Direct Messages
Send messages to colleagues via @mentions. No AI involved, no minutes billed.
Direct Messages
PIN users can send messages to colleagues via @mentions directly in the CallMerlin chat. No AI involved, no minutes billed, completely free.
How it works
- Type @ in the chat input and start typing a colleague's name
- An autocomplete dropdown appears with matching PIN users and groups
- Select a name, type your message and send
- The recipient sees a notification badge when they open the chat
Group messages
PIN users can be organized into groups (e.g. Sales, Support, Management). Type @Sales and every member of the group receives the message.
Inbox
- Unread messages show a badge on the inbox icon
- Click to open the inbox overlay with all messages, newest first
- Unread messages appear in bold
- Click "Mark as read" per message or "Mark all read" at once
Delivery status
Sent messages show a delivery status:
- One checkmark = sent
- Two checkmarks = read
Reply and attachments
- Reply to a specific message with a quote (the original is shown above your reply)
- Attach a file (image or document) using the paperclip button
Notifications
| Situation | Notification |
|---|---|
| Recipient is online | Badge in the chat |
| Recipient is offline | Email digest within an hour |
| Android app | Push notification for new messages |
Availability per channel
| Channel | Available | @mentions | Inbox | Push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webcall widget | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app (Windows) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Android app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Phone (PSTN) | Yes (via Merlin) | No | No | No |
Privacy and retention
- Messages are stored for 30 days, then automatically deleted
- Account admins cannot read message content, only metadata (sender, recipient, timestamp)
- When a PIN user is deleted, all their messages are cleaned up
- When an account is deleted, the entire message history is removed
Cost
Direct messages are free, no minutes are billed. No AI model is involved, no tokens are consumed.
Plan availability
Direct Messages is available from the Professional plan onwards (Professional, Business, Enterprise). No configuration needed.