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Source: Roblox Creator Hub · CC BY 4.0 · View source · Code samples: MIT Imported 2026-10-03. Formatting adapted for this site.

Chat

Inherits from: Instance → Object

The Chat service houses the Luau code responsible for running the legacy chat system. Similar to StarterPlayerScripts, default objects like Scripts and ModuleScripts are inserted into the service.

Inherits from: Instance

Memory category: Instances

Tags: NotCreatable, Service, NotReplicated

Deprecated: This class is deprecated. Use TextChatService instead.

Properties

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Chat.BubbleChatEnabled	boolean	Determines whether player's chat messages will appear above their in-game avatar.
Chat.LoadDefaultChat	boolean	Toggles whether the default chat framework should be automatically loaded when the game runs.

Inherited from Instance

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Instance.Archivable	boolean	Determines if an `Instance` and its descendants can be cloned using `Instance:Clone()`, and can be saved/published.
Instance.archivable	boolean
Instance.Capabilities	SecurityCapabilities	The set of capabilities allowed to be used for scripts inside this container.
Instance.IsInSandbox	boolean	Indicates whether the instance is inside a sandboxed container.
Instance.Name	string	A non-unique identifier of the `Instance`.
Instance.Parent	Instance	Determines the hierarchical parent of the `Instance`.
Instance.PredictionMode	PredictionMode	Reflects the client-side prediction mode applied to the instance under server-authoritative physics.
Instance.RobloxLocked	boolean	A deprecated property that used to protect `CoreGui` objects.
Instance.Sandboxed	boolean	When enabled, the instance can only access abilities in its `Capabilities` list.
Instance.UniqueId	UniqueId	A unique identifier for the instance.

Inherited from Object

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Object.ClassName	string	A read-only string representing the class this `Object` belongs to.
Object.className	string

Chat.BubbleChatEnabled

If true, entering a message in the chat will result in a chat bubble popping up above the player's Player.Character. This behavior can either be enabled by directly ticking this checkbox in Studio, or by using a LocalScript:

local ChatService = game:GetService("Chat")
ChatService.BubbleChatEnabled = true

This must be done on the client, toggling this value in a server-side Script will have no effect.

Field	Value
type	boolean
security	{"read":"None","write":"None"}
thread safety	ReadSafe
category	Behavior
serialization	{"can_load":true,"can_save":true}
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat.LoadDefaultChat

When set to true (the default), the engine inserts the default Luau chat system scripts (such as ChatScript and BubbleChat) into the Chat service at runtime. Setting this to false prevents the legacy chat framework from loading, which is useful if you are replacing it with a custom chat implementation or migrating to TextChatService.

This property defaults to true. It is not writable by scripts at runtime.

Field	Value
type	boolean
security	{"read":"None","write":"NotAccessibleSecurity"}
thread safety	ReadSafe
category	Behavior
serialization	{"can_load":true,"can_save":true}
capabilities	["Chat"]

Methods

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Chat:CanUserChatAsync	boolean	Will return false if the player with the specified `Player.UserId` is not allowed to chat because of their account settings.
Chat:CanUsersChatAsync	boolean	Will return false if the two users cannot communicate because their account settings do not allow it.
Chat:Chat	()	Fires the `Chat.Chatted` event with the parameters specified in this method.
Chat:FilterStringAsync	string	Filters a string sent from a player to another player using filtering that is appropriate to the players' account settings.
Chat:FilterStringForBroadcast	string	Filters a string sent from a player meant for broadcast to no particular target. More restrictive than `Chat:FilterStringAsync()`.
Chat:FilterStringForPlayerAsync	string	Filters a string appropriate to the given player's age settings, so they see what is appropriate to them.
Chat:InvokeChatCallback	Tuple	Invoke a chat callback function registered by `RegisterChatCallback`. Used by the Luau Chat System.
Chat:RegisterChatCallback	()	Register a function to be called upon the invocation of some chat system event (`InvokeChatCallback`).
Chat:SetBubbleChatSettings	()	Customizes various settings of the in-game bubble chat.

