What’s new at Across.

Presence and typing

• See who’s available. Online, Away, and Offline labels now appear in conversation lists, chat headers, and contact cards. Presence accounts for multiple tabs and devices.
• A clearer Away timer. Away now follows five minutes of inactivity. Switching tabs or moving to another window no longer marks you Away immediately. Returning to Across or interacting with it restores Online status. Disconnected sessions become Offline; missed check-ins expire after 90 seconds.
• Know when a reply is coming. Animated three-dot bubbles and a “Name is typing…” label appear while another member writes. Typing also appears in the conversation list.
• Drafts stay private. Typing indicators share activity only, not unsent message text. They clear after a pause, when a draft is cleared or sent, or when the writer leaves the chat. Stale indicators expire automatically.
• Presence respects blocking. Blocked contacts cannot see each other’s presence or typing activity.

A smoother conversation

• Steadier scrolling. Incoming messages and translation updates keep the latest message in view when you’re following a conversation. Scrolling back preserves your reading position.
• Readable unread counts. Badges sit beside contact names, vertically centred without clipping.
• Artwork in the chat. A subtle pattern of conversation, language, and global-connection illustrations replaces the tinted background, with versions for light and dark mode.
• More useful contact cards. Larger initials, clearer names, reading-language details, and a prominent Message button make it easier to start a conversation.

Appearance and access

• A refreshed identity. Across uses the Conversation Loop logo and a Coral & Sea light palette.
• Monochrome dark mode. Black, grey, and white surfaces, controls, and branding provide a separate dark appearance. Choose Light, Dark, or System in preferences; the choice is saved in your browser.
• A new app address. Sign-in and logout support app.across.chat, with existing conversations available after signing in. Email sign-in continues through SpacetimeAuth.

Notifications — administrator pilot

• Optional new-message alerts. Web push is available for administrator testing, including when Across’s tabs are closed, subject to browser and device settings.
• Sender-only notifications. Alerts identify the sender and, for groups, the group name. Message text is excluded.
• Open the right conversation. Clicking an alert opens its conversation, with sign-in and membership checks still required.
• Per-device controls. Enable or disable notifications in preferences. Permission must be granted separately on the new app domain. On iPhone and iPad, Across must be added to the Home Screen first.
• A staged rollout. Delivery remains limited to administrator recipients until a real-device pilot succeeds and an administrator enables delivery for other opted-in members. Delivery statistics are available in the admin dashboard.

Invite-only pilot foundations

• Messages in your reading language. Automatic translation appears in the thread, with original text available to view.
• Direct and group chats. Private invitations, saved contacts, and group membership controls support conversations.
• Conversation controls. Members can block contacts and report concerns.
• Mobile-friendly layouts. Across adapts to phone and desktop screens.
• Pilot administration. Administrators can review translation usage, allowances, budgets, and estimated costs.