Comms Threads / Guides

Tech Tutorial, Comms Threads

Handbook, Comms Threads

Enabling Threads

To enable threads you have to be on the browser version of Mattermost (not the app). Once you enable threads on the Comms website, they will automatically be enabled in the app.

1. Settings (the ⚙️ gear icon in the top right of the screen),
2. Then Display,
3. Then Collapsed Reply Threads (Beta)
4. Check the radio button to On,
5. Then finally, hit the Save button.

The Threads View

At the top of the left hand side column on Comms where channels and direct messages are listed, there is a new entry at the top, Threads. Open it and you'll get to the threads view.

The threads view shows all the threads you follow on the left, and a window for viewing and posting to them on the right.

This view lets you see the threads you follow in every channel on the server that you're currently in, and all threads from DMs between you and people who are also in that server. It lets you filter unread threads, so that you can see everything you need to reply to easily.

Threads in Channels

Probably the most common way you'll use threads is directly from channels.

All replies to a message in a channel are tucked away underneath that original message. If you click on a message in a channel or click ↩️ Replies below the message, a right-hand side window will open letting you view and add messages to a thread.

Starting a Thread

Starting a thread is easy. Simply reply to a message in a channel and this will start a thread.

You and the person who's message you replied to are automatically following the thread and you both will be notified about new messages in it.

Add more messages to a thread by opening it and writing your message in the text box from there.

Note that you can't reply to threaded messages (the messages inside a thread). You can @ someone from inside a thread though.

Adding People to a Thread

If you want to make sure that everyone in a channel sees a thread, it's no longer enough to just @Channel in the initial message. Even though this will send everybody a notification about the message itself, they're not automatically following the thread.

However if you use @Channel in the replies to a thread, everybody in that channel will now be following it.

Following and Unfollowing Threads

There are a few different ways to follow a thread.

If the thread has already got replies, you'll see a follow button below the message in the channel, next to the ↩️ Replies button. Click it and you will be following the thread.

If you're not following or you unfollow a thread, and somebody @s you in it, you'll automatically be following it.

You can follow a thread that doesn't have any replies using the ··· Context Menu in the top right hand side of a message in a channel. Click it, and in the drop down menu, select Follow thread. You can also follow a thread that doesn't have any replies by clicking on it, and in the threads view that opens on the right hand side, click Follow on the top right.

Lastly, you will automatically follow any threads that you reply to.

Threads on Mobile

Threads on the Mattermost mobile app work in pretty much entirely the same way as threads on browsers.

You can access the threads view by pulling out the left hand drawer and hitting Threads at the top, and view threads from channels just by tapping on a message.

Problems

Threads are a newer feature in Mattermost and some people have experienced problems. Please report any problems when you experience them to the Tech Troubles channel, or AJ or CES, so that we know if people are having difficulties.