# Fix chat problems

Chat lets you write to the person at the remote computer, in sessions and before you connect to an Access device. See [Chat with the customer](/use/chat/) for how it works.

## The Chat button is missing

- **Your plan** must include **Chat**. Check the list on **Instance** › **License**, or ask someone who can see the license. See [Understand your plan and its limits](/configure/plans-and-limits/).
- **Your role** needs **Chat (support)** for Support sessions and **Chat (access)** for Access devices. The starter **Technician** and **Admin** roles have both, **Viewer** has neither, and custom roles get them only when an administrator adds them (or through **All Support permissions**, **All Access permissions** or **All permissions**). See [Roles and permissions](/configure/roles/).

## The Chat button is greyed out

Hover over the button to see why.

| Message | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **No user signed in** | Nobody is signed in on the Access device, so there is nobody to chat with. Connect instead, or wait until someone signs in. |
| **Device offline** | See [Fix a Blink agent that will not connect](/troubleshooting/agent-wont-connect/). |
| **Device revoked** | The device was revoked. See [Manage Access devices](/use/manage-devices/). |
| **Update the agent to chat with this device** or **This agent version has no chat. Update the agent.** | The device runs an agent without chat. See [Keep agents up to date](/install/agent-updates/). |

**Screen locked: messages show after the unlock** is not an error: you can write, and the user sees your messages once they unlock the computer.

## A message is not sent

A message that did not go out is marked **Not sent** with the reason. **Retry** sends it again; **Remove** drops it.

| Message | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **Not sent: the connection dropped.** | Your connection to the console dropped while sending. Send it again once the panel is connected. |
| **The device is offline.** or **No user is signed in on the device.** | Messages to an Access device are not kept for later. Wait until the device is online with someone signed in. |
| **You are sending too fast. Wait a moment.** | Wait a few seconds, then send again. |
| **The message is too long.** | A message can have up to 4,000 characters. Split it. |
| **You have started too many chats this hour.** | Your administrator limits how many chats with devices' users one person may start in an hour. Wait, or ask an administrator about **Chats started per hour** in [Security settings](/configure/security-settings/#fleet-limits). |
| **This chat has ended.** | The session ended or the chat closed. In a chat before a session, your next message starts a new chat. |
| **You are not allowed to chat here.** | Your role does not include chat for this session or device. |
| **Not included in your plan.** | Your plan does not include **Chat** (or **Secret messages**, for a secret). |

The panel's header also says when the chat has closed, for example **The chat closed after an hour without messages** or **A different user signed in**. A chat with a device's user closes after an hour without messages, and when another user signs in, so a new user never sees an earlier user's conversation.

## The customer does not see the chat window

- **The chat window could not open on the customer’s screen**: Blink could not show the window on the remote computer. In an Access session, the user may have just signed out or switched users. Try again in a moment.
- **Reconnecting to the customer…**: the customer's computer is reconnecting. In a Support session your messages wait for it; in an Access session they cannot be delivered until the device is back.
- The window may be behind other windows: it does not take the focus when a message arrives. Ask the customer to look for the flashing Blink button in the taskbar, or the Blink icon in the Mac's menu bar. See [What your customer sees](/use/what-customers-see/#chat-with-your-technician).

## Secret messages

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| No **Secret** toggle | Your plan does not include **Secret messages**, or the remote computer runs an agent without them. |
| **Confirm the customer’s computer before sending a secret.** | In a Support session, confirm the computer first. See [Confirm it is the right computer](/use/support-sessions/#confirm-it-is-the-right-computer). |
| **Too many secrets are waiting to be viewed.** | Wait until the customer opens or lets expire the secrets you already sent. |
| **Pick a lifetime of 5, 15 or 60 minutes.** | Choose one of the lifetimes under **Expires after**. |
| **That secret is gone.** | Someone already revealed it, or it expired. Ask the sender for a new one. |
| **You cannot reveal your own secret.** | Only the other side can open a secret you sent. |
| **Expired (the server restarted)** | Secrets waiting to be opened do not survive a restart of your Blink server. Send it again. |
| **Expired (the chat closed)** | The session ended or the chat closed before anyone opened it. |

Clicking **Reveal** on the customer's screen with your remote mouse does nothing: only the customer can reveal a secret you sent them.

## When to contact IZT

Contact [IZT](https://izt.app) if chat fails with **The chat connection failed.** again after **Try again**, or with a message not listed here. Send the session id (or the device name), the time and the message. See [Collect logs for IZT support](/troubleshooting/collect-logs/).