You just pulled off a wild 1v3 clutch against the enemy team, and you want to type a playful "nice try, y'all" to everyone in the lobby instead of just your squad. But every time you hit enter, your message only pops up for your teammates, and you can't figure out what you're doing wrong. If that's you, you're probably looking for how to switch to all chat in Valorant. Riot rolled out a handful of small chat setting changes over the past few years to cut down on in-game toxicity, so the process isn't always obvious for new players or folks returning after a long break. This guide walks you through every way to access all chat, plus common fixes if it's not working, and rules to follow so you don't end up with a chat restriction.
How to Switch to All Chat in Valorant: 2 Fast Methods
There are two main ways to pull up all chat, depending on whether you prefer using keyboard shortcuts or navigating through the settings menu. Neither takes more than a few seconds, once you know where to look.
Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Method) is the go-to for most players. By default, hitting the Enter key opens your team chat, which only sends messages to people on your side. To open all chat directly, just hit Shift + Enter at the same time. You'll see the text box label switch from "Team" to "All" at the left side, so you know your message will go to everyone in the lobby. If you're already typing a message in team chat and want to switch to all at the last second, hit the Tab key to cycle between chat modes before you send it. You can also customize this shortcut in your control settings if Shift + Enter feels awkward for you. Many players bind all chat to a side mouse button if they use it often, so they don't have to take their fingers off movement keys mid-round.
In-Game Settings Adjustment if Shortcuts Aren't Working is your next step if the default shortcut doesn't do anything. Riot turns all chat off by default for all new accounts now, so you might have to opt in before you can use it. To turn it on, click the gear icon in the top right corner of the main menu or in-game escape menu, head to the Communication tab, and scroll down to the Chat section. Toggle the "Enable All Text Chat" option on, and save your changes. You'll also see an option for all voice chat here, but most players keep that off to avoid unnecessary tilt from toxic opponents.
Common Reasons All Chat Isn't Working for You
If you followed the steps above and still can't send messages to the enemy team, there are a few common issues that could be causing the problem. Most are easy to fix, but some require you to wait out a restriction from Riot.
- All chat is disabled in your account settings by default, especially if you made your account after the 2023 anti-toxicity update that rolled out opt-in all chat for all regions
- You're playing in a competitive tournament lobby, custom game, or special game mode where the host or Riot disabled cross-team chat entirely
- You received a temporary chat restriction from Riot for previous reports of toxic behavior, which blocks all chat access until the restriction expires
- Your all chat keyboard shortcut was accidentally remapped when you adjusted other control settings, like movement or ability keybinds
Chat restrictions are the most commonly overlooked cause. If you've been reported multiple times for toxic messages in chat, Riot will automatically restrict your chat access for anywhere from 24 hours to a permanent ban, depending on how many offenses you have. You'll get an email to your registered account address if you receive a restriction, so check there first if you can't access all chat for no obvious reason. You can't bypass these restrictions, so the only fix is to wait them out and avoid toxic behavior in future matches to prevent longer bans.
Unwritten All Chat Etiquette to Avoid Reports
All chat can be a ton of fun if you use it right, but it's really easy to cross a line and get reported even if you don't mean to. There are a few unwritten rules most of the Valorant community follows to keep all chat fun for everyone.
Good all chat usage includes things like saying GG after a close match, joking about a whiffed ultimate that everyone saw, complimenting an enemy on a crazy play, or laughing off a silly team kill that the enemy team definitely got a kick out of. I once had a match where the enemy Sage and I kept reviving our teammates right in front of each other, and we joked about it in all chat the whole game. We ended up adding each other after and queuing together for a few weeks, so all chat can be a great way to meet other players who have the same sense of humor as you.
Bad all chat usage is anything that makes other players have a worse time. That includes insulting players for their rank or agent choice, spamming slurs or hate speech, blaming your own teammates in all chat, or making personal attacks against other players. Even playful trash talk can cross a line if it gets too personal, so it's best to keep it light and focus on jokes about the game instead of the people playing it. Riot's automated chat filter picks up most slurs and toxic phrases immediately, so you could get a restriction within minutes of sending a bad message.
When to Use All Chat vs. Other Chat Modes
All chat is just one of several chat modes in Valorant, and it's important to use the right one for the situation so you don't mess up your team's chances of winning.
Team chat is for all your in-game callouts, like enemy positions, ultimate status, or plans for the next round. No one on the enemy team can see these messages, so you can be as specific as you want. Party chat is for people you queued up with before the match, even if they're not on your team in a custom game. Whisper chat is for private messages to individual players, whether they're in your lobby or on your friends list.
Never share team strategy in all chat, no matter how far ahead you are. I've seen teams throw a 12-3 lead because one player typed "we're rushing B next" in all chat as a joke, and the enemy team set up a perfect retake and won the whole match. If you're playing ranked competitive, it's also usually a good idea to turn all chat off entirely. Even harmless jokes can distract you from your callouts, and toxic opponents will often intentionally troll you in all chat to make you tilt and play worse. There's no shame in keeping it off if you want to focus on climbing.
Once you know how to switch to all chat in Valorant, it's a small quality of life feature that can make your casual matches a lot more enjoyable, as long as you use it responsibly. You don't have to use it every game, and it's totally fine to keep it turned off if you don't want to deal with random messages from opponents. If you run into issues with it not working, double check your communication settings first before assuming it's a bug, and always follow the community etiquette rules to keep matches fun for everyone in the lobby.
