diff --git a/keyserver/src/responders/message-responders.js b/keyserver/src/responders/message-responders.js
index e5d206da0..c72071a1e 100644
--- a/keyserver/src/responders/message-responders.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/responders/message-responders.js
@@ -1,272 +1,279 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import t from 'tcomb';
 
 import { onlyOneEmojiRegex } from 'lib/shared/emojis.js';
 import {
   createMediaMessageData,
   trimMessage,
 } from 'lib/shared/message-utils.js';
 import { relationshipBlockedInEitherDirection } from 'lib/shared/relationship-utils.js';
 import type { Media } from 'lib/types/media-types.js';
 import {
   messageTypes,
   type SendTextMessageRequest,
   type SendMultimediaMessageRequest,
   type SendReactionMessageRequest,
   type FetchMessageInfosResponse,
   type FetchMessageInfosRequest,
   defaultNumberPerThread,
   type SendMessageResponse,
 } from 'lib/types/message-types.js';
 import type { ReactionMessageData } from 'lib/types/messages/reaction.js';
 import type { TextMessageData } from 'lib/types/messages/text.js';
 import { threadPermissions } from 'lib/types/thread-types.js';
 import { ServerError } from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
 import {
   tRegex,
   tShape,
   tMediaMessageMedia,
 } from 'lib/utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 import createMessages from '../creators/message-creator.js';
 import { SQL } from '../database/database.js';
 import {
   fetchMessageInfos,
   fetchMessageInfoForLocalID,
   fetchMessageInfoByID,
 } from '../fetchers/message-fetchers.js';
 import { fetchServerThreadInfos } from '../fetchers/thread-fetchers.js';
 import { checkThreadPermission } from '../fetchers/thread-permission-fetchers.js';
 import {
   fetchMedia,
   fetchMediaFromMediaMessageContent,
 } from '../fetchers/upload-fetchers.js';
 import { fetchKnownUserInfos } from '../fetchers/user-fetchers.js';
 import type { Viewer } from '../session/viewer.js';
 import {
   assignMedia,
   assignMessageContainerToMedia,
 } from '../updaters/upload-updaters.js';
 import { validateInput } from '../utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 const sendTextMessageRequestInputValidator = tShape({
   threadID: t.String,
   localID: t.maybe(t.String),
   text: t.String,
+  sidebarCreation: t.maybe(t.Boolean),
 });
 async function textMessageCreationResponder(
   viewer: Viewer,
   input: any,
 ): Promise<SendMessageResponse> {
   const request: SendTextMessageRequest = input;
   await validateInput(viewer, sendTextMessageRequestInputValidator, request);
 
-  const { threadID, localID, text: rawText } = request;
+  const { threadID, localID, text: rawText, sidebarCreation } = request;
   const text = trimMessage(rawText);
   if (!text) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const hasPermission = await checkThreadPermission(
     viewer,
     threadID,
     threadPermissions.VOICED,
   );
   if (!hasPermission) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   let messageData: TextMessageData = {
     type: messageTypes.TEXT,
     threadID,
     creatorID: viewer.id,
     time: Date.now(),
     text,
   };
   if (localID) {
     messageData = { ...messageData, localID };
   }
+  if (sidebarCreation) {
+    messageData = { ...messageData, sidebarCreation };
+  }
   const rawMessageInfos = await createMessages(viewer, [messageData]);
 
   return { newMessageInfo: rawMessageInfos[0] };
 }
 
 const fetchMessageInfosRequestInputValidator = tShape({
   cursors: t.dict(t.String, t.maybe(t.String)),
   numberPerThread: t.maybe(t.Number),
 });
 async function messageFetchResponder(
   viewer: Viewer,
   input: any,
 ): Promise<FetchMessageInfosResponse> {
   const request: FetchMessageInfosRequest = input;
   await validateInput(viewer, fetchMessageInfosRequestInputValidator, request);
   const response = await fetchMessageInfos(
     viewer,
     { threadCursors: request.cursors },
     request.numberPerThread ? request.numberPerThread : defaultNumberPerThread,
   );
   return { ...response, userInfos: {} };
 }
 
 const sendMultimediaMessageRequestInputValidator = t.union([
   tShape({
     threadID: t.String,
     localID: t.String,
+    sidebarCreation: t.maybe(t.Boolean),
     mediaIDs: t.list(t.String),
   }),
   tShape({
     threadID: t.String,
     localID: t.String,
+    sidebarCreation: t.maybe(t.Boolean),
     mediaMessageContents: t.list(tMediaMessageMedia),
   }),
 ]);
 async function multimediaMessageCreationResponder(
   viewer: Viewer,
   input: any,
 ): Promise<SendMessageResponse> {
   const request: SendMultimediaMessageRequest = input;
   await validateInput(
     viewer,
     sendMultimediaMessageRequestInputValidator,
     request,
   );
 
   if (
     (request.mediaIDs && request.mediaIDs.length === 0) ||
     (request.mediaMessageContents && request.mediaMessageContents.length === 0)
   ) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
-  const { threadID, localID } = request;
+  const { threadID, localID, sidebarCreation } = request;
   const hasPermission = await checkThreadPermission(
     viewer,
     threadID,
     threadPermissions.VOICED,
   );
   if (!hasPermission) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const existingMessageInfoPromise = fetchMessageInfoForLocalID(
     viewer,
     localID,
   );
   const mediaPromise: Promise<$ReadOnlyArray<Media>> = request.mediaIDs
     ? fetchMedia(viewer, request.mediaIDs)
     : fetchMediaFromMediaMessageContent(viewer, request.mediaMessageContents);
 
   const [existingMessageInfo, media] = await Promise.all([
     existingMessageInfoPromise,
     mediaPromise,
   ]);
 
