# Chat vs Messages

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-vs-messages/336765
**Category:** Support
**Tags:** chat
**Created:** [November 18, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-vs-messages/336765 "2024-11-18T17:32:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 5

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### Author: ![HAWK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hawk/32/86627_2.png) [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-vs-messages/336765/5 "2024-11-19T01:09:49Z")

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> [@martyn\_thomas](#):
>
> Looks like we’ll turn it off for now - and revisit it if/when the two messaging methods are merged.

I don’t think they will ever be merged – they serve very different purposes. Chat is ephemeral and is used to have quick discussions with people. PMs are permanent and are therefore used for private discussions that may need to be revisited in the future.

I agree that for many communities, chat simply isn’t necessary and can be turned off. For others (like internal communities) it is important.

> [@martyn\_thomas](#):
>
> Is there a way to migrate Messages into Chats/DMs so communications are all in one place?

No because that wouldn’t make a lot of sense. It makes more sense to go the other way (which is possible).

> [@martyn\_thomas](#):
>
> With messages there’s different inboxes/folders based on how i’m being contacted (directly - or because i’m part of a group) - Does Chat have a similar way of showing the difference?

Yes – you can see that the third one in my list is a group chat.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/8/0/f/80f09f9297185cdab63b61fb145eb0c513aa050a.png)

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