---
title: "Reply to messages"
---
import useBaseUrl from '@docusaurus/useBaseUrl';
import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

<PlanAvailability slug="all-commercial" />

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="web-desktop" label="Web/Desktop">

Reply to messages by selecting the **Reply** <img src={useBaseUrl('/img/ui/reply-outline_F0F20.svg')} alt="Reply icon." className="theme-icon" /> icon next to the message text.

![Reply to Mattermost messages](/images/reply-to-message.png)

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="mobile" label="Mobile">

Long press on a message and select **Reply** or simply tap on it to reply.

![Tap and hold on text to select reply.](/images/mobile-reply-to-a-message-using-reply.gif)

![Tap on a Message to send a reply.](/images/mobile-reply-to-a-message-by-tapping-on-it.gif)

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Depending on how your system admin has configured Mattermost, you may be able to [edit](/end-user-guide/collaborate/send-messages#edit-messages), [restore](/end-user-guide/collaborate/send-messages#restore-a-previous-version-of-an-edited-message), and [delete](/end-user-guide/collaborate/send-messages#delete-messages) messages after you've sent them.

<Tip>

It's easy to return to a message in progress with global message drafts. Find all of your draft messages in the **Drafts** view available at the top of the channel sidebar. See the [draft messages](/end-user-guide/collaborate/send-messages#draft-messages) documentation for details.

</Tip>

## Organize discussions into threads

When you reply to messages, those replies are [organized into a discussion thread](/end-user-guide/collaborate/organize-conversations). Threaded discussions are easy to follow and allow multiple parallel conversations to occur at the same time without confusion.

Using Mattermost in a web browser or the desktop app, replies appear indented slightly in the center pane to indicate that they are child messages of a parent message. Selecting the reply link opens a sidebar in the right-hand sidebar in a web browser and the desktop app. To expand the right-hand sidebar to its full width, select the **Expand** icon with two arrows at the top of the sidebar.

![Expand right-hand sidebar to its full width](/images/expand-sidebar.png)

To shrink the right-hand sidebar to its original width, select the same **Collapse** icon.

![Collapse the right-hand sidebar to its original width](/images/collapse-sidebar.png)