Inherited from Instance

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Instance:AddTag	()	Applies a tag to the instance.
Instance:children	Instances	Returns an array of the object's children.
Instance:ClearAllChildren	()	This method destroys all of an instance's children.
Instance:Clone	Instance	Create a copy of an instance and all its descendants, ignoring instances that are not `Archivable`.
Instance:clone	Instance
Instance:Destroy	()	Sets the `Instance.Parent` property to `nil`, locks the `Instance.Parent` property, disconnects all connections, and calls `Destroy()` on all children.
Instance:destroy	()
Instance:FindFirstAncestor	Instance?	Returns the first ancestor of the `Instance` whose `Instance.Name` is equal to the given name.
Instance:FindFirstAncestorOfClass	Instance?	Returns the first ancestor of the `Instance` whose `Object.ClassName` is equal to the given className.
Instance:FindFirstAncestorWhichIsA	Instance?	Returns the first ancestor of the `Instance` for whom `Object:IsA()` returns true for the given className.
Instance:FindFirstChild	Instance?	Returns the first child of the `Instance` found with the given name.
Instance:findFirstChild	Instance
Instance:FindFirstChildOfClass	Instance?	Returns the first child of the `Instance` whose `ClassName` is equal to the given class name.
Instance:FindFirstChildWhichIsA	Instance?	Returns the first child of the `Instance` for whom `Object:IsA()` returns true for the given className.
Instance:FindFirstDescendant	Instance?	Returns the first descendant found with the given `Instance.Name`.
Instance:GetActor	Actor?	Returns the `Actor` associated with the Instance, if any.
Instance:GetAttribute	Variant	Returns the value which has been assigned to the given attribute name.
Instance:GetAttributeChangedSignal	RBXScriptSignal	Returns an event that fires when the given attribute changes.
Instance:GetAttributes	Dictionary	Returns a dictionary of the instance's attributes.
Instance:GetChildren	Instances	Returns an array containing all of the instance's children.
Instance:getChildren	Instances
Instance:GetDebugId	string	Returns a coded string of the debug ID used internally by Roblox.
Instance:GetDescendants	Instances	Returns an array containing all of the descendants of the instance.
Instance:GetFullName	string	Returns a string describing the instance's ancestry.
Instance:GetStyled	Variant	Returns the styled or explicitly modified value of the specified property, or else the default property value if it hasn't been styled/modified.
Instance:GetStyledPropertyChangedSignal	RBXScriptSignal	Returns an event that fires when the given style property changes on the instance.
Instance:GetTags	Array	Gets an array of all tags applied to the instance.
Instance:HasTag	boolean	Check whether the instance has a given tag.
Instance:IsAncestorOf	boolean	Returns true if an `Instance` is an ancestor of the given descendant.
Instance:IsDescendantOf	boolean	Returns `true` if an `Instance` is a descendant of the given ancestor.
Instance:isDescendantOf	boolean
Instance:IsPropertyModified	boolean	Returns `true` if the value stored in the specified property is not equal to the code-instantiated default.
Instance:QueryDescendants	Instances	Returns an array containing all descendants of the instance that match the `selector` string.
Instance:Remove	()	Sets the object's `Parent` to `nil`, and does the same for all its descendants.
Instance:remove	()
Instance:RemoveTag	()	Removes a tag from the instance.
Instance:ResetPropertyToDefault	()	Resets a property to its default value.
Instance:SetAttribute	()	Sets the attribute with the given name to the given value.
Instance:WaitForChild	Instance	Returns the child of the `Instance` with the given name. If the child does not exist, it will yield the current thread until it does.

Inherited from Object

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Object:GetPropertyChangedSignal	RBXScriptSignal	Get an event that fires when a given property of the object changes.
Object:IsA	boolean	Returns true if an object's class matches or inherits from a given class.
Object:isA	boolean

Chat:CanUserChatAsync

Returns whether the player identified by userId is permitted to use in-game text chat. The check evaluates the player's chat privacy mode, third-party platform restrictions, and any active moderation timeouts.

