Messaging & chat features
How to use @mentions and @everyone on Orbit
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Mentions let you get a specific person's attention in a busy group, while @everyone reaches the whole room at once and should be used sparingly.
Mentioning a person
Type @ followed by a few letters of a username to bring up a suggestion list, then tap a name to insert it. The mentioned person typically receives a notification even if the group itself is muted for regular messages.
Using @everyone
Typing @everyone notifies every member of the group at once, similar to an announcement. It is best reserved for genuinely important updates rather than routine chat.
Who can use @everyone
Some groups restrict @everyone to owners and admins to prevent it being overused or abused; whether regular members can use it depends on the group's settings.
- Owners and admins can typically always use @everyone
- Regular members may be restricted depending on group settings
- Overusing @everyone can lead to members muting the group
Being mentioned
When you are mentioned, the message is usually highlighted differently in the timeline and may bypass a muted group's usual notification silence, so you do not miss direct call-outs.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I mention someone who is not in the group?
- No, mention suggestions only include current members of that group or conversation.
- Does @everyone work in direct messages?
- No, @everyone is a group feature and does not apply to one-to-one direct messages.
- Will I be notified if a muted group mentions me?
- Mentions often notify you even in a muted group, depending on your notification settings.
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