   if (media.length === 0 && !existingMessageInfo) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const messageData = createMediaMessageData({
     localID,
     threadID,
     creatorID: viewer.id,
     media,
+    sidebarCreation,
   });
   const [newMessageInfo] = await createMessages(viewer, [messageData]);
   const { id } = newMessageInfo;
   invariant(
     id !== null && id !== undefined,
     'serverID should be set in createMessages result',
   );
 
   if (request.mediaIDs) {
     await assignMedia(viewer, request.mediaIDs, id);
   } else {
     await assignMessageContainerToMedia(
       viewer,
       request.mediaMessageContents,
       id,
     );
   }
 
   return { newMessageInfo };
 }
 
 const sendReactionMessageRequestInputValidator = tShape({
   threadID: t.String,
   localID: t.maybe(t.String),
   targetMessageID: t.String,
   reaction: tRegex(onlyOneEmojiRegex),
   action: t.enums.of(['add_reaction', 'remove_reaction']),
 });
 async function reactionMessageCreationResponder(
   viewer: Viewer,
   input: any,
 ): Promise<SendMessageResponse> {
   const request: SendReactionMessageRequest = input;
   await validateInput(viewer, sendReactionMessageRequestInputValidator, input);
 
   const { threadID, localID, targetMessageID, reaction, action } = request;
 
   if (!targetMessageID || !reaction) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const targetMessageInfo = await fetchMessageInfoByID(viewer, targetMessageID);
 
   if (!targetMessageInfo || !targetMessageInfo.id) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const [serverThreadInfos, hasPermission, targetMessageUserInfos] =
     await Promise.all([
       fetchServerThreadInfos(SQL`t.id = ${threadID}`),
       checkThreadPermission(viewer, threadID, threadPermissions.VOICED),
       fetchKnownUserInfos(viewer, [targetMessageInfo.creatorID]),
     ]);
 
   const targetMessageThreadInfo = serverThreadInfos.threadInfos[threadID];
   if (targetMessageThreadInfo.sourceMessageID === targetMessageID) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   const targetMessageCreator =
     targetMessageUserInfos[targetMessageInfo.creatorID];
 
   const targetMessageCreatorRelationship =
     targetMessageCreator?.relationshipStatus;
 
   const creatorRelationshipHasBlock =
     targetMessageCreatorRelationship &&
     relationshipBlockedInEitherDirection(targetMessageCreatorRelationship);
 
   if (!hasPermission || creatorRelationshipHasBlock) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
   }
 
   let messageData: ReactionMessageData = {
     type: messageTypes.REACTION,
     threadID,
     creatorID: viewer.id,
     time: Date.now(),
     targetMessageID,
     reaction,
     action,
   };
   if (localID) {
     messageData = { ...messageData, localID };
   }
 
   const rawMessageInfos = await createMessages(viewer, [messageData]);
 
   return { newMessageInfo: rawMessageInfos[0] };
 }
 
 export {
   textMessageCreationResponder,
   messageFetchResponder,
   multimediaMessageCreationResponder,
   reactionMessageCreationResponder,
 };
diff --git a/lib/shared/message-utils.js b/lib/shared/message-utils.js
index 97f168801..7a1f84e63 100644
--- a/lib/shared/message-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/message-utils.js
@@ -1,557 +1,564 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import _maxBy from 'lodash/fp/maxBy.js';
 import _orderBy from 'lodash/fp/orderBy.js';
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import { codeBlockRegex, type ParserRules } from './markdown.js';
 import { messageSpecs } from './messages/message-specs.js';
 import { threadIsGroupChat } from './thread-utils.js';
 import { useStringForUser } from '../hooks/ens-cache.js';
 import { userIDsToRelativeUserInfos } from '../selectors/user-selectors.js';
 import type { PlatformDetails } from '../types/device-types.js';
 import type { Media } from '../types/media-types.js';
 import {
   type MessageInfo,
   type RawMessageInfo,
   type RobotextMessageInfo,
   type RawMultimediaMessageInfo,
   type MessageData,
   type MessageTruncationStatus,
   type MultimediaMessageData,
   type MessageStore,
   type ComposableMessageInfo,
   messageTypes,
   messageTruncationStatus,
   type RawComposableMessageInfo,
   type ThreadMessageInfo,
 } from '../types/message-types.js';
 import type { ImagesMessageData } from '../types/messages/images.js';
 import type { MediaMessageData } from '../types/messages/media.js';
 import type {
   RawReactionMessageInfo,
   ReactionMessageInfo,
 } from '../types/messages/reaction.js';
 import { type ThreadInfo } from '../types/thread-types.js';
 import type { UserInfos } from '../types/user-types.js';
 import {
   type EntityText,
   useEntityTextAsString,
 } from '../utils/entity-text.js';
 
 const localIDPrefix = 'local';
 
 // Prefers localID
 function messageKey(messageInfo: MessageInfo | RawMessageInfo): string {
   if (messageInfo.localID) {
     return messageInfo.localID;
   }
   invariant(messageInfo.id, 'localID should exist if ID does not');
   return messageInfo.id;
 }
 
