Introduction to the Chat Center
The Chat Center serves as the central hub for all direct and group communications within AcceleratorApp. It allows program administrators, coaches, mentors, founders, and community members to connect instantly, collaborate on projects, and manage ongoing conversations.
By using the Chat Center, you can streamline your day-to-day communications, easily find past conversations using status filters, and protect your focus time by adjusting your availability or turning off new chat requests when needed. This feature is available to all users across all standard navigation roles.
Where to Find Chat Center
You can access your inbox at any time from the main platform interface. Navigate to the top-right corner of your screen and click on the Chats section.
Step-by-Step
1. Open the Chat Center
Click on the Chat/Message section in the top navigation bar to launch your inbox overlay or dedicated chat view.
2. Filter your conversations
Locate the filter tabs at the top of your message list to sort your inbox by Unread, Groups, or Archived conversations.
3. Check online presence status
Look at the colored status indicator dot next to a user's profile picture to see if they are currently online or offline.
4. Start a new conversation
Click the New Message / Pencil icon at the top of your Chat Center panel.
5. Select one or more participants
Type the names of the users you want to message in the search field, select them from the list to add them to the recipient line, and click Start Chat.
6. Access conversation settings
Open an existing conversation from your chat list and click on the More Options / Three Dots icon (or the group name header) at the top right of the active chat window.
7. Add people to an existing conversation
Select Add Participants from the dropdown menu, search for the user you want to include, and confirm the addition.
8. Set past message visibility for new participants
When adding a user, choose whether to let them see messages from before they joined or only from the moment they are added.
9. Remove people from a conversation
View the current member list within the chat settings, locate the participant you want to remove, and click the Remove / X icon next to their name.
10. Mute a conversation
Toggle the Mute Notifications switch within the conversation settings menu to stop receiving push or sound alerts for that specific thread.
11. Archive a conversation
Select Archive Chat from the options menu to remove the thread from your primary active inbox view without deleting its history.
12. Leave a conversation
Click Leave Chat from the settings options menu to completely remove yourself from a multi-person or group conversation.
Best Practices
Coordinate before removing: When modifying a multi-person chat, let the group know before removing a participant to ensure all handovers or final updates are completed first.
Mute instead of leaving: If you need to stay aligned with a project group but are overwhelmed by frequent message alerts, mute the thread instead of leaving it entirely.
Keep your inbox lean: Use the archive feature generously for completed conversations. If an archived contact messages you again, the thread will automatically jump back into your active inbox.
Additional Resources
- How to Use the Chat Center
- How to Update Your Notification Preferences