Group Chats
End-to-End Encrypted Group Chats
Group Chats
As of v0.4.0, Vector introduced fully end-to-end encrypted group chats powered by the Concord Protocol. Group chats now work seamlessly across devices and accounts anywhere in the world. Each group chat is created by one account (the owner), who can appoint moderators (admins) that share the same permissions as the owner, with the exception of being unable to delete the group chat itself. Admin permissions include updating group details such as the avatar, name, and description, as well as kicking and banning members and deleting messages. This is the first iteration of group chat moderation in Vector, with future releases planned to introduce more granular role permissions and customizable moderation environments.
Private Group Chats
All group chats are private by default until the owner or an admin creates an invite link. When creating an invite link, users will be prompted to confirm they want to make the group public to prevent accidental exposure. For group chats that should remain private, members must be added manually through the Group Chat Settings. Any admin can invite members to a private group, and any admin can also convert the group from private to public.
Public Group Chats
Public group chats are simply private group chats that have been given a public invite link, which automatically converts the group to public. Any owner or admin can complete this action. Reverting a public group back to private is just as straightforward: simply revoke all active invite links and the group will be converted back to private after a brief moment. Both actions can be performed as many times as needed and at any time by the owner or any admin.
Invite Links
Invite links are created by the owner or admins and can be shared anywhere within Vector or externally on other social media platforms and messaging apps. All group chats are private by default until the owner or an admin makes the group public by creating a public invite link. When a user shares a group chat invite link inside Vector, it will automatically appear as an embedded message with an Open prompt, allowing other users to join directly from the chat.
When creating a custom invite link, you will be prompted to give it a name or tag that is only visible to you and other admins. This serves as a tracking tool for onboarding efforts, allowing you to see which links were most successful and brought in the most members. Admins can view an invite link's user count directly in the Group Chat Settings, making it easy to identify which links have been most effective.
When opening the group chat invite link in the browser, it will display like the image above. All legitimate group chat invites on Vector will use the prefix vectorapp.io/invite/# with the unique hash of the group chat following.
Creating a Group Chat
Adding & Removing Members
Adding Members
In order to add new members to the pre-existing Group Chat, you must be the creator (Owner) or administrator (Admin). This is marked with a small, yellow Crown icon next to the Group Chat creator's name. Click on the Group Chat name and it will take you to the Group Chat Profile where you can click the "Invite Member" to search through your contacts and add a new member to the Group Chat.
Removing Members
Navigate to the Group Chat Profile by clicking the group chat name in the top navigation bar. From there, you will see a full list of all members along with a search bar to help locate specific members. Kicking a member removes them from the group but allows them to rejoin with a new invite, while banning a member permanently restricts them from rejoining unless the ban is revoked by an owner or admin.
Delete Group Chat
Deleting a group chat is a permanent action and cannot be undone. Only the owner can delete a group chat, and a security prompt is in place to prevent accidental deletion. To confirm, you will be required to type the exact name of the group chat into a text field and select Confirm to complete the deletion.
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