 // Prefers serverID
 function messageID(messageInfo: MessageInfo | RawMessageInfo): string {
   if (messageInfo.id) {
     return messageInfo.id;
   }
   invariant(messageInfo.localID, 'localID should exist if ID does not');
   return messageInfo.localID;
 }
 
 function robotextForMessageInfo(
   messageInfo: RobotextMessageInfo,
   threadInfo: ?ThreadInfo,
 ): EntityText {
   const messageSpec = messageSpecs[messageInfo.type];
   invariant(
     messageSpec.robotext,
     `we're not aware of messageType ${messageInfo.type}`,
   );
   return messageSpec.robotext(messageInfo, { threadInfo });
 }
 
 function createMessageInfo(
   rawMessageInfo: RawMessageInfo,
   viewerID: ?string,
   userInfos: UserInfos,
   threadInfos: { +[id: string]: ThreadInfo },
 ): ?MessageInfo {
   const creatorInfo = userInfos[rawMessageInfo.creatorID];
   const creator = {
     id: rawMessageInfo.creatorID,
     username: creatorInfo ? creatorInfo.username : 'anonymous',
     isViewer: rawMessageInfo.creatorID === viewerID,
   };
 
   const createRelativeUserInfos = (userIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>) =>
     userIDsToRelativeUserInfos(userIDs, viewerID, userInfos);
   const createMessageInfoFromRaw = (rawInfo: RawMessageInfo) =>
     createMessageInfo(rawInfo, viewerID, userInfos, threadInfos);
 
   const messageSpec = messageSpecs[rawMessageInfo.type];
 
   return messageSpec.createMessageInfo(rawMessageInfo, creator, {
     threadInfos,
     createMessageInfoFromRaw,
     createRelativeUserInfos,
   });
 }
 
 type LengthResult = {
   +local: number,
   +realized: number,
 };
 function findMessageIDMaxLengths(
   messageIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<?string>,
 ): LengthResult {
   const result = {
     local: 0,
     realized: 0,
   };
   for (const id of messageIDs) {
     if (!id) {
       continue;
     }
     if (id.startsWith(localIDPrefix)) {
       result.local = Math.max(result.local, id.length - localIDPrefix.length);
     } else {
       result.realized = Math.max(result.realized, id.length);
     }
   }
   return result;
 }
 
 function extendMessageID(id: ?string, lengths: LengthResult): ?string {
   if (!id) {
     return id;
   }
   if (id.startsWith(localIDPrefix)) {
     const zeroPaddedID = id
       .substr(localIDPrefix.length)
       .padStart(lengths.local, '0');
     return `${localIDPrefix}${zeroPaddedID}`;
   }
   return id.padStart(lengths.realized, '0');
 }
 
 function sortMessageInfoList<T: MessageInfo | RawMessageInfo>(
   messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<T>,
 ): T[] {
   const lengths = findMessageIDMaxLengths(
     messageInfos.map(message => message?.id),
   );
   return _orderBy([
     'time',
     (message: T) => extendMessageID(message?.id, lengths),
   ])(['desc', 'desc'])(messageInfos);
 }
 
 const sortMessageIDs: (messages: { +[id: string]: RawMessageInfo }) => (
   messageIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
 ) => string[] = messages => messageIDs => {
   const lengths = findMessageIDMaxLengths(messageIDs);
   return _orderBy([
     (id: string) => messages[id].time,
     (id: string) => extendMessageID(id, lengths),
   ])(['desc', 'desc'])(messageIDs);
 };
 
 function rawMessageInfoFromMessageData(
   messageData: MessageData,
   id: ?string,
 ): RawMessageInfo {
   const messageSpec = messageSpecs[messageData.type];
   invariant(
     messageSpec.rawMessageInfoFromMessageData,
     `we're not aware of messageType ${messageData.type}`,
   );
   return messageSpec.rawMessageInfoFromMessageData(messageData, id);
 }
 
 function mostRecentMessageTimestamp(
   messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   previousTimestamp: number,
 ): number {
   if (messageInfos.length === 0) {
     return previousTimestamp;
   }
   return _maxBy('time')(messageInfos).time;
 }
 
 function usersInMessageInfos(
   messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<MessageInfo | RawMessageInfo>,
 ): string[] {
   const userIDs = new Set();
   for (const messageInfo of messageInfos) {
     if (messageInfo.creatorID) {
       userIDs.add(messageInfo.creatorID);
     } else if (messageInfo.creator) {
       userIDs.add(messageInfo.creator.id);
     }
   }
   return [...userIDs];
 }
 
 function combineTruncationStatuses(
   first: MessageTruncationStatus,
   second: ?MessageTruncationStatus,
 ): MessageTruncationStatus {
   if (
     first === messageTruncationStatus.EXHAUSTIVE ||
     second === messageTruncationStatus.EXHAUSTIVE
   ) {
     return messageTruncationStatus.EXHAUSTIVE;
   } else if (
     first === messageTruncationStatus.UNCHANGED &&
     second !== null &&
     second !== undefined
   ) {
     return second;
   } else {
     return first;
   }
 }
 
 function shimUnsupportedRawMessageInfos(
   rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   platformDetails: ?PlatformDetails,
 ): RawMessageInfo[] {
   if (platformDetails && platformDetails.platform === 'web') {
     return [...rawMessageInfos];
   }
   return rawMessageInfos.map(rawMessageInfo => {
     const { shimUnsupportedMessageInfo } = messageSpecs[rawMessageInfo.type];
     if (shimUnsupportedMessageInfo) {
       return shimUnsupportedMessageInfo(rawMessageInfo, platformDetails);
     }
     return rawMessageInfo;
   });
 }
 
-type MediaMessageDataCreationInput = $ReadOnly<{
-  threadID: string,
-  creatorID: string,
-  media: $ReadOnlyArray<Media>,
-  localID?: ?string,
-  time?: ?number,
+type MediaMessageDataCreationInput = {
+  +threadID: string,
+  +creatorID: string,
+  +media: $ReadOnlyArray<Media>,
+  +localID?: ?string,
+  +time?: ?number,
+  +sidebarCreation?: ?boolean,
   ...
-}>;
+};
 function createMediaMessageData(
   input: MediaMessageDataCreationInput,
 ): MultimediaMessageData {
   let allMediaArePhotos = true;
   const photoMedia = [];
   for (const singleMedia of input.media) {
     if (singleMedia.type === 'video') {
       allMediaArePhotos = false;
       break;
     } else {
       photoMedia.push(singleMedia);
     }
   }
 
