FAQs
Got a question about the 8seats app? We've answered some of the most common ones here.
Workspaces
How do I create an 8seats account?
Ready to create your 8seats account? Here’s how:
First, download the 8seats app from the store for your preferred device:
For iOS devices: 8seats - iOS here
For Android devices: 8seats - Android here
Or visit https://app.8seats.com in your browser on any desktop computer.
(Please note, 8seats currently support iOS and Android apps and desktop web browser. We don’t currently support web browser on mobile.)
Creating an 8seats account is easy, simply follow the steps below:
Step 1: Click “Start using 8seats for free”.
Step 2: Enter phone number and click “Next step”.
Step 3: Create your account by filling in your name, profile picture and click ‘Create your account.
Step 4: A “Welcome aboard!” screen will pop up and load your account.
Step 5: Once clicking the prompt. Simply insert your company name, logo and click “Create my workspace”.
Step 6: A “Welcome aboard!” screen will show, creating your workspace. That’s it, you’re all set and ready to go!
If at any stage you need assistance with your 8seats account or workspace, we’re here to help! Simply reach out and contact us at [email protected] .
I have an 8seats account already, how do I create a workspace for my team?
Already got an 8seats account? Great! If you’d like to create a workspace for your team, here’s how:
Open the 8seats app on your iOS or Android device, or visit https://app.8seats.com in your browser on any desktop computer and sign in to your account.
(Please note, 8seats currently support iOS and Android apps and desktop web browser. We don’t currently support web browser on mobile.)
Open the menu by tapping or clicking on your profile picture on the top left of your screen. Then tap or click on “Create a new workspace” and follow the steps provided on the following screens.
If at any stage you need assistance with your 8seats account or workspace, we’re here to help! Simply reach out and contact us at [email protected].
What’s the difference between creating an account as an individual or a business?
Business Account
A centrally managed 8seats Workspace for your business to communicate and collaborate.
Full access control over users, add and remove team members from your Workspace.
All message history, documents and images are retained in your Workspace and do not reside on employees personal devices.
Manage company Tables and Rooms, implement custom branding and make the Workspace your own.
Personal Account
Free messaging with friends and family.
For features inclusions in our plans, please check out our pricing page: https://www.8seats.com/pricing
What is an 8seats workspace?
A workspace is one place that connects everyone in your team, as well as all of your team’s Table, Rooms and DMs. This means that all of your message data – including any images, videos or files your team sends – is stored securely within your workspace.
Workspaces give you complete control, easily invite new team members to your workspace or remove a user from your workspace and they will be removed from all Tables, Rooms and DM’s while your workspace retains all historical communication.
👉 Checkout our helpful guide on how to setup a Workspace and add your team - How to setup your Workspace and add your team
How do I add co-workers to my workspace?
Adding team members to your workspace is easy, all you need is their phone number. Invite team members to Tables, Rooms or DM’s automatically adds to your workspace. Once you have created a workspace, simply click the ‘+’ symbol in a Table, Room or DM and you’ll be prompted to add your team member as a member or guest and you’re all set.
What’s the difference between a member and a guest?
Members can create new Tables and Rooms in the workspace, as well as make changes to their settings. Members can also invite other people to Tables and Rooms.
Guests can be invited to Tables and Rooms, but they are not able to create new ones in the workspace, and may not invite other people.
As a good rule, the team members within your business are best as Members. Use Guests for people who are outside your business, such as vendors and suppliers, partner businesses, customers and clients, or other associates.
General questions
What is a Table?
Tables are the heart of the 8seats app. They are the next evolution in group messaging. A table enables dynamic conversations between any combination of people in that group with a simple tap or swipe.
That means no more static groups and no endless lists of groups with mostly the same people in them!
👉 Check out our helpful guide on how to use Tables - How to use Tables
How many people can I have on a Table?
Tables are for up to 8 people on a free plan or up to 20 people on the Business plan. For communicating with more than 20 people you can use a Room, this will allow you to broadcast messages to up to 10,000 members. Perfect for company announcements, giving kudos and congratulations or sharing new policies and processes.
I put someone’s head down. Are you sure they can’t read my message?
Yes. If a table member’s head is down they can never read any messages sent to that conversation. Our system ensures there’s no way for them to access or intercept that message on their device.
What if I need to chat with more than 8 people?
Did you notice that the 8seats logo contains both the number 8 and the ∞ infinity symbol? That’s no coincidence! 8 is just where we start.
On our Business plan, you can extend your Tables to include up to 20 people, covering most team sizes where fast collaboration and dynamic conversations are required.
For the times when you need even more than that, our Rooms feature offers you simple group chat, allowing you to broadcast to up to 10,000 members.
Rooms do not include the heads up and down feature (that would get quite fiddly with more than 20 people!), however we have some innovative features planned for the future to bring natural conversation dynamic to much larger groups too.
Keep an eye on the 8seats.com website and the Discover area of the 8seats app for news about upcoming new features.
How do I add people to my Table or Room?
A Table can have up to 8 people on it, or up to 20 for users on the Business plan. That means you can add up to 7 others – or 19 others for Business users. Rooms are much larger, with support for up to 10,000 members. Anyone who is a member of a Table or Room can invite other people to it.
