Switch communities

Jump between the communities you've joined.

How it works

Desktop

The desktop app uses a tab bar at the top of the window to manage open communities. You can have multiple communities open at once, each in its own tab. Select a tab to switch between them, or close tabs you're no longer using.

• Notification badges: Tabs display a badge showing the number of unread notifications for that community.
• Tab persistence: Your open tabs are remembered between sessions, so they reopen just as you left them.
• Tab reordering: Drag tabs to rearrange them in any order you prefer.
• Up to 25 open at once: You can have up to 25 communities open, counting tabs and popped out windows. If you try to open another one, Root shows Too many communities open. Close a tab to open a new one. If you join or create a community while you're at the limit, you still join it, it just doesn't open in a tab.
• Closing a tab during a call: If you close the tab of a community where you're in a call, Root asks first. Select Leave call to close the tab and leave the call, or Cancel to keep both.

Mobile

The mobile app displays one community at a time. When you open a different community, it replaces the current view. You switch between them in the community drawer, a panel that slides in from the left.

The drawer header has three ways to add a community to your list:

Control	What it does
Discover icon	Browses Root's public and verified communities
Search icon	Searches the communities you've already joined
Create community button	Starts a new community of your own

Open a community

Desktop

1. Select the + button in the tab bar at the top of the window. This opens the New Tab page.
2. Under Your communities, select a community to open it. If you've joined a lot, type in the filter box to narrow the list.

The community opens in the tab.

The New Tab page also gives you quick ways to get around Root:

• Explore communities: browse Root's public directory. See Community Discovery.
• Explore apps & bots: browse the App Store.
• Create community: start a community of your own.

Your communities show with your favorites first. See Favorite communities.

Mobile

1. Open the community drawer by swiping right from anywhere on the screen, or by tapping the menu icon in the top left corner. Inside a community, that button shows the community's picture instead.
2. Tap a community to open it.

You can do this from inside another community. You don't need to go back to the Home tab first.

Switch communities

Desktop

Select a community tab in the tab bar to switch to that community.

Mobile

1. Open the community drawer by swiping right, or by tapping the menu icon in the top left corner. Inside a community, that button shows the community's picture instead.
2. Tap a community to switch to it.

Find a community in your list

If you've joined a lot of communities, search your own list rather than scrolling it.

Desktop

Select the + button in the tab bar to open the New Tab page, then type in the filter box under Your communities to narrow the list.

Mobile

1. Open the community drawer by swiping right, or by tapping the menu icon in the top left corner. Inside a community, that button shows the community's picture instead.
2. Tap the Search icon in the drawer header.
3. Start typing a community name. The list narrows as you type.
4. Tap the community to open it.

This searches the communities you've already joined. To find new ones, use the Discover icon instead. See Community Discovery.

Close a community

Desktop

1. Hover over the tab you want to close.
2. Select the X button on the tab, or right-click the tab and select Close tab.

Mobile

Only one community is open at a time on mobile.