Chapter 7 Moderator Presenter Guest

Public Chat

The public chat is visible to all participants and serves as a shared communication channel for questions, links, and feedback during a conference. It is one of the most frequently used features in BigBlueButton and is open by default on the left side of the interface.

Sending Messages

The public chat panel is located on the left side of the BigBlueButton interface and is open by default when you join a session. To send a message, simply type your text in the input field at the bottom of the chat panel.

  1. Locate the text input field at the bottom of the chat panel on the left side.
  2. Type your message into the text field.
  3. Press Enter on your keyboard or click the blue send button to submit your message.

Other participants can see a typing indicator when you are composing a message, so they know someone is about to contribute.

Reading and Managing the Chat

The chat panel can be collapsed or expanded using the toggle button at the top of the sidebar. All messages remain visible throughout the entire session, so you can scroll back at any time to review earlier messages.

The invitation link to the room can also be found in the public chat. This is useful if you need to share the link again without leaving the room.

Exporting and Clearing the Chat History

Moderators have additional options for managing the public chat. These options are accessible via the three-dot menu within the chat panel.

  1. Click the three-dot menu icon in the chat panel header.
  2. Select Save to export the chat history as a text file, Copy to copy it to the clipboard, or Clear to delete all messages.

Clearing the chat history is irreversible. All messages will be permanently deleted for all participants.

If the session was recorded, the chat history is also available in the playback interface of the recording after the meeting has ended.

Chat Notifications

You can configure notifications for incoming chat messages in your settings. Both audio alerts and popup notifications are available but are disabled by default.

  1. Open your settings by clicking the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
  2. Navigate to the Notifications section.
  3. Enable audio alerts and/or popup notifications for chat messages.

Moderators can lock the public chat for guests via the lock settings. When locked, only moderators can send messages in the public chat. See the chapter on lock settings for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, by default all participants including guests can read and write in the public chat. However, moderators can restrict chat access through the lock settings.

Only moderators can export or clear the chat history using the three-dot menu. As a participant, you can manually copy messages from the chat panel.

Chat messages are not saved automatically. However, if the session was recorded, the chat is available in the playback interface. Moderators can also export the chat as a text file during the session.

The invitation link to the conference room is displayed in the public chat. You can use it to share the link with others without leaving the session.