Introduction

The Chat menu lets an admin exchange messages directly with field users from the web, while the field user replies from the MileApp Field mobile app. Messages arrive in real time, and a field user who is offline receives a push notification so the conversation can continue as soon as the app is opened.

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Permission

Chat has two permissions, one for each side of the conversation. They are set per role on the Setting - Permission page. A role holds one of the two, never both. An admin role is given View Chat on Web; a field user role is given View Chat on Mobile. A field user with the web permission would be able to read every conversation in the organization, which is why the two are kept apart. A role with neither permission simply has no chat: the menu does not appear on the web, and the chat screen is unavailable in the mobile app.

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Conversation List

Opening the Chat menu shows every field user you can talk to, newest conversation first. Each row carries the last message, the time it arrived, and a badge counting the messages you have not read yet. Field users who have never been messaged appear in the same list, so you can start a conversation without looking them up anywhere else. The list follows the hub selected in the top bar. Changing the hub rebuilds the list with the field users of that hub. Use the search box to find someone by name or email address.

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Reading and Replying

Selecting a row opens the conversation. The thread opens at the newest message; scrolling up loads older ones. Type in the box at the bottom and press Enter to send, or Shift + Enter to start a new line. Each message you send carries a delivery mark: one tick once the message is stored, and two ticks once the field user has read it. Messages the field user sends are marked as read as soon as the conversation is open on your screen.

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Notification

When a field user sends a message while you are on another menu, a notification appears in the top right corner with the sender’s name and the message, so there is no need to keep the Chat menu open. The notification stays quiet for the conversation you already have open, since the message is visible there already.

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On a Phone

The Chat menu also works on a phone. The conversation list fills the screen, and selecting a conversation replaces it with the thread; the arrow at the top left returns to the list.