# Team Chat Overview & Getting Started
What Is Team Chat?
Team Chat is PortaPro's built-in real-time communication tool. It lives inside the same app your drivers and dispatchers already use for jobs, no separate app, no phone tag, no switching between tools.
Think of it as a professional alternative to group texts, purpose-built for a field operations team. Send messages, start voice calls, direct message individuals, and @mention teammates who need to see something immediately.
Who Can Use Team Chat?
All roles have access to Team Chat:
How to Access Team Chat
Desktop / Admin View:
Driver / Mobile View:
What You'll See When You Open Team Chat
Left Panel:
Main Area (conversation view):
What Team Chat Is NOT
To avoid confusion:
The Killer Feature: Huddle Calls
The standout feature of Team Chat is Huddle calls live voice calls you can start from any channel or DM in two taps. No phone number, no dialing, no hold music. Any channel member can join. See the Huddle Calls article for full details.