Sending Messages
Every group has a built-in chat. Messages are visible to all group members and sync in real time.
Open the chatβ
Tap CHAT in the command bar at the bottom of the map. The chat panel slides up and overlays the map, you can still see your team's positions while chatting.
Send a text messageβ
Tap the message input at the bottom of the chat panel.
Type your message.
Tap Send (or press Enter on web/keyboard).
Message length limits:
- online groups: 500 characters
- Radio groups: 150 characters (mesh packet size constraint)
Sending a photoβ
Tap the camera icon next to the message input.
Choose a photo from your library or take a new one.
The photo opens in a full-screen preview, tap Send.
Received photos appear as a thumbnail in the chat feed, tap one to view it full-screen.
Photo messages are available in online groups only. Radio groups are text-only (voice notes are also unavailable there, see Voice Notes β).
Free accounts can send 10 voice notes and 1 photo per group, per day. FLARE PRO β removes both daily caps.
Mentioning map itemsβ
In any group, type @ followed by any characters to get a suggestion list of matching map items (pins, routes, areas). Tap a suggestion to insert the mention.
When teammates receive the message, the mention appears as a tappable link that navigates directly to that item on their map, useful for pointing at a specific pin or zone without describing where it is.
Replying to a messageβ
In online groups, tap any message, text, photo, or voice note, to reply to it. A quoted preview of the original appears above your reply in the chat thread. Tap the quoted preview in any message to jump straight back to the original, if it's further back than what's currently loaded, Flaresat automatically loads older history to find it.
Message replies are available in online groups only. Radio groups are text-only with no reply threading.
Copying a messageβ
Long-press any message to copy its text to your clipboard. A brief Copied confirmation appears in place of the timestamp.
Message historyβ
The chat loads recent messages when you open it. Scroll up to see older messages. Messages include the sender's name and a timestamp.
Message delivery statusβ
All messages show a delivery status indicator while sending:
In online groups:
- Pending, message is uploading to the server
- Failed, the upload failed (check your internet connection); tap to retry
In Radio groups, status reflects radio transmission:
- Pending, queued, waiting for the radio device to transmit
- Sent, your device broadcast the packet over the air
- Failed, the radio did not acknowledge the packet after the retry window; tap to retry
A Sent status in Radio mode means the packet left your device, it doesn't guarantee a specific teammate received it. The mesh relays automatically, so nearby nodes may still deliver it even if the direct link failed.
Relay badgesβ
When a Radio group is bridged to an online group via Relay, messages can cross between the two:
- VIA MESH badge, appears in the online group chat on messages that arrived from the radio mesh
- VIA CLOUD badge, appears in the radio chat on messages that arrived from the linked online group
See Relay Bridge β
Who can send messages?β
| Role | Can access chat? | Can send messages? |
|---|---|---|
| ADMIN | Yes | Yes |
| MEMBER | Yes | Yes |
| VIEWER | No | No |
Viewers do not have access to the chat panel.
Radio groups do not enforce roles, all members can send and receive messages.
System messagesβ
Some events in the group generate system messages that appear inline in the chat feed, centered, with a distinct style from normal chat messages. These are not sent by any member.
Examples of events that generate system messages:
- A member or LoRa radio tracker crosses a geofence boundary (entry or exit alert)
- Group membership events
System messages appear in both online and Radio groups.
Clickable mentions in system messagesβ
Geofence system messages include tappable links to the area that was crossed. The area name is underlined in the message. Tap it to navigate directly to that area on the map.
Example:
ββ Alex entered [Base Camp] ββ
Tapping Base Camp in the message flies the map directly to that area.
Keyboard shortcuts (web)β
On web with a physical keyboard:
- Enter, send the message
- Shift + Enter, insert a line break without sending
Radio chatβ
In Radio groups, messages travel over the radio mesh instead of the internet. The chat experience looks the same but text-only, voice notes are not supported in Radio mode.