> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.crew.you/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.crew.you/messenger-channels/overview.md).

# Overview

One of Crew's most powerful features is the ability to chat with your AI assistant from any messaging app you already use. Connect your favorite messenger, and you can access all of Crew's tools — email, calendar, web search, document creation — right from your chat app.

## Supported Messengers

| Messenger                                                 | Connection Method        | Setup Time  |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------- |
| [WhatsApp](/messenger-channels/whatsapp.md)               | Pairing Code             | \~1 minute  |
| [Slack](/messenger-channels/slack.md)                     | OAuth (Add to Workspace) | \~1 minute  |
| [Discord](/messenger-channels/discord.md)                 | OAuth (Add to Server)    | \~1 minute  |
| [Telegram](/messenger-channels/telegram.md)               | Bot Token                | \~3 minutes |
| [Microsoft Teams](/messenger-channels/microsoft-teams.md) | Pairing Code             | \~2 minutes |
| [LINE](/messenger-channels/line.md)                       | Pairing Code             | \~1 minute  |
| [KakaoTalk](/messenger-channels/kakaotalk.md)             | Pairing Code             | \~1 minute  |

## How Channels Work

When you connect a messenger:

1. Messages you send in the messenger are forwarded to Crew
2. Crew processes your request using all your connected tools
3. The response is sent back to you in the same messenger

It's a private, 1-on-1 conversation between you and your Crew assistant — nobody else can see it.

## What You Can Do from Messengers

Everything you can do in the web chat, you can do from a messenger:

* Search the web and get summaries
* Read and send emails
* Check and manage your calendar
* Create documents and files
* Run code and analyze data
* Search your Google Drive or OneDrive
* Set up scheduled tasks
* And more...

Files created by Crew (documents, images, charts) are delivered directly in the messenger conversation.

## Channel Limits by Plan

| Plan  | Max Channels |
| ----- | ------------ |
| Free  | 1            |
| Basic | 3            |
| Plus  | 10           |
| Pro   | Unlimited    |

You can connect multiple channels simultaneously and use them interchangeably. Your conversations on each channel are saved separately, but you can reference conversations from other channels using the [cross-channel feature](/messenger-channels/cross-channel-conversations.md).

## Connecting a Channel

1. Go to **Messengers** in the sidebar
2. Find your messenger and click **Connect**
3. Follow the platform-specific instructions (see individual channel guides)
4. Once connected, start chatting!

## Managing Channels

* **Status indicators** show whether each channel is connected, pending, or has an error
* **Disconnect** a channel anytime from the Messengers page
* **Reconnect** if a channel is disconnected or shows an error

## Team Channel Privacy

When you invite Crew to a team or group channel (like a Slack workspace or Discord server), everyone in that channel can chat with Crew together. To protect your privacy, Crew automatically restricts access to personal tools in team channels.

### What's Blocked by Default

Tools that access personal data are blocked in team channels:

| Category        | Tools                               |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Email           | Gmail, Outlook                      |
| Calendar        | Google Calendar, Microsoft 365      |
| Contacts        | Google Contacts                     |
| Cloud Storage   | Google Drive, OneDrive, My Files    |
| GitHub          | Repositories, issues, pull requests |
| Notion          | Pages and databases                 |
| Message History | Past conversation history           |

### What's Always Available

Non-personal tools work normally in team channels:

* Web search, news, and research
* Image generation and analysis
* Weather, place search, and directions
* Document creation
* Market data
* And more...

### Customizing Restrictions

If your team shares an account and everyone should have access to certain tools, you can adjust the restrictions:

1. Go to **Messengers** in the sidebar
2. Find your team channel and open its settings
3. Toggle which tool categories Crew can access

Note: In **private DMs**, all tools are always available regardless of team channel settings.

## Media Support

Most messengers support sending and receiving:

* **Text messages** with basic formatting
* **Images** (photos, generated images, charts)
* **Documents** (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, etc.)
* **Audio** (voice messages for transcription)

Exact support varies by platform — see each channel's guide for details.