Chatting in a circle

The circle owner decides how conversation works. When you join or the mode changes, the bot sends you a private message telling you the current . There are four:

Default mode (the default)

In , only the circle owner, admins, and lecturers see your messages; they reply by quoting you. Other members can’t see what you say. A good fit for circles where you mostly listen and ask privately.

Broadcast mode

In , messages from the team are pushed to every member; what you send stays visible to the team only. Made for announcement and news circles. The previous day’s broadcasts are usually tidied into a .

Lecture mode

In , messages from the team reach everyone, and the whole session is recorded as a replay you can watch afterwards. Questions may be closed at the start — the bot will tell you once the host opens them, so hold off until then.

Group mode

In , every member can speak and reply to each other — the circle becomes one big group chat. Available only to circles with . Messages may be rate-limited and filtered.

Try it yourself

The simulator below recreates the four modes from your seat: the three phones are you, the owner Leo, and fellow member Bob. Switch to a mode, tap a button under any phone to send a message, and watch who receives it and who gets “Not received” — once you have tried it, you don’t need to memorize the differences.

Default — Only the owner and admin team see your messages — Bob doesn't. They answer by quoting you.

Broadcast — The team speaks to everyone; your replies reach only the team.

Lecture — The team speaks to everyone and the session becomes a replay; ask questions only while Q&A is open.

Group — You and everyone see each other — the circle is one big group chat.

LeoOwner

YouMember

BobMember

The three phones are you, the owner Leo, and fellow member Bob. Tap a button under any phone to send a message and see who receives it — and who does not.

Chat inside a live room

If the circle is live, the room’s chat follows the same mode: members see the same reach as in circle chat, and the composer explains why when they cannot post. When the host switches modes, the room’s chat refreshes automatically.

Two things worth knowing

— some circles let members speak anonymously: your messages go out under an anonymous identity, and no one sees your real account. The circle owner and admins are always named, and admins can verify who you are if you break the rules — they just won’t say so publicly.
Sending pace — if you message too quickly, the bot will tell you that you are sending messages too frequently and to rest for a moment. Just wait a little and carry on.