# New private message button missing
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 11, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856 "2020-11-11T21:01:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sbernhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sbernhard)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/1 "2020-11-11T21:01:34Z")
In the messaging center (on which you see your inbox, sent items, etc) there is no button to create a “new message”. Only for moderator / admins this button exists.
On the other side, the same user is able to create a new message, if he/she clicks on the avatar of a user and selects “new message” on the user card.
Can someone please let me know which setting I need to change?
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### Author:  [@Thomas\_G](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Thomas_G)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/2 "2020-11-11T21:33:12Z")
You should find & change this setting:
`min trust to send messages`
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/3 "2020-11-11T21:34:12Z")
Are you referring to this page?
[https://meta.discourse.org/my/messages](https://meta.discourse.org/my/messages)
If so there should be a new message button in blue above `inbox`:
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### Author:  [@sbernhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sbernhard)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 7:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/4 "2020-11-12T07:32:34Z")
@Thomas_G: The “min trust level to send messages” is set to TL0. So, this can not be the reason.
@Stephen: Yes, the “new message” button above “inbox” is missing. But, as I said, on the user card the “message” button occurs which then can be used to send a message. Its weird.
I would have a look at the code if I would find the section to look at 🙂
I have discourse-encrypt enabled. I disabled the plugin but the button is still missing.
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### Author:  [@sbernhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sbernhard)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/5 "2020-11-12T07:40:46Z")
One more addition:
- The button “New message” above inbox exists if the user is a moderator
- All users are “SAML” users.
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### Author:  [@sbernhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sbernhard)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 8:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/6 "2020-11-12T08:11:35Z")
Oh. This was a evil one. Sorry to everyone!
The issue was: the “system” user disabled the option to receive private messages.
The “New button” is guarded by “can\_send\_private\_message?(Discourse.system\_user)” → if you disable that the system user can receive private messages → the button is gone.
If you click directly on the “message” button on the User Card of a user, the guard is of course different as it will then verify the target user directly.
Thanks to everyone. Did I already mention, that open source code is beautiful?
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 11:12am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/7 "2020-11-12T11:12:48Z")
Nice spelunking 👍
> [@sbernhard](#):
>
> The issue was: the “system” user disabled the option to receive private messages.
How did that happen? 🤔
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### Author:  [@sbernhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sbernhard)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/8 "2020-11-12T11:59:13Z")
Well, someone (myself?) changed this value some week/month ago?
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-private-message-button-missing/169856/9 "2020-12-12T12:13:50Z")
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