# The chat screen

> Every control on the chat screen, where it lives, and the page that explains it.

Source: https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting
Language: en

The chat screen is three regions: a top bar, the message stream, and the composer. A side panel slides in beside it. This page maps every control in each region and points at the page that explains it.

## The top bar \[#the-top-bar]

| Control                 | What it does                                                                                                                            | Shown when                                                                                                                                             |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Back**                | Returns to where you came from.                                                                                                         | Always                                                                                                                                                 |
| Avatar and name         | Opens the character's profile. In a group the header reads **Group Chat** with the member count, and lists the member names beneath it. | Always                                                                                                                                                 |
| Bounty indicator        | Marks an in-progress [bounty](https://reverie.im/en/docs/creators/bounties) attempt in this chat.                                       | While an attempt is running                                                                                                                            |
| **Group Chat**          | Opens **Select Group Characters** to build a multi-character cast.                                                                      | Only before the first message, and never in a chat started from a scenario or a moment. [Group chats](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/group-chats) |
| **Voice Chat**          | Starts a real-time voice call.                                                                                                          | On a new conversation, or while a call is open. [Voice calls](https://reverie.im/en/docs/media/voice-calls)                                            |
| **Share**               | Creates a shareable view of the conversation.                                                                                           | Once the chat has messages. [Sharing a conversation](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/sharing-a-conversation)                                       |
| **Your rating**         | One-tap stars for this character, with an optional written review.                                                                      | One-on-one chats you are able to rate, once the chat has messages, while the side panel is closed                                                      |
| **New conversation**    | Starts a fresh chat with the same character.                                                                                            | Once the chat has messages. [Managing conversations](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/managing-conversations)                                       |
| **Toggle chat sidebar** | Opens and closes the side panel.                                                                                                        | Always                                                                                                                                                 |

The model picker is **not** in the top bar. It sits in the composer, next to the send row.

## The composer \[#the-composer]

Things stack above the text box in this order:

1. **Attachment thumbnails** — images you've attached to this message.
2. **The setup row** — a **My persona** chip and the **Instant Chat Mode** toggle. This row exists only until you send your first message. [Personas](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/personas)
3. **Quote preview** — the passage you quoted, with a remove control. **Esc** clears it.
4. **Suggestion chips** — see [Reply suggestions](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/smart-suggestions).
5. **Slash-command chips** — the one-turn directives attached to this message, each with a **Remove** control. [Slash commands](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/slash-commands)

The button rows around the text box:

| Control                                | Side  | What it does                                                                                                                                                                  | Shown when                                                      |
| -------------------------------------- | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Attach file**                        | Left  | Attaches images to your message.                                                                                                                                              | The current model accepts image uploads                         |
| **Guide reply**                        | Left  | Switches who you are writing for — **Myself**, a character, or the **Narrator**. [Guiding a reply](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/guide-reply)                           | Logged in, and the chat has at least one message                |
| Model button                           | Left  | Shows the current model, its credit multiplier and a **PRO** marker, and opens **Choose AI Model**. [Choosing a model](https://reverie.im/en/docs/reference/choosing-a-model) | Logged in                                                       |
| Interactive plugins                    | Right | Runs an interactive plugin installed in this chat. [Using plugins](https://reverie.im/en/docs/plugins/using-plugins)                                                          | The chat has at least one interactive plugin                    |
| **Voice input**                        | Right | Push-to-talk dictation: hold to record, release to send.                                                                                                                      | Always                                                          |
| **Generate First Message**             | Right | Writes the opening message for you.                                                                                                                                           | New chats only; unavailable when the chat started from a moment |
| **Get suggestions**                    | Right | Fetches reply suggestions on demand, and becomes a stop control while they load.                                                                                              | When the chat isn't new                                         |
| **Send message** / **Stop generation** | Right | Sends your message, or stops a reply mid-stream.                                                                                                                              | Always                                                          |

On a brand-new chat the character may open with **Prepared an opening for you**, offering **Try another opening** or **I'll start instead**.

