diff --git a/server/src/creators/account-creator.js b/server/src/creators/account-creator.js
index abef82aeb..20b774bc8 100644
--- a/server/src/creators/account-creator.js
+++ b/server/src/creators/account-creator.js
@@ -1,166 +1,167 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import bcrypt from 'twin-bcrypt';
 
 import ashoat from 'lib/facts/ashoat';
 import {
   validUsernameRegex,
   oldValidUsernameRegex,
   validEmailRegex,
 } from 'lib/shared/account-utils';
 import { hasMinCodeVersion } from 'lib/shared/version-utils';
 import type {
   RegisterResponse,
   RegisterRequest,
 } from 'lib/types/account-types';
 import { messageTypes } from 'lib/types/message-types';
 import { threadTypes } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
 import { ServerError } from 'lib/utils/errors';
 import { values } from 'lib/utils/objects';
 
 import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
 import { deleteCookie } from '../deleters/cookie-deleters';
 import { sendEmailAddressVerificationEmail } from '../emails/verification';
 import { fetchThreadInfos } from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers';
 import { fetchKnownUserInfos } from '../fetchers/user-fetchers';
 import { verifyCalendarQueryThreadIDs } from '../responders/entry-responders';
 import { createNewUserCookie, setNewSession } from '../session/cookies';
 import type { Viewer } from '../session/viewer';
 import createIDs from './id-creator';
 import createMessages from './message-creator';
 import createThread from './thread-creator';
 
 const ashoatMessages = [
   'welcome to SquadCal! thanks for helping to test the alpha.',
   'as you inevitably discover bugs, have feature requests, or design ' +
     'suggestions, feel free to message them to me in the app.',
 ];
 
 async function createAccount(
   viewer: Viewer,
   request: RegisterRequest,
 ): Promise<RegisterResponse> {
   if (request.password.trim() === '') {
     throw new ServerError('empty_password');
   }
   const usernameRegex = hasMinCodeVersion(viewer.platformDetails, 69)
     ? validUsernameRegex
     : oldValidUsernameRegex;
   if (request.username.search(usernameRegex) === -1) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_username');
   }
   if (request.email.search(validEmailRegex) === -1) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_email');
   }
 
   const usernameQuery = SQL`
     SELECT COUNT(id) AS count
     FROM users
     WHERE LCASE(username) = LCASE(${request.username})
   `;
   const emailQuery = SQL`
     SELECT COUNT(id) AS count
     FROM users
     WHERE LCASE(email) = LCASE(${request.email})
   `;
   const promises = [dbQuery(usernameQuery), dbQuery(emailQuery)];
   const { calendarQuery } = request;
   if (calendarQuery) {
     promises.push(verifyCalendarQueryThreadIDs(calendarQuery));
   }
   const [[usernameResult], [emailResult]] = await Promise.all(promises);
   if (usernameResult[0].count !== 0) {
     throw new ServerError('username_taken');
   }
   if (emailResult[0].count !== 0) {
     throw new ServerError('email_taken');
   }
 
   const hash = bcrypt.hashSync(request.password);
   const time = Date.now();
   const deviceToken = request.deviceTokenUpdateRequest
     ? request.deviceTokenUpdateRequest.deviceToken
     : viewer.deviceToken;
   const [id] = await createIDs('users', 1);
   const newUserRow = [id, request.username, hash, request.email, time];
   const newUserQuery = SQL`
     INSERT INTO users(id, username, hash, email, creation_time)
     VALUES ${[newUserRow]}
   `;
   const [userViewerData] = await Promise.all([
     createNewUserCookie(id, {
       platformDetails: request.platformDetails,
       deviceToken,
     }),
     deleteCookie(viewer.cookieID),
     dbQuery(newUserQuery),
     sendEmailAddressVerificationEmail(
       id,
       request.username,
       request.email,
       true,
     ),
   ]);
   viewer.setNewCookie(userViewerData);
   if (calendarQuery) {
     await setNewSession(viewer, calendarQuery, 0);
   }
 
   const [personalThreadResult, ashoatThreadResult] = await Promise.all([
     createThread(
       viewer,
       {
-        type: threadTypes.CHAT_SECRET,
+        type: threadTypes.PRIVATE,
         name: request.username,
-        description: 'your personal calendar',
+        description:
+          'This is your private thread, where you can set reminders and jot notes in private!',
       },
       { forceAddMembers: true },
     ),
     createThread(
       viewer,
       {
         type: threadTypes.PERSONAL,
         initialMemberIDs: [ashoat.id],
       },
       { forceAddMembers: true },
     ),
   ]);
   const ashoatThreadID = ashoatThreadResult.newThreadInfo
     ? ashoatThreadResult.newThreadInfo.id
     : ashoatThreadResult.newThreadID;
   invariant(
     ashoatThreadID,
     'createThread should return either newThreadInfo or newThreadID',
   );
 
