diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
index b6b1027d6..bb8a3b910 100644
--- a/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/create-sub-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -1,179 +1,183 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
 import { permissionLookup } from '../../permissions/thread-permissions';
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   MessageInfo,
   ClientDBMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   CreateSubthreadMessageData,
   CreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
   RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/messages/create-subthread';
 import type { NotifTexts } from '../../types/notif-types';
 import { threadPermissions, threadTypes } from '../../types/thread-types';
 import type { ThreadInfo } from '../../types/thread-types';
 import type { RelativeUserInfo } from '../../types/user-types';
+import { ET, type EntityText } from '../../utils/entity-text';
 import {
   robotextToRawString,
   robotextForMessageInfo,
   removeCreatorAsViewer,
 } from '../message-utils';
 import {
   pushTypes,
   type CreateMessageInfoParams,
   type MessageSpec,
   type MessageTitleParam,
   type NotificationTextsParams,
   type GeneratesNotifsParams,
 } from './message-spec';
 import { assertSingleMessageInfo } from './utils';
 
 export const createSubThreadMessageSpec: MessageSpec<
   CreateSubthreadMessageData,
   RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
   CreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
 > = Object.freeze({
   messageContentForServerDB(
     data: CreateSubthreadMessageData | RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
   ): string {
     return data.childThreadID;
   },
 
   messageContentForClientDB(data: RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo): string {
     return this.messageContentForServerDB(data);
   },
 
   messageTitle({
     messageInfo,
     threadInfo,
     viewerContext,
   }: MessageTitleParam<CreateSubthreadMessageInfo>) {
     let validMessageInfo: CreateSubthreadMessageInfo = (messageInfo: CreateSubthreadMessageInfo);
     if (viewerContext === 'global_viewer') {
       validMessageInfo = removeCreatorAsViewer(validMessageInfo);
     }
     return robotextToRawString(
       robotextForMessageInfo(validMessageInfo, threadInfo),
     );
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromServerDBRow(row: Object): ?RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo {
     const subthreadPermissions = row.subthread_permissions;
     if (!permissionLookup(subthreadPermissions, threadPermissions.KNOW_OF)) {
       return null;
     }
     return {
       type: messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD,
       id: row.id.toString(),
       threadID: row.threadID.toString(),
       time: row.time,
       creatorID: row.creatorID.toString(),
       childThreadID: row.content,
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromClientDB(
     clientDBMessageInfo: ClientDBMessageInfo,
   ): RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo {
     const content = clientDBMessageInfo.content;
     invariant(
       content !== undefined && content !== null,
       'content must be defined',
     );
     const rawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo: RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo = {
       type: messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD,
       id: clientDBMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: clientDBMessageInfo.thread,
       time: parseInt(clientDBMessageInfo.time),
       creatorID: clientDBMessageInfo.user,
       childThreadID: content,
     };
     return rawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo;
   },
 
   createMessageInfo(
     rawMessageInfo: RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
     creator: RelativeUserInfo,
     params: CreateMessageInfoParams,
   ): ?CreateSubthreadMessageInfo {
     const { threadInfos } = params;
     const childThreadInfo = threadInfos[rawMessageInfo.childThreadID];
     if (!childThreadInfo) {
       return null;
     }
     return {
       type: messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD,
       id: rawMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: rawMessageInfo.threadID,
       creator,
       time: rawMessageInfo.time,
       childThreadInfo,
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromMessageData(
     messageData: CreateSubthreadMessageData,
     id: ?string,
   ): RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo {
     invariant(id, 'RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo needs id');
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: CreateSubthreadMessageInfo, creator: string): string {
-    const childName = messageInfo.childThreadInfo.name;
-    const childNoun =
-      messageInfo.childThreadInfo.type === threadTypes.SIDEBAR
-        ? 'thread'
-        : 'subchannel';
-    if (childName) {
-      return (
-        `${creator} created a ${childNoun}` +
-        ` named "<${encodeURI(childName)}|t${messageInfo.childThreadInfo.id}>"`
-      );
+  robotext(messageInfo: CreateSubthreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+    const threadEntity = ET.thread({
+      display: 'shortName',
+      threadInfo: messageInfo.childThreadInfo,
+      subchannel: true,
+    });
+
+    let text;
+    if (messageInfo.childThreadInfo.name) {
+      const childNoun =
+        messageInfo.childThreadInfo.type === threadTypes.SIDEBAR
+          ? 'thread'
+          : 'subchannel';
+      text = ET`created a ${childNoun} named "${threadEntity}"`;
     } else {
-      return (
-        `${creator} created a ` +
-        `<${childNoun}|t${messageInfo.childThreadInfo.id}>`
-      );
+      text = ET`created a ${threadEntity}`;
     }
+
+    const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
+    return ET`${creator} ${text}`;
   },
 
