how does the chat bar work on facebook

If you have logged in to Facebook today you will notice that the old chat window is gone and in its place is a new sidebar. The chat window was a small application from which you used to chat with all your friends and could be collapsible. It works the same as the old window but with a few changes. In the new sidebar you are also able to see the friends you most interact with using messages etc. With the sidebar you can quickly message friends and if a friend is not available to chat you can type in their name and send them a message.

When you send a message through the chat window, two things happen, they are sent a message and as soon as they login to Facebook there is already a chat window open with your message. There is no way they are going to miss your message. This new bar is being rolled out to everyone and there are a few changes to your chat list, you are unable to see your old chat lists since Facebook populates your sidebar dynamically, however to limit visibility you can still use your lists found at the bottom of the window. Found below is what Facebook has to say about the new rollout. 

So how does the chat bar work on Facebook. 


How do I use the sidebar for messaging?
The sidebar lets you quickly contact some of the friends you message most. Just clicking on a friend’s name opens a chat window. If your friend isn’t available to chat, you can still send messages for them to read later. 

How do I message a friend who doesn’t appear in the sidebar?
To message someone who isn’t listed in your sidebar, just type your friend’s name in the search box at the bottom of the list. Clicking on a friend’s name opens a chat window. If your friend isn’t available to chat, you can still send messages for them to read later. 

How do I hide the sidebar?
To collapse the sidebar, select Hide Sidebar from the actions menu in the bottom right corner of the sidebar.

Which friends appear in the sidebar? Can I add specific friends?
The list of friends in your sidebar is based on who you’ve interacted with most frequently or recently on Facebook. Since it updates dynamically, you can’t manually add friends to the list.

The list shows both friends who are available to chat and friends who aren’t. Clicking on a friend’s name opens a chat window. If your friend isn’t available to chat, you can still send messages for them to read later.

How do I message a friend who doesn’t appear in the sidebar?
To message someone who isn’t listed in your sidebar, just type your friend’s name in the search box at the bottom of the list. Clicking on a friend’s name opens a chat window. If your friend isn’t available to chat, you can still send messages for them to read later. 

Where are my chat friend lists?
Since the list of friends in your sidebar now updates dynamically based on who you interact with, it is no longer organized by friend list. You can still use friend lists to limit your availability to certain friends.

How you know a friend is available to chat:

Friends with a green dot next to their names are available to chat
Friends with a gray moon next to their names are available but inactive
Friends with no icon next to their names are unavailable