How to read unread chat msgs without starting messaging app?

[edesignspl]

The new chat application hasn't really thrilled me, I don't hate it either, just seemed unnecessary given the other things users have been asking for for literally years (like font you can read on a 1440+ monitor instead of making users screw with their Control Panel settings to enlarge it). Reminds me of AIM, ICQ, etc...

Is the new cool Valve thing to require users to start up the messaging app just to read unread messages? Before I could just read them in their own window via the regular client and reply that way. Now I have to boot up another app in addition to the Steam client just to read messages? Hope not...seems silly, I know, but it's just another pita hoop to jump through for no reason other than "because". I rarely have the messaging app open as I don't use it very often and have little to zero need for it (I might be an odd one out but it's true).

So...how to read chat messages without the chat client? Impossible?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

You don't need the chat app to read them if you are using a browser or the PC client.

Even on mobile, a browser opens a chat page for you to read.

The mobile authenticator still works as well.

[edesignspl]

Thanks. I'm on my desktop, on the PC client, I click on the green notification saying I have an unread chat message and absolutely nothing happens. I won't try the browser as that's just another added step like loading the messaging app but good to know.

Is my PC client screwed up since it won't load them when I click on the notification?

[Milamber]

To start with a clean environment:
1) reboot pc
2) start steam
3) wait 1-2 minutes until everything has loaded that needs to be loaded (can be slow sometimes)
4) try again reading the messages.

[edesignspl]

I'll give that a try next time I get one. The age old "reboot to fix" solution, hadn't tried that lol

[Mr. Lambert]

Originally posted by edesignspl:

Thanks. I'm on my desktop, on the PC client, I click on the green notification saying I have an unread chat message and absolutely nothing happens. I won't try the browser as that's just another added step like loading the messaging app but good to know.

Is my PC client screwed up since it won't load them when I click on the notification?

The unread messages button won't do anything if you have it set so that you don't automatically log into Friends when Steam starts. You have to click the "friends and chat" button at the lower right of the client, log in, then click unread messages, and they will load. I don't want to deal with loading up the, for me, completely useless and annoying messaging app either, so I've just had to get used to always having a large and rising number of unread messages. I'm at the green button saying 111 unread messages at this point. All of them are trade notifications. How stupid is it that Steam sends a trade notification AND a chat notification when you get a trade offer? The trade offer itself completely covers the situation with no need at all for a chat message also.

[Black Blade]

Also you may have the same issue as here:
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/1653297026047519162/?tscn=1558986734

Maybe bug to be fixed