   notificationTexts(
     messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<MessageInfo>,
     threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
     params: NotificationTextsParams,
   ): NotifTexts {
     const messageInfo = assertSingleMessageInfo(messageInfos);
     invariant(
       messageInfo.type === messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD,
       'messageInfo should be messageTypes.CREATE_SUB_THREAD!',
     );
     return params.notifTextForSubthreadCreation(
       messageInfo.creator,
       messageInfo.childThreadInfo.type,
       threadInfo,
       messageInfo.childThreadInfo.name,
       messageInfo.childThreadInfo.uiName,
     );
   },
 
   generatesNotifs: async (
     rawMessageInfo: RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
     params: GeneratesNotifsParams,
   ) => {
     const { userNotMemberOfSubthreads } = params;
     return userNotMemberOfSubthreads.has(rawMessageInfo.childThreadID)
       ? pushTypes.NOTIF
       : undefined;
   },
 
   threadIDs(
     rawMessageInfo: RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
   ): $ReadOnlyArray<string> {
     return [rawMessageInfo.childThreadID];
   },
 });
diff --git a/lib/utils/entity-text.js b/lib/utils/entity-text.js
index c727a1df0..7f47bf5c2 100644
--- a/lib/utils/entity-text.js
+++ b/lib/utils/entity-text.js
@@ -1,326 +1,329 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import { threadNoun } from '../shared/thread-utils';
 import { stringForUser } from '../shared/user-utils';
 import {
   threadTypes,
   type ThreadType,
   type RawThreadInfo,
   type ThreadInfo,
 } from '../types/thread-types';
 import { basePluralize } from '../utils/text-utils';
 
 type UserEntity = {
   +type: 'user',
   +id: string,
   +username?: ?string,
   +isViewer?: ?boolean,
   +possessive?: ?boolean, // eg. `user's` instead of `user`
 };
 
 // Comments explain how thread name will appear from user4's perspective
 type ThreadEntity =
   | {
       +type: 'thread',
       +id: string,
       +name?: ?string,
       // displays threadInfo.name if set, or 'user1, user2, and user3'
       +display: 'uiName',
       +uiName: string,
     }
   | {
       +type: 'thread',
       +id: string,
       +name?: ?string,
       // displays threadInfo.name if set, or eg. 'this thread' or 'this chat'
       +display: 'shortName',
       +threadType?: ?ThreadType,
       +alwaysDisplayShortName?: ?boolean, // don't default to name
+      +subchannel?: ?boolean, // short name should be "subchannel"
       +possessive?: ?boolean, // eg. `this thread's` instead of `this thread`
     };
 
 type ColorEntity = {
   +type: 'color',
   +hex: string,
 };
 
 type EntityTextComponent = UserEntity | ThreadEntity | ColorEntity | string;
 
 export type EntityText = $ReadOnlyArray<EntityTextComponent>;
 
