Use this page to start chats and send messages, then work with any message in a conversation.
Start a chat
- Tap New Message to open the screen where you pick who to talk to.
- Search in Name or npub, which accepts an npub or a profile link as well as a hex public key, or tap Connect with QR to scan someone's code instead.
- Choose a person from the results, and the chat opens with a Chat created confirmation.
If the person isn't on White Noise yet, tap Invite a friend and share the invite, which includes the White Noise download link.
Type and send
- Type in Message, then tap Send when your text is ready to go.
- For a long message, tap Expand message composer or drag the composer to resize it, and tap Collapse message composer to make it small again.
- In groups, mention someone by choosing them from the mention picker, where each entry reads Mention name.
To add something other than text, tap Add attachment. The menu offers Camera, Photos and videos, Files, Location, Contact, Device contact, and Create poll. For media, see Media and downloads. Location and contact items share those details with everyone in the chat, so check them before you send.
Dictate text turns your speech into text that you can review and then Paste or Send, so it never sends a recording. To send audio, hold the voice control instead, as described in Media and downloads. See Dictate text for provider setup and dictation options.
Read a message aloud
Touch and hold a text message, then choose Read Aloud. Review speech-engine settings first: a separate engine may receive decrypted message text.
Use Pause reading and Resume reading to pause or continue. The sentence arrows and message-skip buttons move between passages; the rate control changes playback speed. Stop reading ends playback. Tap the control bar’s body to return to the spoken message when it is still available.
Translate a message
You can translate the text of a message into another language. This feature translates written message text only. It does not transcribe voice messages or other audio.
- Touch and hold the message, then tap Translate to open the translation form.
- Choose Detect language to let the app identify the original language, or choose a specific Source language.
- Choose a Target language, then tap Translate.
When the translation appears, tap Show original to see the original text. Tap Show translation to switch back.
If translation is unavailable or fails, see Translate messages in the Settings guide to install a translation provider and fix problems.
Create and vote in a poll
Polls are not anonymous, and every group member can see who chose each option.
- In a conversation, tap Add attachment, then Create poll.
- Enter a question and between 2 and 10 options, making each option different.
- Choose Single choice for one answer or Multiple choice for several answers.
- Under Poll closes, choose No deadline, a preset, or Custom time. A custom time can be anywhere from 1 second to 30 days.
- Tap Post poll.
Tap an option in the poll to send your vote right away. In a Single choice poll, tapping a different option replaces your previous choice. In a Multiple choice poll, tapping an option selects or deselects it, but you can't remove your last remaining choice. Tap View votes to see who chose each option. A closed poll no longer accepts votes.
Act on a message
Touch and hold a message to open Message actions. The list depends on the message type and its state as well as your role, so you only see actions that apply. They can include:
- Reply: your next message quotes this one.
- React: tap a reaction, or tap Open emoji picker and use Search emoji; Configure Reactions changes your quick reactions.
- Edit: the composer shows Edit message, where you change the text and tap Send, or tap Cancel edit to stop. Edited messages show edited, and Edit history lists the Original and each Revision.
- Copy, Select text, Share, and Save.
- Forward: in Forward to, find chats with Search chats or Recent chats, or switch to Select by folder. Pick one or more chats, then tap Forward. Progress shows as, for example, Forwarded to 2 of 3 chats, where you can Retry or Cancel, or Dismiss the progress message. If an attachment has to finish uploading or be downloaded first, the action tells you.
- Keep on screen: pins the message as a Kept on screen card. Kept message options include Go to Message, Move to top, Move to bottom, Move to other side, Remove this message, and Clear all kept messages.
- Info: opens Message Details, which shows Status, Sent, Received, Disappears, and Reactions, plus Copy Message ID and Copy Sender Public Key.
- Read Aloud (with a code-reading option listed right after it) and Translate. Voice and translation options are in Settings.
Long messages show Read More, and the full-screen view offers Reply, React, Copy text, and Delete.
Select several messages
Choose Select, then tap more messages to add them. The Select messages bar can offer Reply, Info, Copy, Forward, Save, and Delete selected messages. If Forward unavailable appears, it gives the reason, and tapping Close stops selecting.
Removing messages
Before you delete: deleting for everyone can't be undone, and it can't remove copies that others have already saved or forwarded, or captured. Disappearing messages have the same limits.
- Choose Delete on the message you want to remove to open the delete prompt.
- Tap Delete for me to remove it from this device only, or tap Delete for everyone; group admins may see Delete message from name, which removes it for everyone in the group.
Deleted messages show You deleted this message. or An admin deleted this message.
Report a message in a group
Your report goes to the group's admins, encrypted like any other message, and they will see who reported it.
Choose Report, add a note for the admins if you want, then tap Send report. If the chat is offline, the report is saved and sent once it reconnects.
Troubleshooting
- Send failed or This message didn't reach the group: tap Retry, or tap Discard failed message.
- Search: No matches means you should check the spelling, and after Couldn't verify this address. you can tap Retry. Some network results may be missing. means the list may not be complete.
- Couldn't start chat: check your connection and try again; Copy copies the error details.
- If you blocked the person, tap Unblock to message them again.
- A notice can replace the composer when you're no longer a member or the group was disbanded. It also appears while a group is temporarily frozen as White Noise repairs it.
- Group event rows: tap Show details or Hide details. To remove a row, use Message actions and tap Delete for me.