---
source_url: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/learn/chat-entities/channel
title: Channel entity
updated_at: 2026-06-15T12:11:38.101Z
---

> Documentation Index
> For a curated overview of PubNub documentation, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms.txt
> For the full list of all documentation pages, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms-full.txt


# Channel entity

The `Channel` object represents a single chat room where users can send and receive messages.

## Properties

The `Channel` interface has the following properties:

```kotlin
interface Channel {
    val chat: Chat
    val id: String
    val name: String?
    val custom: Map<String, Any?>?
    val description: String?
    val updated: String?
    val status: String?
    val type: ChannelType?

    ...
}
```

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| chat | Chat | Optional |  | Reference to the main `Chat` object. |
| id | String | Optional |  | Unique identifier for the channel. Verify the channel ID with our [validator](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/general/channels/overview#channel-name-validator). |
| name | String | Optional |  | Display name or title of the channel. |
| custom | Map<String, | Optional |  | Any custom properties or metadata associated with the channel in the form of a map of key-value pairs. [App Context filtering language](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/general/metadata/filtering) doesn’t support filtering by custom properties. |
| description | String | Optional |  | Brief description or summary of the channel's purpose or content. |
| updated | String | Optional |  | Timestamp for the last time the channel was updated or modified. |
| status | String | Optional |  | Current status of the channel, like `online`, `offline`, or `archived`. |
| type | ChannelType | Optional |  | One of the available [channel types](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/learn/glossary):direct (1:1), group (multiple people, restricted by invitation), public (open chat for a large audience, anyone can join it), unknown for channels created using the Kotlin SDK instead of Chat SDK, whose type provided in channel metadata is different than the three default Chat SDK types. |

:::tip API limits
To learn about the maximum length of parameters used to set channel metadata, refer to [REST API docs](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/rest-api/set-channel-metadata).
:::

## Methods

The `Channel` object exposes the following methods.

### Regular methods

* [createMessageDraft](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/drafts#create-a-draft-message)
* [delete()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/delete)
* [deleteFile()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/files#delete-files)
* [emitCustomEvent()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/custom-events#create-and-send-events)
* [fetchReadReceipts()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/read-receipts#fetch-read-receipts)
* [forwardMessage()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/forward)
* [getFiles()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/files#get-all-channel-files)
* [getHistory()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/history)
* [getMember()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/membership#check-membership)
* [getMembers()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/membership#get-members)
* [getMessage()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/details#get-message-details)
* [getMessageReportsHistory()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/moderation#get-historical-reported-messages)
* [getPinnedMessage()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/pinned#get)
* [getUserRestrictions()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/moderation#one-user-on-one-channel)
* [getUsersRestrictions()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/moderation#all-users-on-one-channel)
* [getUserSuggestions()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/mentions#get-user-suggestions)
* [hasMember()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/membership#check-membership)
* [invite()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/invite#invite-one-user)
* [inviteMultiple()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/invite#invite-multiple-users)
* [isPresent()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/presence#check-users-channel-presence)
* [join()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/join)
* [leave()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/leave)
* [pinMessage()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/pinned#pin)
* [registerForPush()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/push-notifications#register-selected-push-channels)
* [sendText()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/send-receive)
* [setRestrictions()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/moderation#mute-or-ban-users-as-an-administrator)
* [startTyping()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/typing-indicator#start-typing)
* [stopTyping()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/typing-indicator#stop-typing)
* [unpinMessage()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/pinned#unpin)
* [unregisterFromPush()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/push-notifications#unregister-selected-push-channels)
* [update()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/updates#update-channel-details)
* [whoIsPresent()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/presence#return-all-users-present-on-channel)

### Event listeners

* [onCustomEvent()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/custom-events#receive-current-events)
* [onDeleted()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/updates#get-channel-updates)
* [onMessageReceived()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/watch)
* [onMessageReported()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/moderation#listen-to-report-events)
* [onPresenceChanged()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/users/presence#get-presence-updates)
* [onReadReceiptReceived()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/read-receipts#get-read-receipts)
* [onTypingChanged()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/typing-indicator#get-typing-events)
* [onUpdated()](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/updates#get-channel-updates)
* connect() (deprecated)
* getTyping() (deprecated)
* streamMessageReports (deprecated)
* streamPresence() (deprecated)
* streamReadReceipts() (deprecated)
* streamUpdates() (deprecated)

## Use case

For example, you can use the `Channel` object methods to:

* Let users [send](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/messages/send-receive) messages.
* [Create and manage](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/create) a 1:1, group, or public channel (chat).
* [Invite](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/invite) others to join the channel.
* Configure a [typing indicator](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/channels/typing-indicator) to track when someone in the room is writing a message.
* Register the channel for [mobile push notifications](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/push-notifications), not to miss a single message.
* [Emit custom events](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/chat/kotlin-chat-sdk/build/features/custom-events) on the channel.