-  const { localID, threadID, creatorID } = input;
+  const { localID, threadID, creatorID, sidebarCreation } = input;
   const time = input.time ? input.time : Date.now();
   let messageData;
   if (allMediaArePhotos) {
     messageData = ({
       type: messageTypes.IMAGES,
       threadID,
       creatorID,
       time,
       media: photoMedia,
     }: ImagesMessageData);
     if (localID) {
       messageData = { ...messageData, localID };
     }
+    if (sidebarCreation) {
+      messageData = { ...messageData, sidebarCreation };
+    }
   } else {
     messageData = ({
       type: messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA,
       threadID,
       creatorID,
       time,
       media: input.media,
     }: MediaMessageData);
     if (localID) {
       messageData = { ...messageData, localID };
     }
+    if (sidebarCreation) {
+      messageData = { ...messageData, sidebarCreation };
+    }
   }
   return messageData;
 }
 
-type MediaMessageInfoCreationInput = $ReadOnly<{
+type MediaMessageInfoCreationInput = {
   ...$Exact<MediaMessageDataCreationInput>,
-  id?: ?string,
-}>;
+  +id?: ?string,
+};
 function createMediaMessageInfo(
   input: MediaMessageInfoCreationInput,
 ): RawMultimediaMessageInfo {
   const messageData = createMediaMessageData(input);
   const createRawMessageInfo =
     messageSpecs[messageData.type].rawMessageInfoFromMessageData;
   invariant(
     createRawMessageInfo,
     'multimedia message spec should have rawMessageInfoFromMessageData',
   );
   const result = createRawMessageInfo(messageData, input.id);
   invariant(
     result.type === messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA ||
       result.type === messageTypes.IMAGES,
     `media messageSpec returned MessageType ${result.type}`,
   );
   return result;
 }
 
 function stripLocalID(
   rawMessageInfo: RawComposableMessageInfo | RawReactionMessageInfo,
 ) {
   const { localID, ...rest } = rawMessageInfo;
   return rest;
 }
 
 function stripLocalIDs(
   input: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
 ): RawMessageInfo[] {
   const output = [];
   for (const rawMessageInfo of input) {
     if (rawMessageInfo.localID) {
       invariant(
         rawMessageInfo.id,
         'serverID should be set if localID is being stripped',
       );
       output.push(stripLocalID(rawMessageInfo));
     } else {
       output.push(rawMessageInfo);
     }
   }
   return output;
 }
 
 // Normally we call trim() to remove whitespace at the beginning and end of each
 // message. However, our Markdown parser supports a "codeBlock" format where the
 // user can indent each line to indicate a code block. If we match the
 // corresponding RegEx, we'll only trim whitespace off the end.
 function trimMessage(message: string): string {
   message = message.replace(/^\n*/, '');
   return codeBlockRegex.exec(message) ? message.trimEnd() : message.trim();
 }
 
 function createMessageQuote(message: string): string {
   // add `>` to each line to include empty lines in the quote
   return message.replace(/^/gm, '> ');
 }
 
 function createMessageReply(message: string): string {
   return createMessageQuote(message) + '\n\n';
 }
 
 function getMostRecentNonLocalMessageID(
   threadID: string,
   messageStore: MessageStore,
 ): ?string {
   const thread = messageStore.threads[threadID];
   return thread?.messageIDs.find(id => !id.startsWith(localIDPrefix));
 }
 
 function getMessageTitle(
   messageInfo:
     | ComposableMessageInfo
     | RobotextMessageInfo
     | ReactionMessageInfo,
   threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
   markdownRules: ParserRules,
 ): EntityText {
   const { messageTitle } = messageSpecs[messageInfo.type];
   if (messageTitle) {
     return messageTitle({ messageInfo, threadInfo, markdownRules });
   }
 
   invariant(
     messageInfo.type !== messageTypes.TEXT &&
       messageInfo.type !== messageTypes.IMAGES &&
       messageInfo.type !== messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA &&
       messageInfo.type !== messageTypes.REACTION,
     'messageTitle can only be auto-generated for RobotextMessageInfo',
   );
   return robotextForMessageInfo(messageInfo, threadInfo);
 }
 
 function mergeThreadMessageInfos(
   first: ThreadMessageInfo,
   second: ThreadMessageInfo,
   messages: { +[id: string]: RawMessageInfo },
 ): ThreadMessageInfo {
   let firstPointer = 0;
   let secondPointer = 0;
   const mergedMessageIDs = [];
   let firstCandidate = first.messageIDs[firstPointer];
   let secondCandidate = second.messageIDs[secondPointer];
   while (firstCandidate !== undefined || secondCandidate !== undefined) {
     if (firstCandidate === undefined) {
       mergedMessageIDs.push(secondCandidate);
       secondPointer++;
     } else if (secondCandidate === undefined) {
       mergedMessageIDs.push(firstCandidate);
       firstPointer++;
     } else if (firstCandidate === secondCandidate) {
       mergedMessageIDs.push(firstCandidate);
       firstPointer++;
       secondPointer++;
     } else {
       const firstMessage = messages[firstCandidate];
       const secondMessage = messages[secondCandidate];
       invariant(
         firstMessage && secondMessage,
         'message in messageIDs not present in MessageStore',
       );
       if (
         (firstMessage.id &&
           secondMessage.id &&
           firstMessage.id === secondMessage.id) ||
         (firstMessage.localID &&
           secondMessage.localID &&
           firstMessage.localID === secondMessage.localID)
       ) {
         mergedMessageIDs.push(firstCandidate);
         firstPointer++;
         secondPointer++;
       } else if (firstMessage.time < secondMessage.time) {
         mergedMessageIDs.push(secondCandidate);
         secondPointer++;
       } else {
         mergedMessageIDs.push(firstCandidate);
         firstPointer++;
       }
     }
     firstCandidate = first.messageIDs[firstPointer];
     secondCandidate = second.messageIDs[secondPointer];
   }
   return {
     messageIDs: mergedMessageIDs,
     startReached: first.startReached && second.startReached,
     lastNavigatedTo: Math.max(first.lastNavigatedTo, second.lastNavigatedTo),
     lastPruned: Math.max(first.lastPruned, second.lastPruned),
   };
 }
 
