:** click **Messages** in the sidebar

A badge shows how many chats have unread messages.

## Start a chat

1. Tap the compose button
2. Search your Orbit and tap a person to open your chat with them
3. To start a group, tap **New group** on iPhone (on Mac and web, just pick more than one person), add a name if you like, and tap **Create** on iPhone or **Start group** on Mac and web

You can also tap **Message** on the profile of anyone in your Orbit who's on Orbit.

Only people who are on Orbit show up. For anyone else, use **Invite someone to Orbit** — you can message them here once they join.

## Requests

If someone messages you and they aren't in your Orbit yet, the chat lands in **Requests**. They can't see whether you've read it until you accept.

* **Accept** to move it to your inbox and reply
* **Delete** to remove it
* **Block** to stop them messaging you

## In a chat

* The top of the chat shows the person's photo, name, and whether they're **Active now** or when they were last seen. Tap it to open their profile.
* Ticks show when a message is sent, delivered, and read. In groups, you'll see who has seen it.
* See when someone is typing.
* Send photos, files, and voice messages (voice recording is on iPhone).
* React with an emoji, and swipe a message (or use **Reply**) to quote it.
* Edit a message for 15 minutes after you send it. **Delete for everyone** removes your message from the chat; **Delete for me** just hides it from you.
* Mute a chat for an hour, 8 hours, a week, or until you turn it back on. Pin the chats you use most and archive the rest.

On iPhone, reply straight from a notification without opening the app.

## Orbit helps you write

When a chat is new or has gone quiet, Orbit shows what it knows about the person — how you know them and what you last talked about — and offers a starting point:

* **Warm** — friendly and personal
* **Brief** — short and to the point
* **Ask** — gets to your question

Orbit drafts the message into the box. Nothing sends until you tap send.

On iPhone, the bottom of your inbox suggests **People you've drifted from** with a note ready to go.

You can also ask Orbit in chat — "who have I drifted from?" or "draft a note to Sam to catch up". When the person is on Orbit, the draft has **Open in Messages**, which puts it in your chat with them. It still won't send until you tap send.

## Intros become group chats

When someone asks you for an intro and you accept:

* **If the person you're introducing is on Orbit**, ask them in Messages. If they say yes, Orbit starts a group with all three of you. You can step out whenever you like and leave them to it.
* **If they aren't on Orbit yet**, your note includes an invite link (it uses one of your invites). When they join, the group of three starts automatically.

See [Find a warm intro](/guides/recipes/warm-intro) for asking for one.

## Privacy

In **Settings → Privacy & security** you can turn off **Share last seen** and **Read receipts**. Turn either off and you won't see other people's either.

## Related

* [Orbit for iPhone](/guides/mobile)
* [Find a warm intro](/guides/recipes/warm-intro)


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