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Team collaboration: comments, mentions, and emoji reactions

Collaborate inside MessageDesk without ever sending an unintended text. Use comments for internal notes, mentions to alert teammates, and emoji reactions to respond quickly without typing a message.

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Comments

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What are comments?

Comments are internal-only notes that appear inside a text thread but never go to contacts.
Use them for:

• Internal handoffs.
• Approvals or QA reviews.
• Context before responding.
• Reminders or documentation.

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Mentions

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What are mentions?

Mentions let you notify teammates directly inside a conversation.

• Type @ to mention one or more teammates (you can @yourself too).
• Mentions trigger email and browser notifications that link to the conversation.
• Great for follow-ups, approvals, or assigning the next step.

Example:
“@Jordan please confirm details before closing this ticket.”

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Emoji reactions

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What are emoji reactions?

Emoji reactions let you quickly acknowledge or respond to messages and comments without typing a full reply.

• Available on messages and non-threaded comments.
• Shown in the top-left corner of a message or comment.
• Show a count of unique reactions (hover or click to see who reacted).

When to use reactions

• 👍 Confirm you’ve seen a message.
• 🎉 Celebrate a win.
• ❤️ Show appreciation.
• 👀 Indicate “reviewing” without replying.

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Inbound reactions from iPhone customers (“Loved”, “Liked”, etc.)

When a customer reacts to one of your texts from an iPhone (for example, tapping Loved on a product photo), Apple sends that reaction over SMS as plain text. You’ll see something like Loved "test outbound". How it appears in MessageDesk:

• The reaction lands in the conversation as a normal inbound message containing the reaction text and a snippet of the message they reacted to.
• You’ll get an inbound message notification just like any other reply.
• MessageDesk doesn’t render the reaction as a native iOS-style Tapback bubble or attach it visually to the original outbound message. There’s no count or icon overlay on the original send.

Why: Carrier SMS doesn’t carry a structured “reaction” payload between iPhone and non-Apple platforms (Android recipients see the same text strings). MessageDesk receives only the text Apple emits.

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How to use comments, mentions & reactions

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1. Open a conversation

From your Inbox, open any conversation.

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2. Switch to comment mode

Use the Message Type dropdown to switch from Message to Comment.
The composer turns purple.

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3. Mention teammates

Type @ anywhere in your comment to open the inline mention menu. You can mention:

• One or multiple teammates.
• Yourself (as a personal reminder).

How the inline mention menu works:

• Type @ to open the menu, then keep typing to filter by name.
• Use the arrow keys to navigate, then press Enter to insert the highlighted teammate, or click a name to insert it.
• Teammates appear by their first + last name (no spaces). If a teammate hasn’t set a name, you’ll see their email instead.

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4. Write and send your comment

Type your comment, then click Send. It appears in the thread but doesn’t send as a text.

• Optional: click + to attach media (images, files, and so on).
• Switch back to Message mode to send an actual SMS.

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5. Add an emoji reaction

Hover over any message or comment, click the emoji icon, then choose a reaction.
Click an existing emoji to see who reacted.

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6. Mentions trigger notifications

Mentioned teammates get:

• An email notification with a direct link to the thread.
• A browser push notification if enabled.

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Find comments you’re mentioned in

1. Go to your Inbox.
2. Open My Inbox (left sidebar).
3. Select the pre-saved view for Comments you’re mentioned in.
4. Click a conversation to jump directly to your mention.

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Searching for comments

Comment search lives in Advanced Search, not Quick Search. Quick Search (⌘K) only returns contacts and conversations.

1. Open Advanced Search:
   • On desktop, press ⌘K / Ctrl K to open Quick Search, then press Enter on a result or click Open Advanced Search.
   • On mobile or tablet, tap the search icon near the account settings icon.
2. Type your search query and review the Comments results section, which has its own per-type filters and pagination.
3. Click a comment result to open the conversation and scroll directly to that comment.

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Comment threads

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What are comment threads?

Threads let you reply directly to a specific comment or message, keeping related discussions together.

• Organize back-and-forth discussions.
• Keep follow-ups separate from the main message feed.
• Available on desktop (hover) and mobile (force touch).

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Reply in a thread

1. Hover over a comment or message, then click Reply.
2. Type your reply.
3. Click Send.

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When to use threads

• Follow-ups. Ask clarifying questions without cluttering the main chat.
• Status updates. Keep progress notes in one place.
• Focused discussions. Avoid cross-talk in busy conversations.

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Deleting comments

Delete comments you no longer need. Comments are soft-deleted. They’re removed from view but stay in the database for record-keeping.

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Delete a comment

1. Hover over the comment in the conversation thread.
2. Click the trash can icon (🗑️).
3. MessageDesk removes the comment from the thread.

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What happens when you delete a comment

• Individual comments (non-threaded): Disappear from the conversation pane entirely.
• Threaded comments: A placeholder showing “Comment was deleted” stays to preserve thread context.

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Common team scenarios

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Tips & best practices

• ✅ Keep one comment = one ask. Easier to read and act on.
• 🧭 Add context before tagging. Summarize the issue or goal.
• 👥 Mention the owner. Tag the responsible teammate so nothing slips through.
• 📎 Attach files. Use screenshots, PDFs, or photos for clarity.
• 🔁 Close the loop. Add a “Resolved, closing thread” note when finished.
• ⚡ React instead of reply. Use emojis for quick acknowledgments to cut noise.

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Privacy & visibility

• Comments are internal only. They’re never sent to contacts.
• Mentions trigger email/browser notifications to the tagged teammates.
• Comments stay in the conversation for historical context and auditing.

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FAQ

Do comments send to the customer?
No. They’re internal-only. How do I know I’m commenting, not texting?
The composer turns purple, and the message type shows Comment. Can I mention multiple teammates?
Yes. Mention as many as needed. Can I attach media to a comment?
Yes. Use the + icon to upload files or images. Will I get notified if someone mentions me?
Yes. Mentions trigger email and browser notifications. How do I reply to a specific comment or message?
Hover over it, click Reply, and your message appears as a threaded reply. Can I see all my mentions in one place?
Yes. In My Inbox, use the “Comments you’re mentioned in” view. Can I delete a comment?
Yes. Hover over the comment and click the trash can icon. Individual comments disappear entirely. Threaded comments show “Comment was deleted” as a placeholder. Deleted comments are soft-deleted and still appear in conversation exports.

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Troubleshooting

I don’t see the Comment option.
Make sure you’re inside a specific conversation (not just the list). If it’s still missing, check with your admin about permissions. Can I search for comments?
Yes. Comment search lives in Advanced Search. On desktop, open Quick Search with ⌘K / Ctrl K and press Enter or click Open Advanced Search. On mobile or tablet, tap the search icon near account settings. My comment sent as a text.
You were probably in Message mode. Switch to Comment (purple composer) before sending. Mentions aren’t notifying teammates.
Make sure you used @ to select teammates from the inline menu (arrow keys + Enter, or click) instead of just typing their name as plain text.
Ask teammates to check email spam/junk folders if no notification appears.

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Related articles

• Inbox Overview
• Roles & Permissions
• Media & Attachments

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