 type MessagePreviewPart = {
   +text: string,
   // unread has highest contrast, followed by primary, followed by secondary
   +style: 'unread' | 'primary' | 'secondary',
 };
 type MessagePreviewResult = {
   +message: MessagePreviewPart,
   +username: ?MessagePreviewPart,
 };
 function useMessagePreview(
   originalMessageInfo: ?MessageInfo,
   threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
   markdownRules: ParserRules,
 ): ?MessagePreviewResult {
   let messageInfo;
   if (
     originalMessageInfo &&
     originalMessageInfo.type === messageTypes.SIDEBAR_SOURCE
   ) {
     messageInfo = originalMessageInfo.sourceMessage;
   } else {
     messageInfo = originalMessageInfo;
   }
 
   const hasUsername =
     threadIsGroupChat(threadInfo) ||
     threadInfo.name !== '' ||
     messageInfo?.creator.isViewer;
   const shouldDisplayUser =
     messageInfo?.type === messageTypes.TEXT && hasUsername;
 
   const stringForUser = useStringForUser(
     shouldDisplayUser ? messageInfo?.creator : null,
   );
 
   const { unread } = threadInfo.currentUser;
   const username = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!shouldDisplayUser) {
       return null;
     }
     invariant(
       stringForUser,
       'useStringForUser should only return falsey if pass null or undefined',
     );
     return {
       text: stringForUser,
       style: unread ? 'unread' : 'secondary',
     };
   }, [shouldDisplayUser, stringForUser, unread]);
 
   const messageTitleEntityText = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!messageInfo) {
       return messageInfo;
     }
     return getMessageTitle(messageInfo, threadInfo, markdownRules);
   }, [messageInfo, threadInfo, markdownRules]);
 
   const threadID = threadInfo.id;
   const entityTextToStringParams = React.useMemo(
     () => ({
       threadID,
     }),
     [threadID],
   );
   const messageTitle = useEntityTextAsString(
     messageTitleEntityText,
     entityTextToStringParams,
   );
 
   const isTextMessage = messageInfo?.type === messageTypes.TEXT;
   const message = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (messageTitle === null || messageTitle === undefined) {
       return messageTitle;
     }
 
     let style;
     if (unread) {
       style = 'unread';
     } else if (isTextMessage) {
       style = 'primary';
     } else {
       style = 'secondary';
     }
 
     return { text: messageTitle, style };
   }, [messageTitle, unread, isTextMessage]);
 
   return React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!message) {
       return message;
     }
     return { message, username };
   }, [message, username]);
 }
 
 export {
   localIDPrefix,
   messageKey,
   messageID,
   robotextForMessageInfo,
   createMessageInfo,
   sortMessageInfoList,
   sortMessageIDs,
   rawMessageInfoFromMessageData,
   mostRecentMessageTimestamp,
   usersInMessageInfos,
   combineTruncationStatuses,
   shimUnsupportedRawMessageInfos,
   createMediaMessageData,
   createMediaMessageInfo,
   stripLocalIDs,
   trimMessage,
   createMessageQuote,
   createMessageReply,
   getMostRecentNonLocalMessageID,
   getMessageTitle,
   mergeThreadMessageInfos,
   useMessagePreview,
 };
diff --git a/lib/types/message-types.js b/lib/types/message-types.js
index 59a193602..58cabf230 100644
--- a/lib/types/message-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/message-types.js
@@ -1,572 +1,575 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
 import { type ClientDBMediaInfo } from './media-types.js';
 import type {
   AddMembersMessageData,
   AddMembersMessageInfo,
   RawAddMembersMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/add-members.js';
 import type {
   ChangeRoleMessageData,
   ChangeRoleMessageInfo,
   RawChangeRoleMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/change-role.js';
 import type {
   ChangeSettingsMessageData,
   ChangeSettingsMessageInfo,
   RawChangeSettingsMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/change-settings.js';
 import type {
   CreateEntryMessageData,
   CreateEntryMessageInfo,
   RawCreateEntryMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/create-entry.js';
 import type {
   CreateSidebarMessageData,
   CreateSidebarMessageInfo,
   RawCreateSidebarMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/create-sidebar.js';
 import type {
   CreateSubthreadMessageData,
   CreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
   RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/create-subthread.js';
 import type {
   CreateThreadMessageData,
   CreateThreadMessageInfo,
   RawCreateThreadMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/create-thread.js';
 import type {
   DeleteEntryMessageData,
   DeleteEntryMessageInfo,
   RawDeleteEntryMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/delete-entry.js';
 import type {
   EditEntryMessageData,
   EditEntryMessageInfo,
   RawEditEntryMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/edit-entry.js';
 import type {
   ImagesMessageData,
   ImagesMessageInfo,
   RawImagesMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/images.js';
 import type {
   JoinThreadMessageData,
   JoinThreadMessageInfo,
   RawJoinThreadMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/join-thread.js';
 import type {
   LeaveThreadMessageData,
   LeaveThreadMessageInfo,
   RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/leave-thread.js';
 import type {
   MediaMessageData,
   MediaMessageInfo,
   MediaMessageServerDBContent,
   RawMediaMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/media.js';
 import type {
   ReactionMessageData,
   RawReactionMessageInfo,
   ReactionMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/reaction.js';
 import type {
   RawRemoveMembersMessageInfo,
   RemoveMembersMessageData,
   RemoveMembersMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/remove-members.js';
 import type {
   RawRestoreEntryMessageInfo,
   RestoreEntryMessageData,
   RestoreEntryMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/restore-entry.js';
 import type {
   RawTextMessageInfo,
   TextMessageData,
   TextMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/text.js';
 import type {
   RawUnsupportedMessageInfo,
   UnsupportedMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/unsupported.js';
 import type {
   RawUpdateRelationshipMessageInfo,
   UpdateRelationshipMessageData,
   UpdateRelationshipMessageInfo,
 } from './messages/update-relationship.js';
 import { type RelativeUserInfo, type UserInfos } from './user-types.js';
 import type { CallServerEndpointResultInfoInterface } from '../utils/call-server-endpoint.js';
 