 const entityTextFunction = (
   strings: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   ...entities: $ReadOnlyArray<EntityTextComponent | EntityText>
 ) => {
   const result = [];
   for (let i = 0; i < strings.length; i++) {
     const str = strings[i];
     if (str) {
       result.push(str);
     }
     const entity = entities[i];
     if (!entity) {
       continue;
     }
 
     if (typeof entity === 'string') {
       const lastResult = result.length > 0 && result[result.length - 1];
       if (typeof lastResult === 'string') {
         result[result.length - 1] = lastResult + entity;
       } else {
         result.push(entity);
       }
     } else if (Array.isArray(entity)) {
       const [firstEntity, ...restOfEntity] = entity;
       const lastResult = result.length > 0 && result[result.length - 1];
       if (typeof lastResult === 'string' && typeof firstEntity === 'string') {
         result[result.length - 1] = lastResult + firstEntity;
       } else if (firstEntity) {
         result.push(firstEntity);
       }
       result.push(...restOfEntity);
     } else {
       result.push(entity);
     }
   }
   return result;
 };
 
 // defaults to shortName
 type EntityTextThreadInput =
   | {
       +display: 'uiName',
       +threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
     }
   | {
       +display?: 'shortName',
       +threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
+      +subchannel?: ?boolean,
       +possessive?: ?boolean,
     }
   | {
       +display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       +threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
       +possessive?: ?boolean,
     }
   | {
       +display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       +threadID: string,
       +possessive?: ?boolean,
     };
 entityTextFunction.thread = (input: EntityTextThreadInput) => {
   if (input.display === 'uiName') {
     const { threadInfo } = input;
     return {
       type: 'thread',
       id: threadInfo.id,
       name: threadInfo.name,
       display: 'uiName',
       uiName: threadInfo.uiName,
     };
   }
   if (input.display === 'alwaysDisplayShortName' && input.threadID) {
     const { threadID, possessive } = input;
     return {
       type: 'thread',
       id: threadID,
       name: undefined,
       display: 'shortName',
       threadType: undefined,
       alwaysDisplayShortName: true,
       possessive,
     };
   } else if (input.display === 'alwaysDisplayShortName' && input.threadInfo) {
     const { threadInfo, possessive } = input;
     return {
       type: 'thread',
       id: threadInfo.id,
       name: threadInfo.name,
       display: 'shortName',
       threadType: threadInfo.type,
       alwaysDisplayShortName: true,
       possessive,
     };
   } else if (input.display === 'shortName' || !input.display) {
-    const { threadInfo, possessive } = input;
+    const { threadInfo, subchannel, possessive } = input;
     return {
       type: 'thread',
       id: threadInfo.id,
       name: threadInfo.name,
       display: 'shortName',
       threadType: threadInfo.type,
+      subchannel,
       possessive,
     };
   }
   invariant(
     false,
     `ET.thread passed unexpected display type: ${input.display}`,
   );
 };
 
 type EntityTextUserInput = {
   +userInfo: {
     +id: string,
     +username?: ?string,
     +isViewer?: ?boolean,
     ...
   },
   +possessive?: ?boolean,
 };
 entityTextFunction.user = (input: EntityTextUserInput) => ({
   type: 'user',
   id: input.userInfo.id,
   username: input.userInfo.username,
   isViewer: input.userInfo.isViewer,
   possessive: input.possessive,
 });
 
 type EntityTextColorInput = { +hex: string };
 entityTextFunction.color = (input: EntityTextColorInput) => ({
   type: 'color',
   hex: input.hex,
 });
 
