Inviting Others to Join an Ongoing Chat
Adding a Contact or Group to an Ongoing Chat
Chatting often leads to the need for more input. This could be a third opinion, a policy clarification, or a new perspective. Modern chat platforms like Zoho Chat make it easy to add participants without restarting the conversation.
When you need to bring another participant from your contact list into your ongoing chat, the process is straightforward. In the Tab Theme, click “Add,” located to the right of “Participants” in the right pane. Clicking this icon opens a dialog box with tabs for Contact, Group, and Invite Guest.
Select the appropriate tab, choose the participant, and click “Add”. This action integrates the new member into the chat. It also opens a chat tab or window on their screen, showing the entire chat history.
Inviting a Guest to an Ongoing Chat
Zoho Chat allows you to include guests who don’t have an account. Initially, Zoho prevents non-Zoho guests from joining chats. To invite a guest, you must first enable guest access. In the Tab Theme, find this option at the bottom of the Participants pane, marked “Guest Blocked”. Click “Allow” to open up the chat to guests. In the Desktop Theme, click the “Show Participants” button in the lower-right part of the chat window.
Once guest access is enabled, add a guest by clicking “Add” in the Tab Theme’s Participants pane or the “Add Participants” button in the Desktop Theme. This opens a dialog box. Go to the “Invite Guest” tab, enter the guest’s email address, and customize the invitation message if you like. After clicking “Add”, Zoho sends an invitation email with a link. When the guest clicks this link, a window appears. They must enter their name to join the chat in progress. Guests appear in the Participants list after joining.
Blocking and Unblocking Guest Access
Any Zoho-registered participant can control guest access during a chat. This displays a message in the guest’s chat window: “Guest access has been temporarily blocked.” To let the guest back into the discussion, click “Allow”. This action restores their access and lets them see what was discussed while blocked.
These features help users manage their digital conversations effectively. They make it easy to include new voices in discussions, ensuring productive and inclusive dialogues. Whether for work collaboration or personal connections, adding participants on-the-fly enhances any chat environment’s flexibility and reach.
© Image credits to Steve Johnson