# "Allow messages" setting not found

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-messages-setting-not-found/304470>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Tags:** chat\
**Created:** [April 18, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-messages-setting-not-found/304470 "2024-04-18T14:21:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Moin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/moin/32/554653_2.png) [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-messages-setting-not-found/304470/2 "2024-04-18T14:28:55Z")

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Is the user member of a group that is allowed to use chat and direct messages? I’d check the `chat allowed groups` and `direct message enabled groups` site settings.

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Seems the discription of `direct message enabled groups` is a little misleading

> Allow users within these groups to create user-to-user Personal Chats. Note: staff can always create Personal Chats, and **users will be able to reply to Personal Chats initiated by users who have permission to create them.**

I’m not able to start a DM with a user who is not allowed to use chat; they can only reply to chats that were created when they were allowed to use chat.

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