   let messageTime = Date.now();
   const ashoatMessageDatas = ashoatMessages.map((message) => ({
     type: messageTypes.TEXT,
     threadID: ashoatThreadID,
     creatorID: ashoat.id,
     time: messageTime++,
     text: message,
   }));
   const [ashoatMessageInfos, threadsResult, userInfos] = await Promise.all([
     createMessages(viewer, ashoatMessageDatas),
     fetchThreadInfos(viewer),
     fetchKnownUserInfos(viewer),
   ]);
   const rawMessageInfos = [
     ...personalThreadResult.newMessageInfos,
     ...ashoatThreadResult.newMessageInfos,
     ...ashoatMessageInfos,
   ];
 
   return {
     id,
     rawMessageInfos,
     cookieChange: {
       threadInfos: threadsResult.threadInfos,
       userInfos: values(userInfos),
     },
   };
 }
 
 export default createAccount;
diff --git a/server/src/creators/thread-creator.js b/server/src/creators/thread-creator.js
index ccb5fcfa4..9c1dd3a0b 100644
--- a/server/src/creators/thread-creator.js
+++ b/server/src/creators/thread-creator.js
@@ -1,427 +1,428 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
 import { relationshipBlockedInEitherDirection } from 'lib/shared/relationship-utils';
 import {
   generatePendingThreadColor,
   generateRandomColor,
 } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils';
 import { hasMinCodeVersion } from 'lib/shared/version-utils';
 import type { Shape } from 'lib/types/core';
 import { messageTypes } from 'lib/types/message-types';
 import { userRelationshipStatus } from 'lib/types/relationship-types';
 import {
   type NewThreadRequest,
   type NewThreadResponse,
   threadTypes,
   threadPermissions,
 } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
 import { ServerError } from 'lib/utils/errors';
 import { promiseAll } from 'lib/utils/promises';
 
 import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
 import { fetchMessageInfoByID } from '../fetchers/message-fetchers';
 import { fetchThreadInfos } from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers';
 import { checkThreadPermission } from '../fetchers/thread-permission-fetchers';
 import { fetchKnownUserInfos } from '../fetchers/user-fetchers';
 import type { Viewer } from '../session/viewer';
 import {
   changeRole,
   recalculateAllPermissions,
   commitMembershipChangeset,
   setJoinsToUnread,
   getRelationshipRowsForUsers,
   getParentThreadRelationshipRowsForNewUsers,
 } from '../updaters/thread-permission-updaters';
 import createIDs from './id-creator';
 import createMessages from './message-creator';
 import { createInitialRolesForNewThread } from './role-creator';
 import type { UpdatesForCurrentSession } from './update-creator';
 
 type CreateThreadOptions = Shape<{|
   +forceAddMembers: boolean,
   +updatesForCurrentSession: UpdatesForCurrentSession,
 |}>;
 
 // If forceAddMembers is set, we will allow the viewer to add random users who
 // they aren't friends with. We will only fail if the viewer is trying to add
 // somebody who they have blocked or has blocked them. On the other hand, if
 // forceAddMembers is not set, we will fail if the viewer tries to add somebody
 // who they aren't friends with and doesn't have a membership row with a
 // nonnegative role for the parent thread.
 async function createThread(
   viewer: Viewer,
   request: NewThreadRequest,
   options?: CreateThreadOptions,
 ): Promise<NewThreadResponse> {
   if (!viewer.loggedIn) {
     throw new ServerError('not_logged_in');
   }
 
   const forceAddMembers = options?.forceAddMembers ?? false;
   const updatesForCurrentSession =
     options?.updatesForCurrentSession ?? 'return';
 
   const threadType = request.type;
   const shouldCreateRelationships =
     forceAddMembers || threadType === threadTypes.PERSONAL;
   const parentThreadID = request.parentThreadID ? request.parentThreadID : null;
   const initialMemberIDs =
     request.initialMemberIDs && request.initialMemberIDs.length > 0
       ? request.initialMemberIDs
       : null;
 
   if (
     threadType !== threadTypes.CHAT_SECRET &&
     threadType !== threadTypes.PERSONAL &&
+    threadType !== threadTypes.PRIVATE &&
     !parentThreadID
   ) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   if (
     threadType === threadTypes.PERSONAL &&
     (request.initialMemberIDs?.length !== 1 || parentThreadID)
   ) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const checkPromises = {};
   if (parentThreadID) {
     checkPromises.parentThreadFetch = fetchThreadInfos(
       viewer,
       SQL`t.id = ${parentThreadID}`,
     );
     checkPromises.hasParentPermission = checkThreadPermission(
       viewer,
       parentThreadID,
       threadType === threadTypes.SIDEBAR
         ? threadPermissions.CREATE_SIDEBARS
         : threadPermissions.CREATE_SUBTHREADS,
     );
   }
   if (initialMemberIDs) {
     checkPromises.fetchInitialMembers = fetchKnownUserInfos(
       viewer,
       initialMemberIDs,
     );
   }
   const {
     parentThreadFetch,
     hasParentPermission,
     fetchInitialMembers,
   } = await promiseAll(checkPromises);
 