 export const messageTypes = Object.freeze({
   TEXT: 0,
   // Appears in the newly created thread
   CREATE_THREAD: 1,
   ADD_MEMBERS: 2,
   // Appears in the parent when a child thread is created
   // (historically also when a sidebar was created)
   CREATE_SUB_THREAD: 3,
   CHANGE_SETTINGS: 4,
   REMOVE_MEMBERS: 5,
   CHANGE_ROLE: 6,
   LEAVE_THREAD: 7,
   JOIN_THREAD: 8,
   CREATE_ENTRY: 9,
   EDIT_ENTRY: 10,
   DELETE_ENTRY: 11,
   RESTORE_ENTRY: 12,
   // When the server has a message to deliver that the client can't properly
   // render because the client is too old, the server will send this message
   // type instead. Consequently, there is no MessageData for UNSUPPORTED - just
   // a RawMessageInfo and a MessageInfo. Note that native/persist.js handles
   // converting these MessageInfos when the client is upgraded.
   UNSUPPORTED: 13,
   IMAGES: 14,
   MULTIMEDIA: 15,
   UPDATE_RELATIONSHIP: 16,
   SIDEBAR_SOURCE: 17,
   // Appears in the newly created sidebar
   CREATE_SIDEBAR: 18,
   REACTION: 19,
 });
 export type MessageType = $Values<typeof messageTypes>;
 export function assertMessageType(ourMessageType: number): MessageType {
   invariant(
     ourMessageType === 0 ||
       ourMessageType === 1 ||
       ourMessageType === 2 ||
       ourMessageType === 3 ||
       ourMessageType === 4 ||
       ourMessageType === 5 ||
       ourMessageType === 6 ||
       ourMessageType === 7 ||
       ourMessageType === 8 ||
       ourMessageType === 9 ||
       ourMessageType === 10 ||
       ourMessageType === 11 ||
       ourMessageType === 12 ||
       ourMessageType === 13 ||
       ourMessageType === 14 ||
       ourMessageType === 15 ||
       ourMessageType === 16 ||
       ourMessageType === 17 ||
       ourMessageType === 18 ||
       ourMessageType === 19,
     'number is not MessageType enum',
   );
   return ourMessageType;
 }
 
 const composableMessageTypes = new Set([
   messageTypes.TEXT,
   messageTypes.IMAGES,
   messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA,
 ]);
 export function isComposableMessageType(ourMessageType: MessageType): boolean {
   return composableMessageTypes.has(ourMessageType);
 }
 export function assertComposableMessageType(
   ourMessageType: MessageType,
 ): MessageType {
   invariant(
     isComposableMessageType(ourMessageType),
     'MessageType is not composed',
   );
   return ourMessageType;
 }
 export function assertComposableRawMessage(
   message: RawMessageInfo,
 ): RawComposableMessageInfo {
   invariant(
     message.type === messageTypes.TEXT ||
       message.type === messageTypes.IMAGES ||
       message.type === messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA,
     'Message is not composable',
   );
   return message;
 }
 export function messageDataLocalID(messageData: MessageData): ?string {
   if (
     messageData.type !== messageTypes.TEXT &&
     messageData.type !== messageTypes.IMAGES &&
     messageData.type !== messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA &&
     messageData.type !== messageTypes.REACTION
   ) {
     return null;
   }
   return messageData.localID;
 }
 
 const mediaMessageTypes = new Set([
   messageTypes.IMAGES,
   messageTypes.MULTIMEDIA,
 ]);
 export function isMediaMessageType(ourMessageType: MessageType): boolean {
   return mediaMessageTypes.has(ourMessageType);
 }
 export function assertMediaMessageType(
   ourMessageType: MessageType,
 ): MessageType {
   invariant(isMediaMessageType(ourMessageType), 'MessageType is not media');
   return ourMessageType;
 }
 
