Key takeaways
- Direct messages in C Chat are private between the people in them.
- Team owners and admins can audit and export group conversations, not direct messages.
- Exception: security companies using CGuard Pro can audit groups and security-related chats between guards and the office.
- The platform accesses content only for reported-message moderation or legal requirements, and that access is logged.
- Work decisions belong in groups; personal or sensitive one-to-one topics belong in direct messages.
Workplace chat needs two kinds of space. Groups are where the team coordinates and where the company needs a record. One-to-one conversations are where people ask a quick question, raise a concern, or talk about something that does not belong in front of the whole team. A good business messenger makes the difference between the two clear, so people trust the tool instead of working around it.
Why private conversations fail on personal chat apps
When work happens on personal messengers, privacy becomes muddled in both directions:
- Everything is mixed. Work chats, family chats and side conversations with colleagues all sit in one personal account.
- No clear rules. Employees do not know what the company might later ask to see, and managers do not know what they are allowed to ask for.
- Numbers are the only way in. To message a colleague privately, you need their personal phone number.
- No company record of the work part, so people forward screenshots of private chats when a dispute comes up, which is worse for everyone.
How C Chat handles private one-to-one conversations
C Chat separates the two spaces explicitly:
| Conversation | Who can read it | Company audit and export |
|---|---|---|
| Group in your team | Group members | Yes, by team owners and admins |
| Direct message between two people | The two participants | No |
| Security-related chats in CGuard Pro companies | Participants, plus the security company’s audit | Yes, by the security company |
The full breakdown is in who can read my messages in C Chat, and the reasoning behind the design in why direct messages stay private.
How direct messages work in practice:
- Reach anyone, no requests. Direct messages go to any C Chat user, found by @username, by phone contacts or among team members.
- Contact matching with privacy. Phone numbers are hashed with SHA-256 on the device, and the server does not store the hashes.
- Protection from abuse. You can block and report any user. Reported messages may be reviewed for moderation, and that access is logged.
- Same features as groups. Text, replies, reactions, photos, files up to 25 MB, voice notes and location sharing.
Setting it up: groups, members and roles
There is nothing to configure for direct messages; they are private by design. The work is in setting expectations:
- Write it into your messaging policy. Groups are company spaces that can be audited; direct messages are private. The BYOD policy guide includes wording you can adapt.
- Tell staff when they join. Clear expectations build trust in the tool.
- Ask for work decisions in groups. Approvals, client instructions and incident details go in the relevant group so the company record is complete.
- Keep sensitive one-to-one topics in direct messages. A health issue, a personal request, a concern about a colleague.
- For HR matters, agree on the channel. Some companies prefer a direct message to the HR lead; others prefer a formal process outside chat. Decide and communicate it.
Message formats and checklist
A simple rule of thumb to share with the team:
- Would the company need this if something went wrong? Post it in the group.
- Is it about one person and nobody else needs it? Send a direct message.
- Is it a decision someone else will act on? Group, even if you discussed it privately first. Post a summary: “Agreed with [name]: …”.
Checklist for managers:
- Staff know which conversations are auditable.
- No one is asked to forward or screenshot private messages as routine.
- Decisions made in direct messages are summarized in the right group.
- People know they can block and report.
If your staff use their own phones, this separation matters even more; see work messaging on personal phones.
Security and oversight
C Chat uses auditable encryption: TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest with a key per organization. It is not end-to-end encryption. The auditable part applies to group conversations, which owners and admins can review and export. Direct messages are excluded from that audit. Security companies on CGuard Pro are the exception described above, because guard communications with the office are part of their operations.
If you need conversations that no organization or provider could ever read, an end-to-end encrypted tool may fit better; the honest comparison in C Chat vs WhatsApp for business teams explains the trade-off. For moving teams off personal apps while preserving this split, see move work off personal WhatsApp groups, and for a wider security framework, business messaging security.
Getting started
Sign up at getcchat.com/c with your phone or email, set an @username and send your first direct message. For your team, create the groups, share your policy on what is auditable and private, and invite people. C Chat is free for now within the limits on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Can my boss read my direct messages in C Chat?
No. Team owners and admins can audit and export the team's group conversations, but direct messages between people are private. The one exception is in security companies that use CGuard Pro, which can audit groups and security-related chats between guards and the office.
Can C Chat staff read my direct messages?
The C Chat platform only accesses content to moderate messages that someone reported, or when legally required, and that access is logged. Messages are encrypted in transit with TLS and at rest with AES-256 using per-organization keys.
Are C Chat direct messages end-to-end encrypted?
No. C Chat uses TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest rather than end-to-end encryption. Direct messages are private by policy and design: they are excluded from the company's audit and export, and platform access is limited and logged.
Can I message someone without them having my phone number?
Yes. You can find people by @username or among your team members and send them a direct message without any request step. If someone bothers you, you can block and report them.