   let parentThreadMembers;
   if (parentThreadID) {
     invariant(parentThreadFetch, 'parentThreadFetch should be set');
     const parentThreadInfo = parentThreadFetch.threadInfos[parentThreadID];
     if (!hasParentPermission) {
       throw new ServerError('invalid_credentials');
     }
     parentThreadMembers = parentThreadInfo.members.map(
       (userInfo) => userInfo.id,
     );
   }
 
   const viewerNeedsRelationshipsWith = [];
   if (fetchInitialMembers) {
     invariant(initialMemberIDs, 'should be set');
     for (const initialMemberID of initialMemberIDs) {
       const initialMember = fetchInitialMembers[initialMemberID];
       if (
         !initialMember &&
         shouldCreateRelationships &&
         (threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR ||
           parentThreadMembers?.includes(initialMemberID))
       ) {
         viewerNeedsRelationshipsWith.push(initialMemberID);
         continue;
       } else if (!initialMember) {
         throw new ServerError('invalid_credentials');
       }
       const { relationshipStatus } = initialMember;
       if (
         relationshipStatus === userRelationshipStatus.FRIEND &&
         threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR
       ) {
         continue;
       } else if (
         relationshipStatus &&
         relationshipBlockedInEitherDirection(relationshipStatus)
       ) {
         throw new ServerError('invalid_credentials');
       } else if (
         parentThreadMembers &&
         parentThreadMembers.includes(initialMemberID)
       ) {
         continue;
       } else if (!shouldCreateRelationships) {
         throw new ServerError('invalid_credentials');
       }
     }
   }
 
   const [id] = await createIDs('threads', 1);
   const newRoles = await createInitialRolesForNewThread(id, threadType);
 
   const name = request.name ? request.name : null;
   const description = request.description ? request.description : null;
   let color = request.color
     ? request.color.toLowerCase()
     : generateRandomColor();
   if (threadType === threadTypes.PERSONAL) {
     color = generatePendingThreadColor(
       request.initialMemberIDs ?? [],
       viewer.id,
     );
   }
   const sourceMessageID = request.sourceMessageID
     ? request.sourceMessageID
     : null;
   invariant(
     threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR || sourceMessageID,
     'sourceMessageID should be set for sidebar',
   );
   const time = Date.now();
 
   const row = [
     id,
     threadType,
     name,
     description,
     viewer.userID,
     time,
     color,
     parentThreadID,
     newRoles.default.id,
     sourceMessageID,
   ];
   if (threadType === threadTypes.PERSONAL) {
     const otherMemberID = initialMemberIDs?.[0];
     invariant(
       otherMemberID,
       'Other member id should be set for a PERSONAL thread',
     );
     const query = SQL`
       INSERT INTO threads(id, type, name, description, creator,
         creation_time, color, parent_thread_id, default_role, source_message)
       SELECT ${row}
       WHERE NOT EXISTS (
         SELECT * 
         FROM threads t
         INNER JOIN memberships m1 
           ON m1.thread = t.id AND m1.user = ${viewer.userID}
         INNER JOIN memberships m2
           ON m2.thread = t.id AND m2.user = ${otherMemberID}
         WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.PERSONAL}
           AND m1.role != -1
           AND m2.role != -1
       )
     `;
     const [result] = await dbQuery(query);
 
     if (result.affectedRows === 0) {
       const personalThreadQuery = SQL`
         SELECT t.id 
         FROM threads t
         INNER JOIN memberships m1 
           ON m1.thread = t.id AND m1.user = ${viewer.userID}
         INNER JOIN memberships m2
           ON m2.thread = t.id AND m2.user = ${otherMemberID}
         WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.PERSONAL}
           AND m1.role != -1
           AND m2.role != -1
       `;
       const deleteRoles = SQL`
         DELETE FROM roles
         WHERE id IN (${newRoles.default.id}, ${newRoles.creator.id})
       `;
       const deleteIDs = SQL`
         DELETE FROM ids
         WHERE id IN (${id}, ${newRoles.default.id}, ${newRoles.creator.id})
       `;
       const [[personalThreadResult]] = await Promise.all([
         dbQuery(personalThreadQuery),
         dbQuery(deleteRoles),
         dbQuery(deleteIDs),
       ]);
       invariant(
         personalThreadResult.length > 0,
         'PERSONAL thread should exist',
       );
       const personalThreadID = personalThreadResult[0].id.toString();
 