 // *MessageData = passed to createMessages function to insert into database
 // Raw*MessageInfo = used by server, and contained in client's local store
 // *MessageInfo = used by client in UI code
 
 export type SidebarSourceMessageData = {
   +type: 17,
   +threadID: string,
   +creatorID: string,
   +time: number,
   +sourceMessage?: RawComposableMessageInfo | RawRobotextMessageInfo,
 };
 
 export type MessageData =
   | TextMessageData
   | CreateThreadMessageData
   | AddMembersMessageData
   | CreateSubthreadMessageData
   | ChangeSettingsMessageData
   | RemoveMembersMessageData
   | ChangeRoleMessageData
   | LeaveThreadMessageData
   | JoinThreadMessageData
   | CreateEntryMessageData
   | EditEntryMessageData
   | DeleteEntryMessageData
   | RestoreEntryMessageData
   | ImagesMessageData
   | MediaMessageData
   | UpdateRelationshipMessageData
   | SidebarSourceMessageData
   | CreateSidebarMessageData
   | ReactionMessageData;
 
 export type MultimediaMessageData = ImagesMessageData | MediaMessageData;
 
 export type RawMultimediaMessageInfo =
   | RawImagesMessageInfo
   | RawMediaMessageInfo;
 export type RawComposableMessageInfo =
   | RawTextMessageInfo
   | RawMultimediaMessageInfo;
 
 export type RawRobotextMessageInfo =
   | RawCreateThreadMessageInfo
   | RawAddMembersMessageInfo
   | RawCreateSubthreadMessageInfo
   | RawChangeSettingsMessageInfo
   | RawRemoveMembersMessageInfo
   | RawChangeRoleMessageInfo
   | RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo
   | RawJoinThreadMessageInfo
   | RawCreateEntryMessageInfo
   | RawEditEntryMessageInfo
   | RawDeleteEntryMessageInfo
   | RawRestoreEntryMessageInfo
   | RawUpdateRelationshipMessageInfo
   | RawCreateSidebarMessageInfo
   | RawUnsupportedMessageInfo;
 export type RawSidebarSourceMessageInfo = {
   ...SidebarSourceMessageData,
   id: string,
 };
 
 export type RawMessageInfo =
   | RawComposableMessageInfo
   | RawRobotextMessageInfo
   | RawSidebarSourceMessageInfo
   | RawReactionMessageInfo;
 
 export type LocallyComposedMessageInfo =
   | ({
       ...RawImagesMessageInfo,
       +localID: string,
     } & RawImagesMessageInfo)
   | ({
       ...RawMediaMessageInfo,
       +localID: string,
     } & RawMediaMessageInfo)
   | ({
       ...RawTextMessageInfo,
       +localID: string,
     } & RawTextMessageInfo)
   | ({
       ...RawReactionMessageInfo,
       +localID: string,
     } & RawReactionMessageInfo);
 
 export type MultimediaMessageInfo = ImagesMessageInfo | MediaMessageInfo;
 export type ComposableMessageInfo = TextMessageInfo | MultimediaMessageInfo;
 
 export type RobotextMessageInfo =
   | CreateThreadMessageInfo
   | AddMembersMessageInfo
   | CreateSubthreadMessageInfo
   | ChangeSettingsMessageInfo
   | RemoveMembersMessageInfo
   | ChangeRoleMessageInfo
   | LeaveThreadMessageInfo
   | JoinThreadMessageInfo
   | CreateEntryMessageInfo
   | EditEntryMessageInfo
   | DeleteEntryMessageInfo
   | RestoreEntryMessageInfo
   | UnsupportedMessageInfo
   | UpdateRelationshipMessageInfo
   | CreateSidebarMessageInfo;
 export type PreviewableMessageInfo =
   | RobotextMessageInfo
   | MultimediaMessageInfo
   | ReactionMessageInfo;
 
 export type SidebarSourceMessageInfo = {
   +type: 17,
   +id: string,
   +threadID: string,
   +creator: RelativeUserInfo,
   +time: number,
   +sourceMessage: ComposableMessageInfo | RobotextMessageInfo,
 };
 
 export type MessageInfo =
   | ComposableMessageInfo
   | RobotextMessageInfo
   | SidebarSourceMessageInfo
   | ReactionMessageInfo;
 
 export type ThreadMessageInfo = {
   messageIDs: string[],
   startReached: boolean,
   lastNavigatedTo: number, // millisecond timestamp
   lastPruned: number, // millisecond timestamp
 };
 
 // Tracks client-local information about a message that hasn't been assigned an
 // ID by the server yet. As soon as the client gets an ack from the server for
 // this message, it will clear the LocalMessageInfo.
 export type LocalMessageInfo = {
   +sendFailed?: boolean,
 };
 
 export type MessageStore = {
   +messages: { +[id: string]: RawMessageInfo },
   +threads: { +[threadID: string]: ThreadMessageInfo },
   +local: { +[id: string]: LocalMessageInfo },
   +currentAsOf: number,
 };
 
 export type RemoveMessageOperation = {
   +type: 'remove',
   +payload: { +ids: $ReadOnlyArray<string> },
 };
 
 export type RemoveMessagesForThreadsOperation = {
   +type: 'remove_messages_for_threads',
   +payload: { +threadIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string> },
 };
 
 export type ReplaceMessageOperation = {
   +type: 'replace',
   +payload: { +id: string, +messageInfo: RawMessageInfo },
 };
 
 export type RekeyMessageOperation = {
   +type: 'rekey',
   +payload: { +from: string, +to: string },
 };
 
 export type RemoveAllMessagesOperation = {
   +type: 'remove_all',
 };
 
