zulip/templates/zerver/help/marking-messages-as-read.md

# Marking messages as read

Zulip automatically keeps track of which messages you have and haven't
read. Unread messages have a dark line along their left side, which fade as
the message gets marked as read.

There are two situations in which messages automatically get marked as read.

* **End of feed**: When you get to the bottom of a view, Zulip marks all
  messages in that view as read.

* **Blue box**: Messages are marked as read when the blue box passes over
  them.

You can move the blue box either with the keyboard (arrow keys, <kbd>End</kbd>,
etc.) or by scrolling the feed with your mouse.

You can also manually **mark all messages as read**, or **mark all messages in a
stream or topic as read**.

{start_tabs}

1. Hover over a stream, topic, or **All messages** in the left sidebar.

1. Click the ellipsis (<i class="zulip-icon zulip-icon-ellipsis-v-solid"></i>)
   to the right.

1. Click **Mark all messages as read**.

{end_tabs}