Private subchannels
A private subchannel restricts messaging to a specific set of members within a community channel. Only members added to the private subchannel can send and receive messages.
Key concepts
- Access control: Only added members can view and send messages in a private subchannel. Other community members cannot access it.
- Member management: Members are managed exclusively through the Server API.
- Conversion: Private subchannels can be converted to public and vice versa via the Server API. When a private subchannel becomes public, all community members can access it and its full history. When a public subchannel becomes private, only designated members retain access.
Known limitations
If a user who is not a member of a private subchannel attempts to send a message, the SDK call will fail. However, the message object may still be created in the local database. Your app should handle this case — for example, by checking membership before allowing the send operation in the UI.
Managing private subchannels
All management operations for private subchannels are performed via the Server API:
| Operation | Server API |
|---|---|
| Create a private subchannel | Create Subchannel |
| Add members to a private subchannel | Add Subchannel Members |
| Remove members from a private subchannel | Remove Subchannel Members |
| Convert to public | Update Subchannel Type |
| Get member list | Get Subchannel Members |
User groups for private subchannels
For advanced access control, use user groups to manage permissions across multiple private subchannels simultaneously. Associate a user group with one or more private subchannels to grant access to all members of that group.