TextChatService

Show Deprecated
Not Creatable
Service

A service handling in-experience text chat, including managing channels, decorating messages, filtering text, creating commands, and developing custom chats interfaces.

To learn more, see In-Experience Text Chat.

Summary

Properties

Methods

Events

Properties

ChatTranslationEnabled

Not Replicated
Roblox Script Security
Read Parallel

ChatVersion

Not Accessible Security
Read Parallel

Determines whether to fully enable TextChatService or revert to the legacy chat system. Setting this property to Enum.ChatVersion.LegacyChatService effectively disables TextChatService.

CreateDefaultCommands

Plugin Security
Read Parallel

Determines whether TextChatService should create default TextChatCommands.

If true, the following TextChatCommands are created and put in a Folder named TextChatCommands inside TextChatService:

NamePrimary AliasSecondary AliasDescriptionUsage Example
RBXClearCommandclearclsClears the chat log for the local user./cls
RBXConsoleCommandconsoleOpens the Developer Console./console
RBXEmoteCommandemoteePlays an avatar emote./e dance
RBXHelpCommandhelp?Shows a list of chat commands./help
RBXMuteCommandmutemMutes a user by their Name or DisplayName in all TextChannels./m Username
RBXTeamCommandteamtEnters team chat mode where messages are only visible to teammates./t
RBXUnmuteCommandunmuteumUnmutes a user by their Name or DisplayName in all TextChannels./um Username
RBXVersionCommandversionvShows the chat version./version
RBXWhisperCommandwhisperwEnters whisper mode with another Player./w DisplayName or /w @Username

Note that you can edit, create, and remove TextChatCommands even if CreateDefaultCommands is true. Also note that mute and unmute commands apply to all TextChannels.

CreateDefaultTextChannels

Plugin Security
Read Parallel

Determines whether TextChatService should create default TextChannels. If true, a Folder named TextChannels is created inside TextChatService at runtime to contain the TextChannels outlined in the table below. Each of the default channels has the described special behavior applied to messages using its internally bound TextChannel.OnIncomingMessage callback function, changing how messages appear when sent through the channel. The callback is assigned automatically either at runtime (if the TextChannel exists) or when the TextChannel is created.

ChannelDescription
RBXGeneralTextChannel for player messages. In the chat window, messages are modified such that PrefixText receives a rich text font color tag to give chatting players their distinctive name color. If Player.Team exists, that Team.TeamColor is used instead of the default name color.
RBXSystemTextChannel for system messages. In the chat window, messages are modified such that TextChatMessage.Text is given a light grey color tag by default, or a red color tag if TextChatMessage.Metadata contains the word "Error".
RBXTeam[BrickColor]TextChannel for team-specific player messages, created when a TeamColor is in use by any Team within the Teams service. Name of the created channel is RBXTeam followed by the TeamColor name. For example, RBXTeamCrimson is a TextChannel created when there is an active team whose TeamColor property is the "Crimson" BrickColor.

In the chat window, messages are modified such that PrefixText is colored according to the TeamColor and is prepended with [Team].

Team channels create TextSources for all non‑Neutral players with the matching TeamColor, allowing them to use team‑only chat. Channels are removed if there are no remaining teams with an associated TeamColor.
RBXWhisper:[UserId1]_[UserId2]TextChannel for whisper messages between two players, created when a player uses the /whisper command on another player. For example RBXWhisper:2276836_505306092 is a TextChannel for players with UserIds2276836 and 505306092. Inside whisper channels are two TextSources associated with the respective UserIds.

In the chat window, messages are colored the same as those in RBXGeneral and TextChatMessage.PrefixText is modified to show whether a message was sent from or received by the local user.

Whisper channels are removed when either player leaves the experience.

Note that the default TextChannel.OnIncomingMessage callbacks can be overwritten. Also note that you can edit, create, and remove TextChannels even if CreateDefaultTextChannels is true.

Messages from different TextChannels can be separated into different tabs in the chat window using ChannelTabsConfiguration.

Methods

DisplayBubble

void

Displays a chat bubble above the provided part or player character, and fires the BubbleDisplayed event with the parameters specified in this method. Can display bubbles for non-player characters (NPCs) if you specify a part within the character, such as its head.

Note that this method is only available for use in LocalScript, or in a Script with RunContext of Enum.RunContext.Client.

Parameters

partOrCharacter: Instance

The part or character that the bubble to be displayed above.

message: string

The text to be displayed in the chat bubble.


Returns

void

CanUserChatAsync

Yields

Parameters

userId: number

Returns

CanUsersChatAsync

Yields

Parameters

userIdFrom: number
userIdTo: number

Returns

CanUsersDirectChatAsync

Yields

Determines whether a user has permission to chat directly with other users in experiences based on their parental control settings. To be used when:

  • The line of communication is user-initiated (not developer- or gameplay-initiated)
  • Access to the communication is closed and limited

Parameters

requesterUserId: number
userIds: Array

Returns

Code Samples

CanUsersDirectChatAsync

local TextChatService = game:GetService("TextChatService")
local directChatParticipants = TextChatService:CanUsersDirectChatAsync(userId1, { userId2 })
-- Check for eligible participants
if #directChatParticipants > 0 then
local directChannel = Instance.new("TextChannel")
directChannel.Parent = TextChatService
for _, participant in directChatParticipants do
directChannel:AddUserAsync(participant)
end
return directChannel
end
warn("Could not create TextChannel. Not enough eligible users.")
return nil

Events

BubbleDisplayed

Fires when TextChatService:DisplayBubble() is called.

Parameters

partOrCharacter: Instance
textChatMessage: TextChatMessage

MessageReceived

Like TextChannel.MessageReceived, fires when TextChannel:DisplaySystemMessage() is invoked on the client, or when the client receives a valid TextChannel:SendAsync() response from the server. This event is only fired on the client.

If the server's TextChannel.ShouldDeliverCallback property is bound and returns false, the client will not fire TextChatService.MessageReceived.

Use the TextChatMessage parameter to get the TextSource and the text of the message (with TextChatMessage.Text).

The TextChatMessage parameter is the final result of any functions bound to TextChatService.OnIncomingMessage or TextChannel.OnIncomingMessage.

Parameters

textChatMessage: TextChatMessage

The received TextChatMessage.


SendingMessage

Fires when TextChannel:SendAsync() is called by the sending client. Use this to allow placeholder messages to be shown to the user while waiting for server response to TextChannel:SendAsync().

Parameters

textChatMessage: TextChatMessage

Callbacks

OnBubbleAdded

Parameters

adornee: Instance

Returns

OnChatWindowAdded

Parameters


Returns

OnIncomingMessage

Parameters


Returns