Navigate Root

Find your communities, chats, and settings in the Root interface.

App layout

The Root desktop app is organized into these main areas:

Area	Location	Description
Tab bar	Top	Open communities appear as tabs; select a tab to switch
User tray	Top-right	Access Friends, Direct messages, Notifications, and Profile
Community view	Center	Shows the current community's channels, members, and content

The Root mobile app uses a bottom tab bar and drawer navigation:

Area	Location	Description
Bottom tab bar	Bottom	Switch between Home, Friends, Messages, Notifications, and Profile
Community drawer	Left side	Swipe right or tap the menu icon to see your communities
Community view	Center	Shows the current community's channels and content

Communities open as tabs in the tab bar at the top of the window.

Select the + button to open a community in a new tab
Select a tab to switch to that community
Select the X on a tab to close it
Right-click a tab and select Open in new window to open it in a separate window. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (macOS) to pop out the current tab. Root remembers each window's position and size between sessions.

Root provides quick access to features that work across all communities.

The user tray in the top-right corner contains these icons:

Icon	Name	Description
Person silhouette	Friends	View and manage your friends list
Chat bubble	Direct messages	Access your private conversations
Bell	Notifications	View friend requests, mentions, and community invites
Your profile picture	Profile	Access settings, help, and sign out

Select an icon to open or close its panel on the right side of the window.

The bottom tab bar provides access to global features:

Tab	Description
Home	Return to your communities
Friends	View and manage your friends list
Messages	Access your direct messages
Notifications	View friend requests, mentions, and invites
Profile	Access settings, help, and sign out