To start configuring Chat, you will need an API Key. You can sign-up for Rock Chat through the Rock Mobile Chat add-on. Our Mobile team will send you your chat key and API Secret. Once you have these, navigate to Admin Tools > Settings > Chat Configuration.

Once you click Save with a proper API key, you are ready to configure your chat channels. Your chat channel types will sync with our chat provider (Getstream) immediately.

To make chat channels, start with enabling chat at the Group Type level. Navigate to Admin Tools > Settings > Group Types and select the group type you want to configure. You will notice a new Chat tab.

• Enable Chat – Allow groups using this group type to access Rock Chat.
• Make Channel Public – Enable to let any user find and join the channel via search.
• Enable Chat for All Groups – If enabled, all groups of this type will have chat enabled by default.
• Always Show Channel – Enable to display the channel in the list for all users, allowing anyone to join.
• Allow Members to Leave Channel – If enabled, users can leave groups of this type. Generally, this setting should be enabled only for shared channels users may want to opt out of such as a “General” chat since leaving a channel means leaving the group in Rock itself!
• Push Notification Mode – Control how Push Notifications are sent to chat channels of this type.

Choose how notifications are sent for chat channels of this type:

• All Messages – Receive alerts for every message.
• Mentions – Notify only when directly mentioned in a message.
• Silent – No notifications.

With a Group Type enabled for chat, we will move to configuring individual groups.

Navigate to People > Group Viewer and select a group to specify the settings for its chat channel. You will notice the settings look similar to the Group Type settings.

For most chat-enabled groups, you'll want to inherit settings from the Group Type. But there are times when going custom makes sense:

• Privacy matters. Some groups may need tighter control than the type allows. For example, a Finance team might need a private channel, while Hospitality can stay public.
• Not every group needs chat. Small teams usually benefit from chat, but a short-term class or small task force might not need the distraction.

Picking a fitting Channel Avatar is crucial. Find an image that is recognizable at all sizes and makes sense for the chat theme. For example, your organization's logo makes sense on a "General" chat, but you may want a dollar sign emoji for the Finance team channel. For the best results, keep your image to 120 x 120 pixels. Don't fret though, you can have a group without an avatar.

There is a different kind of chat channel we haven't explored yet that is created for large, generally "organization-wide" groups. That group is called a Shared Channel, and it was made specifically for large groups. To configure a Shared Channel, go to People > Group Viewer.

Sometimes you need to get the word out to everyone, like announcing that the big event is next week or the annual BBQ is this Sunday. That’s where a central, all-church chat shines. Think of it as your digital mountaintop, something like a “General” or “Org-Wide” channel where live announcements reach the masses.

These Chat Shared Channels are a special Group Type designed for broad communication. You can configure them just like any other group type.