How to Private Message a Writer on Medium

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I’ve been on Medium for ages, and never realized I could send a private message to writers without asking for their email.

I bet most readers here had no idea they could privately chat with writers on the platform.

This feature is only available on PC.

To send a Private Message, highlight text in the writer’s article, and a pop-up menu will appear with four options.
The Lock icon is where you send the writer of the story a private note. Click on it and type away.

private chat icon

Sometimes, we may want to address or commend a writer privately.

I very recently should have used this feature to raise a tiny concern about an article, but I had no idea it was possible to send a private message to the author so I posted in the comment section and brewed a storm.

insert 'Sad face' emoji

Note, a private message is only seen by you and the recipient, but it is possible that if the article is in a publication, the editors there can see it too.

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Remember, this feature can be turned off in your account setting.