This article explains how a host or moderator can turn on slow mode in event chat to limit how often attendees send messages, and what attendees see when it is on.
Applies to: Slow mode works the same way in Bevy Virtual Meetup and Bevy Virtual Conference. Both products use the same chat panel, so the control, the wait times, and what attendees see are identical.
During a busy live event, chat can move faster than people can read it. Slow mode sets a minimum wait between messages from each attendee, so the conversation stays readable. Hosts and moderators turn it on during the event, and the wait never applies to their own messages.
Terms used in this article:
- Slow mode—A chat setting that sets a minimum wait between messages from each attendee.
- Cooldown—The number of seconds an attendee waits before they can send another message.
- Exempt—Not subject to the cooldown. Hosts and moderators are exempt.
Before you start
Check the following before you turn on slow mode:
- You need to join as a host or a moderator. The slow mode control only appears to people in those roles.
- Chat needs to be turned on for the event. If chat is disabled, there is no chat panel and no slow mode control.
- You turn slow mode on during the event. It is a live control in the chat panel, not a setting you configure in the dashboard beforehand.
Turn on slow mode
Slow mode takes effect as soon as you choose a wait time. To turn it on:
- Open the chat panel.
- Select the clock icon at the bottom of the chat panel, labeled Slow mode settings.
- Select a wait time: 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds.
The status line next to the control changes to "Slow mode on — 30 seconds", showing the wait time you chose. Everyone in the chat sees the change right away. Nobody needs to refresh or rejoin.
You can change the wait time at any point during the event. Open the same menu and select a different option — the new wait applies immediately.
You can change the wait time at any point during the event. Open the same menu and select a different option — the new wait applies immediately.
Turn off slow mode
To let attendees send messages without a wait:
- Open the chat panel.
- Select the clock icon at the bottom of the chat panel.
- Select Off.
The status line changes to "Slow mode off", and the notice disappears for attendees.
What attendees see
What a person sees depends on their role and on whether slow mode is on:
| Who they are | What they see |
|---|---|
| Host or moderator | The slow mode menu and a status line showing the current setting. The wait never applies to their own messages. |
| Attendee, slow mode off | Nothing. There is no notice and no wait. |
| Attendee, slow mode on | A notice by the message box: "Slow mode is on. You can send a message every 30 seconds." |
Slow mode limits
Keep the following in mind when you use slow mode:
- Wait times are fixed. Choose 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds. There is no custom value, and there is no option longer than 90 seconds.
- Slow mode applies to one chat at a time. It applies to the chat you set it in — a Bevy Virtual Meetup session, or a Bevy Virtual Conference session, stage, backstage, or networking table chat. Setting it in one does not set it in the others.
- Direct messages are not affected. Slow mode applies to event chat only. Attendees can still send direct messages without a wait.
- The setting does not carry over between events. Slow mode belongs to the chat it was set in, so a new event starts with slow mode off.
- Hosts and moderators are exempt. The wait applies to attendees only, and hosts and moderators never see the attendee notice.