On the server, the specified player must be connected to the current server; otherwise the call errors. On the client, the method must be called only for the local player's Player.UserId.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
userId	int64

Returns

Type	Description
boolean

Field	Value
tags	["Yields"]
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:CanUsersChatAsync

Returns whether two players are permitted to exchange chat messages with each other. The method evaluates user blocking, age-based communication constraints, and chat privacy mode compatibility between the two accounts.

This method can only be called from server-side Scripts. Both players must be connected to the current server; otherwise the call errors.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
userIdFrom	int64
userIdTo	int64

Returns

Type	Description
boolean

Field	Value
tags	["Yields"]
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:Chat

The Chat function fires the Chat.Chatted event with the parameters specified in this method.

By default, there is a LocalScript inside of each player's PlayerScripts object named BubbleChat, which causes a dialog-like billboard to appear above the partOrCharacter when the chatted event is fired.

Note: Since dialogs are controlled by a LocalScript, you will not be able to see any dialogs created from this method unless you are running in Play Solo mode.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
partOrCharacter	Instance		An instance that is the part or character which the BubbleChat dialog should appear above.
message	string		The message string being chatted.
color	ChatColor	Blue	An `ChatColor` specifying the color of the chatted message.

Returns

Type	Description
()

Field	Value
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Code samples: View on Creator Hub (Chat-Chat1).

Chat:FilterStringAsync

Partial Deprecation Warning: Calling this function from the client using a LocalScript is deprecated, and will be disabled in the future. Text filtering should be done from a Script on the server using the similarly-named TextService:FilterStringAsync(), which uses a different set of parameters and return type.

Games that do not properly filter player-generated text might be subject to moderation action. Please be sure a game properly filters text before publishing it.

FilterStringAsync filters a string using filtering that is appropriate for the sending and receiving player. If the filtered string is to be used for a persistent message, such as the name of a shop, writing on a plaque, etc, then the function should be called with the author as both the sender and receiver.

This function should be used every time a player can enter custom text in any context, most commonly using a TextBox. Some examples of text to be filtered:

Custom chat messages
Custom character names
Names for a shop in a tycoon-style game

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
stringToFilter	string	The raw string to be filtered, exactly as entered by the player.
playerFrom	Player	The author of the text.
playerTo	Player	The intended recipient of the provided text; use the author if the text is persistent (see description).

Returns

Type	Description
string

Field	Value
tags	["Yields"]
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:FilterStringForBroadcast

Filters a string sent from playerFrom for broadcast to no particular target. The filtered message has more restrictions than Chat:FilterStringAsync().

Some examples of where this method could be used:

Message walls
Cross-server shouts
User-created signs

Calling FilterString from LocalScripts is deprecated and will be disabled in the future. Text filtering should be done from server-side Scripts using FilterStringAsync.

Note: A game not using this filter function for custom chat or other user generated text may be subjected to moderation action.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
stringToFilter	string		Message string being filtered.
playerFrom	Player		Instance of the player sending the message.

Returns

Type	Description
string	Filtered message string.

Field	Value
tags	["Yields"]
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Code samples: View on Creator Hub (Chat-FilterStringForBroadcast).

Chat:FilterStringForPlayerAsync

Deprecated. This item has been superseded by Chat:FilterStringAsync() and Chat:FilterStringForBroadcast() which should be used in all new work

The FilterStringForPlayerAsync function filters a string appropriate to the given player's age settings, so they see what is appropriate to them. This function will only work if called from a Script on the server. If called on a client it will fail.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
stringToFilter	string		String being filtered.
playerToFilterFor	Player		Player that the string is being filtered for.

Returns

Type	Description
string	Filtered string result.

Field	Value
tags	["Yields","Deprecated"]
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:InvokeChatCallback

InvokeChatCallback will call a function registered by RegisterChatCallback, given the ChatCallbackType enum and the arguments to send the function. It will return the result of the registered function, or raise an error if no function has been registered.