> **Message length caps.** 5,000 characters when you're signed in, 1,000 when
> you're not. Anonymous chats are also limited to 5 messages, or 8 once you
> pass the verification check. [All limits](https://reverie.im/en/docs/reference/limits)

## Message actions \[#message-actions]

**Hover** a message on desktop, or **tap** it on a touch device, to reveal the toolbar pinned to the top-right of the bubble. Everything in it is disabled while a reply is streaming.

| Action                       | Where       | Available on                                                                                                                          |
| ---------------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Variant switcher (`‹ n/m ›`) | Toolbar row | A reply that has more than one generated version                                                                                      |
| **Play**                     | Toolbar row | Character replies. Long-press opens voice settings. [Reading messages aloud](https://reverie.im/en/docs/media/reading-messages-aloud) |
| **Copy**                     | Toolbar row | Any message with text                                                                                                                 |
| **Regenerate**               | Toolbar row | The **last** message only. Long-press to pick a different model for this one attempt                                                  |
| **Continue**                 | Toolbar row | The last character reply, when signed in                                                                                              |
| **Snapshot**                 | Toolbar row | Character replies. [Snapshots](https://reverie.im/en/docs/community/snapshots)                                                        |
| **More**                     | Toolbar row | Opens the menu below                                                                                                                  |
| Thumbs up / thumbs down      | More menu   | Character replies, when signed in                                                                                                     |
| **Quote**                    | More menu   | Any message with text                                                                                                                 |
| **Custom snapshot**          | More menu   | Character replies — opens the scene-image dialog. [Image generation](https://reverie.im/en/docs/media/image-generation)               |
| **Fork from here**           | More menu   | **Character replies only**. [Forking](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/forking)                                                    |
| **Edit**                     | More menu   | **Every** message, yours and the character's                                                                                          |
| **Delete**                   | More menu   | Every message except the first                                                                                                        |

Regenerating does not throw the old reply away: previous versions stay as siblings you can page through with the variant switcher.

A thumbs-down asks what went wrong. On the last reply it also offers **Submit & rewrite**, which saves your feedback and regenerates the reply with your reason — and your note, if you wrote one — as the direction for that one reply.

> **Editing and deleting reach forward.** Editing one of **your** messages
> deletes every message after it and re-rolls the reply. **Delete** removes the
> message and everything that came after it. Neither can be undone. Editing a
> **character's** message is safe — the text is replaced in place and nothing
> regenerates.

The edit dialog has two tabs: **Manual Edit** for rewriting the text yourself, and **AI Rewrite** for one-tap changes such as more dialogue or less repetition, plus a free-text instruction box.

## The side panel \[#the-side-panel]

Seven tabs — **Info**, **Gallery**, **Scenarios**, **Similar**, **Memory**, **Plugins** and **Settings**. The last one holds five groups of per-chat settings. [Side panel and settings](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/side-panel)

## Keyboard and gestures \[#keyboard-and-gestures]

| Input                                        | Does                                                                                            |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Enter** / **Shift+Enter**                  | Send / newline                                                                                  |
| **Esc**                                      | Clears the quoted message                                                                       |
| **Backspace** at the start of an empty draft | Removes the last slash-command chip                                                             |
| **↑ ↓**, **Enter** or **Tab**, **Esc**       | Move, pick and dismiss in the slash and mention menus; **← →** cycle a command's values         |
| **⌘/Ctrl + Enter**                           | Saves in the edit dialog, generates in AI Rewrite, submits a custom instruction                 |
| Long-press **Regenerate**                    | Opens a model picker for that single retry                                                      |
| Long-press a suggestion chip                 | Puts it in the composer instead of sending it                                                   |
| Drag while holding the mic                   | Left cancels the recording; right or up drops the transcript in the composer instead of sending |

[Full keyboard reference](https://reverie.im/en/docs/reference/keyboard-shortcuts)

## Where to go next \[#where-to-go-next]

**[Slash commands](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/slash-commands)**

Nine one-turn controls for length, point of view, pacing and who speaks.

**[Guiding a reply](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/guide-reply)**

Write direction for a character or the narrator instead of speaking.

**[Reply suggestions](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/smart-suggestions)**

The chips above the input: when they appear and what they cost.

**[First-response enhancement](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/first-response)**

Tune the opening reply before you commit to it.

**[Reasoning mode](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/reasoning-mode)**

See a model think, and know which models can.

**[Comparing two replies](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/dual-comparison)**

Two models answer your first message; you pick the one you prefer.

**[Personas](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/personas)**

Who you are in the conversation.

**[Scenarios](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/scenarios)**

Pre-built framings a creator authored for a character.

**[Memory](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/memory)**

What a character keeps, and how long conversations stay coherent.

**[Forking](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/forking)**

Branch from a reply and keep both paths.

**[Group chats](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/group-chats)**

Up to five characters in one thread, including the host.

**[Proactive messages](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/proactive-messages)**

When a character writes to you first.

**[Managing conversations](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/managing-conversations)**

Renaming, browsing, exporting and deleting chats.

**[Sharing a conversation](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/sharing-a-conversation)**

Publish a conversation for other people to read.

**[Troubleshooting](https://reverie.im/en/docs/chatting/troubleshooting)**

What to do when a reply fails, stalls or comes back wrong.