Make the default chat view DMs (rather than Channels)

AI-generated summary

The discussion revolves around making Direct Messages (DMs) the default view in the chat interface instead of Channels, addressing user experience (UX) concerns. nathank highlights that the current setup prioritizes Channels, which adds friction for users who primarily use DMs. merefield agrees, noting that the default channel selection is irrelevant for their needs. chapoi supports the idea and suggests a user setting for customization. lindsey concurs, proposing a user-controlled option, possibly within the chat interface itself, inspired by Slack’s drag-and-drop functionality. The issue was resolved with a new admin setting called “Chat preferred index,” allowing administrators to set DMs as the default view nathank. j.jaffeux confirms the update and thanks the community for the feedback.

In the UI, Channels are given the more promoted position. By this I mean:

  1. Channels are above DMs in the sidebar

  2. Channels are selected in the Chat box when the bubble top right is clicked (even if the user isn’t a member of any, or if it is disabled)

This makes sense for instances where Channels are used quite a bit and their use needs to be encouraged. However, my instances tend to only use them occasionally. As a result, this behaviour just adds friction to the activity my users want to do most of the time.

I note this:

This will solve the issue for those who have channels turned off. However, it won’t for my situation, which I suspect is quite common. To address this, it would be super helpful to be able to specify which to prioritise - DMs or Channels.

12 Likes

Totally agree.

I’m more interested in DMs and when I open chat the channel default is pointless.

7 Likes

I think this request makes sense. @lindsey For once, I’m not against adding a setting :wink: Perhaps even a usersetting.

4 Likes

The request makes sense to me too, especially as a user-led decision.

For fullscreen chat, it’d be neat if this could be something users could easily control in chat itself, rather than a user setting. Slack, for example, let’s you drag-and-drop the entire Channels (or DMs) area to rearrange the sidebar.

I don’t know how well that would translate to drawer or mobile, though, so maybe the setting is best. Happy to follow your lead @chapoi on what interaction you think makes most sense.

2 Likes

I note that this has been sorted (:tada: yippee!!!). Via this new chat admin setting:

5 Likes

Ah yes thanks, we forgot to update this topic :+1: Glad you like it.

3 Likes

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