This function is called by the Luau Chat System so that chat callbacks may be registered to change the behavior of certain features. Unless you are replacing the default Luau Chat System with your own, you should not need to call this function. You can read about the different callback functions at Chat:RegisterChatCallback().

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
callbackType	ChatCallbackType		The type of callback to invoke.
callbackArguments	Tuple		The arguments that will be sent to the registered callback function.

Returns

Type	Description
Tuple	The values returned by the function registered to the given ChatCallbackType.

Field	Value
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:RegisterChatCallback

RegisterChatCallback binds a function to some chat system event in order to affect the behavior of the Luau chat system. The first argument determines the event (using the ChatCallbackType enum) to which the second argument, the function, shall be bound. The default Luau chat system uses InvokeChatCallback to invoke registered functions. Attempting to register a server- or client- only callback on a peer that isn't a server or client respectively will raise an error. The following sections describe in what ways registered functions will be used.

OnCreatingChatWindow

Client-only. Invoked before the client constructs the chat window. Must return a table of settings to be merged into the information returned by the ChatSettings module.

OnClientFormattingMessage

Client-only. Invoked before the client displays a message (whether it is a player chat message, system message, or /me command). This function is invoked with the message object and may (or may not) return a table to be merged into message.ExtraData.

OnClientSendingMessage

Not invoked at this time.

OnServerReceivingMessage

Server-only. Invoked when the server receives a message from a speaker (note that speakers may not necessarily be a Player chatting). This callback is called with the Message object. The function can make changes to the Message object to change the manner in which the message is processed. The Message object must be returned for this callback to do anything. Setting this callback can allow the server to, for example:

Set message.ShouldDeliver to false in order to cancel delivery of the message to players (useful for implementing a chat exclusion list)
Get/set the speaker's name color (message.ExtraData.NameColor, a Color3) on a message-by-message basis

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
callbackType	ChatCallbackType		The callback to which the function shall be registered (this determines in what way the function is called).
callbackFunction	Function		The function to call when the callback is invoked using Chat:InvokeChatCallback.

Returns

Type	Description
()

Field	Value
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Chat:SetBubbleChatSettings

This function customizes various settings of the in-game bubble chat.

Before using this, make sure that bubble chat is enabled by setting Chat.BubbleChatEnabled to true.

The settings argument is a table where the keys are the names of the settings you want to edit and the values are what you want to change these settings to. Note that you don't have to include all of them in the settings argument, omitting some will result in them keeping their default value.

This function is client-side only, attempting to call it on the server will trigger an error.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
settings	Variant		A settings table.

Returns

Type	Description
()

Field	Value
security	None
thread safety	Unsafe
capabilities	["Chat"]

Code samples: View on Creator Hub (customize-visual-aspects, restore-default-settings).

Events

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Chat.Chatted		Fires when `Chat:Chat()` is called.

Inherited from Instance

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Instance.AncestryChanged		Fires when the `Instance.Parent` property of this object or one of its ancestors is changed.
Instance.AttributeChanged		Fires whenever an attribute is changed on the `Instance`.
Instance.ChildAdded		Fires after an object is parented to this `Instance`.
Instance.childAdded
Instance.ChildRemoved		Fires after a child is removed from this `Instance`.
Instance.DescendantAdded		Fires after a descendant is added to the `Instance`.
Instance.DescendantRemoving		Fires immediately before a descendant of the `Instance` is removed.
Instance.Destroying		Fires immediately before (or is deferred until after) the instance is destroyed via `Instance:Destroy()`.
Instance.StyledPropertiesChanged		Fires whenever any style property is changed on the instance, including when a property is set to `nil`.

Inherited from Object

Name	Type / Returns	Description
Object.Changed		Fires immediately after a property of the object changes, with some limitations.

Chat.Chatted

Fires when Chat:Chat() is called. The event passes the part or character the message is associated with, the message string, and the ChatColor. When fired on the server, the event replicates to all connected clients. The default BubbleChat LocalScript listens for this event and displays a chat bubble above the specified part or character.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
part	Instance
message	string
color	ChatColor

Field	Value
security	None
capabilities	["Chat"]