A mobile terminal including a touchscreen; a wireless communication unit; and a controller configured to display a group chat window on the touchscreen including a history of messages transceived via the wireless communication unit with a plurality of counterpart terminals, receive a selection of a prescribed counterpart terminal for transmitting a private message to the prescribed counterpart terminal, receive an input message in the group chat window for the prescribed counterpart terminal, and transmit the input message as the private message to the prescribed counterpart terminal without switching to an individual chat window with the prescribed counterpart terminal.