       return {
         newThreadID: personalThreadID,
         updatesResult: {
           newUpdates: [],
         },
         userInfos: {},
         newMessageInfos: [],
       };
     }
   } else {
     const query = SQL`
       INSERT INTO threads(id, type, name, description, creator,
         creation_time, color, parent_thread_id, default_role, source_message)
       VALUES ${[row]}
     `;
     await dbQuery(query);
   }
 
   const [
     creatorChangeset,
     initialMembersChangeset,
     recalculatePermissionsChangeset,
   ] = await Promise.all([
     changeRole(id, [viewer.userID], newRoles.creator.id),
     initialMemberIDs ? changeRole(id, initialMemberIDs, null) : undefined,
     recalculateAllPermissions(id, threadType),
   ]);
 
   if (!creatorChangeset) {
     throw new ServerError('unknown_error');
   }
   const {
     membershipRows: creatorMembershipRows,
     relationshipRows: creatorRelationshipRows,
   } = creatorChangeset;
 
   const initialMemberAndCreatorIDs = initialMemberIDs
     ? [...initialMemberIDs, viewer.userID]
     : [viewer.userID];
   const {
     membershipRows: recalculateMembershipRows,
     relationshipRows: recalculateRelationshipRows,
   } = recalculatePermissionsChangeset;
 
   const membershipRows = [
     ...creatorMembershipRows,
     ...recalculateMembershipRows,
   ];
   const relationshipRows = [
     ...creatorRelationshipRows,
     ...recalculateRelationshipRows,
   ];
   if (initialMemberIDs) {
     if (!initialMembersChangeset) {
       throw new ServerError('unknown_error');
     }
     relationshipRows.push(
       ...getRelationshipRowsForUsers(
         viewer.userID,
         viewerNeedsRelationshipsWith,
       ),
     );
     const {
       membershipRows: initialMembersMembershipRows,
       relationshipRows: initialMembersRelationshipRows,
     } = initialMembersChangeset;
     const parentRelationshipRows = getParentThreadRelationshipRowsForNewUsers(
       id,
       recalculateMembershipRows,
       initialMemberAndCreatorIDs,
     );
     membershipRows.push(...initialMembersMembershipRows);
     relationshipRows.push(
       ...initialMembersRelationshipRows,
       ...parentRelationshipRows,
     );
   }
   setJoinsToUnread(membershipRows, viewer.userID, id);
 
   const changeset = { membershipRows, relationshipRows };
   const {
     threadInfos,
     viewerUpdates,
     userInfos,
   } = await commitMembershipChangeset(viewer, changeset, {
     updatesForCurrentSession,
   });
 
   const messageDatas = [];
   if (threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR) {
     messageDatas.push({
       type: messageTypes.CREATE_THREAD,
       threadID: id,
       creatorID: viewer.userID,
       time,
       initialThreadState: {
         type: threadType,
         name,
         parentThreadID,
         color,
         memberIDs: initialMemberAndCreatorIDs,
       },
     });
   } else {
     invariant(parentThreadID, 'parentThreadID should be set for sidebar');
     invariant(sourceMessageID, 'sourceMessageID should be set for sidebar');
     const sourceMessage = await fetchMessageInfoByID(viewer, sourceMessageID);
     if (!sourceMessage || sourceMessage.type === messageTypes.SIDEBAR_SOURCE) {
       throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
     }
 
     messageDatas.push(
       {
         type: messageTypes.CREATE_SIDEBAR,
         threadID: id,
         creatorID: viewer.userID,
         time,
         sourceMessageAuthorID: sourceMessage.creatorID,
         initialThreadState: {
           name,
           parentThreadID,
           color,
           memberIDs: initialMemberAndCreatorIDs,
         },
       },
       {
         type: messageTypes.SIDEBAR_SOURCE,
         threadID: id,
         creatorID: viewer.userID,
         time,
         sourceMessage,
       },
     );
   }
 
   if (parentThreadID && threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR) {
     messageDatas.push({
       type: messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD,
       threadID: parentThreadID,
       creatorID: viewer.userID,
       time,
       childThreadID: id,
     });
   }
   const newMessageInfos = await createMessages(
     viewer,
     messageDatas,
     updatesForCurrentSession,
   );
 
   if (hasMinCodeVersion(viewer.platformDetails, 62)) {
     return {
       newThreadID: id,
       updatesResult: {
         newUpdates: viewerUpdates,
       },
       userInfos,
       newMessageInfos,
     };
   }
 
   return {
     newThreadInfo: threadInfos[id],
     updatesResult: {
       newUpdates: viewerUpdates,
     },
     userInfos,
     newMessageInfos,
   };
 }
 
 export default createThread;