 // We were initially using `number`s` for `thread`, `type`, `future_type`, etc.
 // However, we ended up changing `thread` to `string` to account for thread IDs
 // including information about the keyserver (eg 'GENESIS|123') in the future.
 //
 // At that point we discussed whether we should switch the remaining `number`
 // fields to `string`s for consistency and flexibility. We researched whether
 // there was any performance cost to using `string`s instead of `number`s and
 // found the differences to be negligible. We also concluded using `string`s
 // may be safer after considering `jsi::Number` and the various C++ number
 // representations on the CommCoreModule side.
 export type ClientDBMessageInfo = {
   +id: string,
   +local_id: ?string,
   +thread: string,
   +user: string,
   +type: string,
   +future_type: ?string,
   +content: ?string,
   +time: string,
   +media_infos: ?$ReadOnlyArray<ClientDBMediaInfo>,
 };
 
 export type ClientDBReplaceMessageOperation = {
   +type: 'replace',
   +payload: ClientDBMessageInfo,
 };
 
 export type MessageStoreOperation =
   | RemoveMessageOperation
   | ReplaceMessageOperation
   | RekeyMessageOperation
   | RemoveMessagesForThreadsOperation
   | RemoveAllMessagesOperation;
 
 export type ClientDBMessageStoreOperation =
   | RemoveMessageOperation
   | ClientDBReplaceMessageOperation
   | RekeyMessageOperation
   | RemoveMessagesForThreadsOperation
   | RemoveAllMessagesOperation;
 
 export const messageTruncationStatus = Object.freeze({
   // EXHAUSTIVE means we've reached the start of the thread. Either the result
   // set includes the very first message for that thread, or there is nothing
   // behind the cursor you queried for. Given that the client only ever issues
   // ranged queries whose range, when unioned with what is in state, represent
   // the set of all messages for a given thread, we can guarantee that getting
   // EXHAUSTIVE means the start has been reached.
   EXHAUSTIVE: 'exhaustive',
   // TRUNCATED is rare, and means that the server can't guarantee that the
   // result set for a given thread is contiguous with what the client has in its
   // state. If the client can't verify the contiguousness itself, it needs to
   // replace its Redux store's contents with what it is in this payload.
   //  1) getMessageInfosSince: Result set for thread is equal to max, and the
   //     truncation status isn't EXHAUSTIVE (ie. doesn't include the very first
   //     message).
   //  2) getMessageInfos: MessageSelectionCriteria does not specify cursors, the
   //     result set for thread is equal to max, and the truncation status isn't
   //     EXHAUSTIVE. If cursors are specified, we never return truncated, since
   //     the cursor given us guarantees the contiguousness of the result set.
   // Note that in the reducer, we can guarantee contiguousness if there is any
   // intersection between messageIDs in the result set and the set currently in
   // the Redux store.
   TRUNCATED: 'truncated',
   // UNCHANGED means the result set is guaranteed to be contiguous with what the
   // client has in its state, but is not EXHAUSTIVE. Basically, it's anything
   // that isn't either EXHAUSTIVE or TRUNCATED.
   UNCHANGED: 'unchanged',
 });
 export type MessageTruncationStatus = $Values<typeof messageTruncationStatus>;
 export function assertMessageTruncationStatus(
   ourMessageTruncationStatus: string,
 ): MessageTruncationStatus {
   invariant(
     ourMessageTruncationStatus === 'truncated' ||
       ourMessageTruncationStatus === 'unchanged' ||
       ourMessageTruncationStatus === 'exhaustive',
     'string is not ourMessageTruncationStatus enum',
   );
   return ourMessageTruncationStatus;
 }
 export type MessageTruncationStatuses = {
   [threadID: string]: MessageTruncationStatus,
 };
 
 export type ThreadCursors = { +[threadID: string]: ?string };
 
 export type MessageSelectionCriteria = {
   +threadCursors?: ?ThreadCursors,
   +joinedThreads?: ?boolean,
   +newerThan?: ?number,
 };
 
 export type FetchMessageInfosRequest = {
   +cursors: ThreadCursors,
   +numberPerThread?: ?number,
 };
 export type FetchMessageInfosResponse = {
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +truncationStatuses: MessageTruncationStatuses,
   +userInfos: UserInfos,
 };
 export type FetchMessageInfosResult = {
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +truncationStatuses: MessageTruncationStatuses,
 };
 export type FetchMessageInfosPayload = {
   +threadID: string,
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +truncationStatus: MessageTruncationStatus,
 };
 export type MessagesResponse = {
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +truncationStatuses: MessageTruncationStatuses,
   +currentAsOf: number,
 };
 export type SimpleMessagesPayload = {
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +truncationStatuses: MessageTruncationStatuses,
 };
 export const defaultNumberPerThread = 20;
 export const defaultMaxMessageAge = 14 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 2 weeks
 
 export type SendMessageResponse = {
   +newMessageInfo: RawMessageInfo,
 };
 export type SendMessageResult = {
   +id: string,
   +time: number,
   +interface: CallServerEndpointResultInfoInterface,
 };
 
 export type SendMessagePayload = {
   +localID: string,
   +serverID: string,
   +threadID: string,
   +time: number,
   +interface: CallServerEndpointResultInfoInterface,
 };
 
 export type SendTextMessageRequest = {
   +threadID: string,
   +localID?: string,
   +text: string,
+  +sidebarCreation?: boolean,
 };
 export type SendMultimediaMessageRequest =
   | {
       +threadID: string,
       +localID: string,
+      +sidebarCreation?: boolean,
       +mediaIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
     }
   | {
       +threadID: string,
       +localID: string,
+      +sidebarCreation?: boolean,
       +mediaMessageContents: $ReadOnlyArray<MediaMessageServerDBContent>,
     };
 
 export type SendReactionMessageRequest = {
   +threadID: string,
   +localID?: string,
   +targetMessageID: string,
   +reaction: string,
   +action: 'add_reaction' | 'remove_reaction',
 };
 
 // Used for the message info included in log-in type actions
 export type GenericMessagesResult = {
   +messageInfos: RawMessageInfo[],
   +truncationStatus: MessageTruncationStatuses,
   +watchedIDsAtRequestTime: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   +currentAsOf: number,
 };
 
 export type SaveMessagesPayload = {
   +rawMessageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
   +updatesCurrentAsOf: number,
 };
 
 export type NewMessagesPayload = {
   +messagesResult: MessagesResponse,
 };
 
 export type MessageStorePrunePayload = {
   +threadIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
 };