Messages
Messages let you talk directly with other people on Storyfall, one-on-one or in a group. Basic messaging works for everyone with no setup. If you want a conversation that no one else (not even Storyfall) can read, you and the other person can both turn on secure messaging, described below.
Starting a conversation
You can start a conversation from a few places:
- The chat bubble in the top navigation bar, to the left of the notifications bell.
- The Messages page, where you can search for a person and open an existing conversation.
- The “Message” button on someone’s profile page.
- The “Message” button in the profile card that pops up when you hover over a username.
The first time you message someone who is not your friend, your message arrives as a request. They can Accept it to start chatting or Ignore it. If you are already friends, your messages go straight through.
Message requests
When someone who is not your friend messages you, it shows up as a request in your messages list. You have two options:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Accept | Moves the conversation into your normal list and lets you reply. |
| Ignore | Hides the conversation. The person is not told. They can message again, but it stays ignored until you change it. |
Ignoring is per-conversation. To stop someone from contacting you at all, block them.
Friends
Adding a friend is a stronger, two-way connection. Use the “Add friend” button on someone’s profile. They receive a friend request and can Accept or Decline it right from the notifications bell, the Notifications page, or the Friends tab on their profile. Once you are friends:
- Your messages skip the request step.
- They appear in your private friends list.
Your friends list is private. Only you can see your own friends list, on your profile page.
To remove a friend, use the “Friends ✓” button on their profile or “Remove” on your Friends tab. You are asked to confirm first, so a single click never unfriends someone by accident. You can always send a new friend request later.
Group chats
To start a group, open the Messages page or the chat bubble and choose “New group”. Give it a name and pick the members to invite. Invited members get an invitation they can join or decline. Inside a group:
- Any member can invite more people.
- The person who created the group can remove members.
- Anyone can leave at any time.
Blocking
Blocking someone is account-wide. A blocked person cannot start or continue a conversation with you, in either direction. You can block someone from their profile. If you have blocked someone, return to their profile and choose “Unblock” to message them again.
Reporting a message
If a message breaks the rules, open its menu and choose “Report”. Your device includes the message text in the report so the Storyfall team can review it (for a secure conversation, your device decrypts it first). If a secure conversation is locked on this device, unlock secure messaging before you report a message. Reporting opens a support ticket, the same way reporting a forum message does.
Secure messaging
Basic conversations are stored in a readable form, which is what lets Storyfall show previews, search your messages, and review reports. If you want a conversation that is end-to-end encrypted, turn on secure messaging.
To turn it on, open the Messages page or the chat bubble and click the settings gear, then “Turn on secure messaging”. A one-to-one conversation becomes encrypted only when both people have turned it on. A group conversation becomes encrypted only when every active member has turned it on. You will see a lock icon next to those conversations. Until everyone required has it on, the conversation stays basic.
When you turn it on, choose how to unlock it:
| Unlock method | What it means |
|---|---|
| Account password | Recommended. Secure messaging unlocks automatically whenever you sign in. If you reset your password, you lose access to your old encrypted history. |
| Separate passphrase | A second secret you enter yourself. It survives a password reset, so your encrypted history is not lost, and you use it to unlock on a new device. |
You can add or change a separate passphrase later from the same settings panel so a password reset does not lose your history. Adding or changing it requires your account password.
Changing your password is different from resetting it. If you change your password from your account settings while you are signed in, unlock secure messaging on this device before saving. Your encrypted history is kept because your keys are re-secured under the new password automatically. Only a password reset (when you have forgotten it and are signed out) loses access to old encrypted messages.
If a secure conversation shows as locked (for example, on a new device), open the settings gear and enter your password or passphrase to unlock it. Until you do, you can still use the rest of Storyfall normally and your basic conversations are unaffected. Use “Lock on this device” in the same panel to lock secure messaging on a shared computer.
On mobile and the app
The chat bubble works the same way in your browser. On the mobile app, open Messages from the More menu. Conversations open as a full screen so they are easy to read and type on smaller devices. In a group conversation, use “Group members” at the top of the screen to invite people, remove members if you are the creator, or leave the group.