diff --git a/lib/shared/message-utils.js b/lib/shared/message-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/message-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/message-utils.js
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
 
 const localIDPrefix = 'local';
 
+const defaultMediaMessageOptions = Object.freeze({});
+
 // Prefers localID
 function messageKey(messageInfo: MessageInfo | RawMessageInfo): string {
   if (messageInfo.localID) {
@@ -246,6 +248,9 @@
 };
 function createMediaMessageData(
   input: MediaMessageDataCreationInput,
+  options: {
+    +forceMultimediaMessageType?: boolean,
+  } = defaultMediaMessageOptions,
 ): MultimediaMessageData {
   let allMediaArePhotos = true;
   const photoMedia = [];
@@ -259,9 +264,10 @@
   }
 
   const { localID, threadID, creatorID, sidebarCreation } = input;
+  const { forceMultimediaMessageType = false } = options;
   const time = input.time ? input.time : Date.now();
   let messageData;
-  if (allMediaArePhotos) {
+  if (allMediaArePhotos && !forceMultimediaMessageType) {
     messageData = ({
       type: messageTypes.IMAGES,
       threadID,
@@ -299,8 +305,11 @@
 };
 function createMediaMessageInfo(
   input: MediaMessageInfoCreationInput,
+  options: {
+    +forceMultimediaMessageType?: boolean,
+  } = defaultMediaMessageOptions,
 ): RawMultimediaMessageInfo {
-  const messageData = createMediaMessageData(input);
+  const messageData = createMediaMessageData(input, options);
   const createRawMessageInfo =
     messageSpecs[messageData.type].rawMessageInfoFromMessageData;
   invariant(