diff --git a/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js b/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
--- a/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/creators/thread-creator.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 const { commbot } = bots;
 
 const privateThreadDescription: string =
-  'This is your private thread, ' +
+  'This is your private chat, ' +
   'where you can set reminders and jot notes in private!';
 
 type CreateThreadOptions = Shape<{
diff --git a/lib/facts/genesis.json b/lib/facts/genesis.json
--- a/lib/facts/genesis.json
+++ b/lib/facts/genesis.json
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {
   "id": "1",
   "name": "GENESIS",
-  "description": "This is the first community on Comm. In the future it will be possible to create threads outside of a community, but for now all of these threads get set with GENESIS as their parent. GENESIS is hosted on Ashoat’s keyserver.",
+  "description": "This is the first community on Comm. In the future it will be possible to create chats outside of a community, but for now all of these chats get set with GENESIS as their parent. GENESIS is hosted on Ashoat’s keyserver.",
   "introMessages": [
     "welcome to Genesis!",
-    "for now, Genesis is the only community on Comm, and is the parent of all new threads",
-    "this is meant to be temporary. we’re working on support for threads that can exist outside of any community, as well as support for user-hosted communities",
+    "for now, Genesis is the only community on Comm, and is the parent of all new chats",
+    "this is meant to be temporary. we’re working on support for chats that can exist outside of any community, as well as support for user-hosted communities",
     "to learn more about our roadmap and how Genesis fits in, check out [this document](https://www.notion.so/Comm-Genesis-1059f131fb354250abd1966894b15951)"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
     ) {
       return `${creator} cleared ${params.encodedThreadEntity(
         messageInfo.threadID,
-        'the thread',
+        'the chat',
       )}'s ${messageInfo.field}`;
     }
     let value;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
     }
     return (
       `${creator} updated ` +
-      `${params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'the thread')}'s ` +
+      `${params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'the chat')}'s ` +
       `${messageInfo.field} to "${value}"`
     );
   },
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
     const childNoun =
       messageInfo.childThreadInfo.type === threadTypes.SIDEBAR
         ? 'sidebar'
-        : 'child thread';
+        : 'subchannel';
     if (childName) {
       return (
         `${creator} created a ${childNoun}` +
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
   ): string {
     let text = `created ${params.encodedThreadEntity(
       messageInfo.threadID,
-      `this thread`,
+      `this chat`,
     )}`;
     const parentThread = messageInfo.initialThreadState.parentThreadInfo;
     if (parentThread) {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@
       );
     }
     const prefix = stringForUser(messageInfo.creator);
-    const body = 'created a new thread';
+    const body = 'created a new chat';
     let merged = `${prefix} ${body}`;
     if (messageInfo.initialThreadState.name) {
       merged += ` called "${messageInfo.initialThreadState.name}"`;
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
   ): string {
     return (
       `${creator} joined ` +
-      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this thread')
+      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this chat')
     );
   },
 
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
   ): string {
     return (
       `${creator} left ` +
-      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this thread')
+      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this chat')
     );
   },
 
diff --git a/lib/shared/notif-utils.js b/lib/shared/notif-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/notif-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/notif-utils.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
   if (threadInfo.name) {
     return threadInfo.name;
   } else {
-    return 'your thread';
+    return 'your chat';
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/shared/search-utils.js b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/search-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
@@ -111,17 +111,16 @@
       let notice, alertText, alertTitle;
       const userText = result.username;
       if (!isMemberOfParentThread && threadType === threadTypes.SIDEBAR) {
-        notice = 'not in parent thread';
-        alertTitle = 'Not in parent thread';
-        alertText =
-          'You can only add members of the parent thread to a sidebar';
+        notice = 'not in parent chat';
+        alertTitle = 'Not in parent chat';
+        alertText = 'You can only add members of the parent chat to a sidebar';
       } else if (
         relationshipStatus === userRelationshipStatus.BLOCKED_BY_VIEWER
       ) {
         notice = 'you’ve blocked this user';
         alertTitle = 'Not a friend';
         alertText =
-          `Before you add ${userText} to this thread, ` +
+          `Before you add ${userText} to this chat, ` +
           'you’ll need to unblock them and send a friend request. ' +
           'You can do this from the Block List and Friend List ' +
           'in the Profile tab.';
@@ -129,11 +128,11 @@
         notice = notFriendNotice;
         alertTitle = 'Not a friend';
         alertText =
-          `Before you add ${userText} to this thread, ` +
+          `Before you add ${userText} to this chat, ` +
           'you’ll need to send them a friend request. ' +
           'You can do this from the Friend List in the Profile tab.';
       } else if (parentThreadInfo) {
-        notice = 'not in parent thread';
+        notice = 'not in parent chat';
       }
       return { ...result, notice, alertText, alertTitle };
     },
diff --git a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
@@ -807,9 +807,9 @@
 
 const threadTypeDescriptions: { [ThreadType]: string } = {
   [threadTypes.COMMUNITY_OPEN_SUBTHREAD]:
-    'Anybody in the parent thread can see an open child thread.',
+    'Anybody in the parent channel can see an open subchannel.',
   [threadTypes.COMMUNITY_SECRET_SUBTHREAD]:
-    'Only visible to its members and admins of ancestor threads.',
+    'Only visible to its members and admins of ancestor channels.',
 };
 
 function usersInThreadInfo(threadInfo: RawThreadInfo | ThreadInfo): string[] {
@@ -899,9 +899,9 @@
 // Consider updating itemHeight in native/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
 // if you change this
 const emptyItemText: string =
-  `Background threads are just like normal threads, except they don't ` +
+  `Background chats are just like normal chats, except they don't ` +
   `contribute to your unread count.\n\n` +
-  `To move a thread over here, switch the “Background” option in its settings.`;
+  `To move a chat over here, switch the “Background” option in its settings.`;
 
 const threadSearchText = (
   threadInfo: RawThreadInfo | ThreadInfo,
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@
 };
 
 function threadNoun(threadType: ThreadType): string {
-  return threadType === threadTypes.SIDEBAR ? 'sidebar' : 'thread';
+  return threadType === threadTypes.SIDEBAR ? 'sidebar' : 'chat';
 }
 
 function threadLabel(threadType: ThreadType): string {