Once you have a Table or Room set up, simply tap the blue ‘+’ icon near the top right of the screen to start the invite process. You can add multiple people directly from the contacts on your device, or if you want to add someone new, simply enter their name and phone number to securely invite them to your Table.
How many Tables or Rooms can I be part of?
In the free plan you have the ability to create 3 Tables and 3 Rooms, you can however be invited to Tables and Rooms by other 8seats users. There is no limit on the number of Tables and Rooms that you can be a part of.
Does your business need more Tables or Rooms? Get in touch with our team here to talk about your requirements. We’d love to hear from you.
Are the messages I send secure?
Yes the messages and personally identifiable information on the 8seats platform are protected with 256-bit encryption, both at rest and in transit to ensure your privacy. We have even more advanced security systems planned for future versions of 8seats.
Keep an eye on the 8seats.com website and the Discover area of the 8seats app for news about upcoming new features.
Can I customise my Table or Room?
You can customise your Table and Room backgrounds and colours. Choose from our library of backgrounds or upload one of your own. Tailor your workspace to align it with your organisation's branding. We recommend making your workspace fun!
I already have a chat app. Why should I start using 8seats?
8seats is a business messaging tool/app for all teams, but predominantly frontline and blue collar workers. You'd be familiar with Microsoft Teams and Slack, these are messaging tools used by office based workers that have email addresses. Business that employee frontline workers, i.e. retail workers, hospitality workers, facilities management workers (give some examples ie. A retail chain of kids toys that has 55 stores nationally with 10 people per store) have no centralised way to communicate directly with their workers and these teams have naturally adopted WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS and other tools.
The problem is, that using personal messaging apps means that all the data resides on the workers personal device, the company has no visibility of what groups the employees are in, the information that's being shared, and no way of removing them from these groups or restricting access to information when they cease their employment. Asides from this, there's no way of building culture, celebrating employees, sharing company announcements effectively with workers like you do in an office environment. 8seats solves this by providing a company owned workspace within the 8seats app that links to an employees mobile number and does not require an email address / Microsoft or Google licence for access.
Check out why 8seats is different? https://www.youtube.com/watch
How do I get the latest version of 8seats?
To get the latest version of 8seats for your mobile device, simply visit the App Store or Google Play store and hit the update button. You’ll find the links to the app below.
👉 8seats for Android - Google Play Store
We highly recommend setting your device to automatically update your apps so you always have the latest version. If you’re using 8seats on your desktop computer, just refresh your browser to get the latest version. Depending on your browser you may have to force refresh, using the below steps.
To force refresh on Windows:
In Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera:
Press Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + Shift + R
To force refresh on Mac OS:
In Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera:
Press Cmd + Shift + R
In Safari:
Press Cmd + Option + R or hold Option (Alt) and click the Refresh button in the address bar.
👉 For more information check out our support page - How to get the latest version of 8seats
Where did the idea behind 8seats come from?
We believe that digital chat conversations should be as natural and seamless as conversations in the real world. We took inspiration from the way people communicate in real life and invented a new chat interface to allow the same experience to exist inside a chat app.
What’s coming next for 8seats?
We have a huge list of exciting new features coming to 8seats! While we don’t share our product roadmap publicly in advance, we’re always happy to discuss product requirements with our customers.
If you have a feature request, we would love to hear it, please email us at [email protected]. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Discover section in 8seats, we always share updates about the new features in our product releases.
Support access
What operating systems is 8seats compatible with?
Mobile App
8seats mobile app is available on iOS and Android devices. You can download:
8seats for iOS devices: apple store here
8seats for Android devices: google play store here
Web Browsers
We recommend using https://app.8seats.com with one of the following web browsers, using the latest browser version.
Google Chrome
Safari
Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Arc
Please note, 8seats currently support iOS and Android apps and desktop web browser. We don’t currently support web browser on mobile.
Security
Why do we use phone numbers to secure identity?
To create your account, 8seats uses your phone number as a secure form of identity. This helps us keep your account safe while making it easy to sign in. Your phone number is kept private and is used only to confirm your identity.
👉 For more information check out our support page - Your Security & Privacy
Who owns my data? Can anyone see my data?
Your data, your control: You and your company own the messages and data you send through 8seats. We will never access your data or content unless you ask us to provide you with customer support.
👉 For more information check out our support page - Your Security & Privacy
Is the security for Personal vs Workspace accounts different?
Personal spaces: If you use 8seats for personal messaging, you own all your message data, including any images, videos, or documents you share.
Workspaces: If you’re using 8seats as part of a company workspace, your company owns and manages that workspace’s data. In this case, your company’s account holder has control over the message data and files shared within the workspace.
👉 For more information check out our support page - Your Security & Privacy
Where is my information kept?
Secured storage: All your information is safely encrypted and stored using industry-leading technology, with secure backups.
Safe transmission: When data is sent over the internet, it’s encrypted using up-to-date security protocols so that it can’t be intercepted. 👉 For more information check out our support page - Your Security & Privacy
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