 // ET is a JS tag function used in template literals, eg. ET`something`
 // It allows you to compose raw text and "entities" together
 type EntityTextFunction = ((
   strings: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   ...entities: $ReadOnlyArray<EntityTextComponent | EntityText>
 ) => EntityText) & {
   +thread: EntityTextThreadInput => ThreadEntity,
   +user: EntityTextUserInput => UserEntity,
   +color: EntityTextColorInput => ColorEntity,
   ...
 };
 const ET: EntityTextFunction = entityTextFunction;
 
 type MakePossessiveInput = { +str: string, +isViewer?: ?boolean };
 function makePossessive(input: MakePossessiveInput) {
   if (input.isViewer) {
     return 'your';
   }
   return `${input.str}’s`;
 }
 
 function getNameForThreadEntity(
   entity: ThreadEntity,
   threadID: ?string,
 ): string {
   const { name: userGeneratedName, display } = entity;
   if (entity.display === 'uiName') {
     return userGeneratedName ? userGeneratedName : entity.uiName;
   }
   invariant(
     entity.display === 'shortName',
     `getNameForThreadEntity can't handle thread entity display ${display}`,
   );
 
   let name = userGeneratedName;
   if (!name || entity.alwaysDisplayShortName) {
     const threadType = entity.threadType ?? threadTypes.PERSONAL;
-    name = threadNoun(threadType);
+    name = entity.subchannel ? 'subchannel' : threadNoun(threadType);
     if (entity.id === threadID) {
       name = `this ${name}`;
     }
   }
   if (entity.possessive) {
     name = makePossessive({ str: name });
   }
   return name;
 }
 
 function getNameForUserEntity(entity: UserEntity): string {
   const str = stringForUser(entity);
   const { isViewer, possessive } = entity;
   if (!possessive) {
     return str;
   }
   return makePossessive({ str, isViewer });
 }
 
 function entityTextToRawString(
   entityText: EntityText,
   threadID: ?string,
 ): string {
   const textParts = entityText.map(entity => {
     if (typeof entity === 'string') {
       return entity;
     } else if (entity.type === 'thread') {
       return getNameForThreadEntity(entity, threadID);
     } else if (entity.type === 'color') {
       return entity.hex;
     } else if (entity.type === 'user') {
       return getNameForUserEntity(entity);
     } else {
       invariant(
         false,
         `entityTextToRawString can't handle entity type ${entity.type}`,
       );
     }
   });
   return textParts.join('');
 }
 
 type RenderFunctions = {
   +renderText: ({ +text: string }) => React.Node,
   +renderThread: ({ +id: string, +name: string }) => React.Node,
   +renderColor: ({ +hex: string }) => React.Node,
 };
 function entityTextToReact(
   entityText: EntityText,
   threadID: string,
   renderFuncs: RenderFunctions,
 ): React.Node {
   const { renderText, renderThread, renderColor } = renderFuncs;
   return entityText.map((entity, i) => {
     const key = `text${i}`;
     if (typeof entity === 'string') {
       return (
         <React.Fragment key={key}>
           {renderText({ text: entity })}
         </React.Fragment>
       );
     } else if (entity.type === 'thread') {
       const { id } = entity;
       const name = getNameForThreadEntity(entity, threadID);
       if (id === threadID) {
         return name;
       } else {
         return (
           <React.Fragment key={key}>
             {renderThread({ id, name })}
           </React.Fragment>
         );
       }
     } else if (entity.type === 'color') {
       return (
         <React.Fragment key={key}>
           {renderColor({ hex: entity.hex })}
         </React.Fragment>
       );
     } else if (entity.type === 'user') {
       return getNameForUserEntity(entity);
     } else {
       invariant(
         false,
         `entityTextToReact can't handle entity type ${entity.type}`,
       );
     }
   });
 }
 
 function pluralizeEntityText(
   nouns: $ReadOnlyArray<EntityText>,
   maxNumberOfNouns: number = 3,
 ): EntityText {
   return basePluralize<EntityText>(
     nouns,
     maxNumberOfNouns,
     (a: EntityText | string, b: ?EntityText | string) =>
       b ? ET`${a}${b}` : ET`${a}`,
   );
 }
 
 export { ET, entityTextToRawString, entityTextToReact, pluralizeEntityText };