# Send someone a private message

Instead of composing a new private message through the compose box,
you can compose a private message to someone using the user list.

1. In the user list on the right sidebar, hover over the name of the user
you want to privately message to reveal a down chevron (<i
class="icon-vector-chevron-down"></i>) icon to the right of the user's name.

    !!! tip ""
        You can search for a specific user by entering the user's name in
        the **Search users** input.

2. Click on the {!down-chevron.md!} Select the **Compose a message to
(user's name)** option from the actions dropdown.  This will open the
compose box with the target user as the recipient.

3. Type your message.

4. Once you have completed your message, you can now send your message
to the specified user by pressing the Enter key or clicking the **Send**
button, depending on your settings.

## View your private message history with a user and compose

If you'd like to look at your message history with a user while you
compose your message, do the following:

1. In the user list on the right sidebar, click on the name of the user
you want to privately message.

    !!! tip ""
        You can search for a specific user by entering the user's name in
        the **Search users** input.

2. Upon clicking on the user's name, your view will be narrowed to your
private message history with the selected user, and the compose box will be
transformed to include the selected user's email address in the
**one or more people...** field.