diff --git a/web/src/components/ChatInfoPanel.tsx b/web/src/components/ChatInfoPanel.tsx
index ac4aab8..0cb8c36 100644
--- a/web/src/components/ChatInfoPanel.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/ChatInfoPanel.tsx
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ export function ChatInfoPanel({ chatId, open, onClose }: Props) {
                   }
                 }}
               >
-                Leave chat
+                {chat.type === "channel" ? "Leave channel" : "Leave chat"}
               </button>
             ) : null}
             </>
diff --git a/web/src/components/MessageComposer.tsx b/web/src/components/MessageComposer.tsx
index 0c3841a..10a99a1 100644
--- a/web/src/components/MessageComposer.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/MessageComposer.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ type RecordingState = "idle" | "recording" | "locked";
 
 export function MessageComposer() {
   const activeChatId = useChatStore((s) => s.activeChatId);
+  const chats = useChatStore((s) => s.chats);
   const me = useAuthStore((s) => s.me);
   const draftsByChat = useChatStore((s) => s.draftsByChat);
   const setDraft = useChatStore((s) => s.setDraft);
@@ -52,6 +53,12 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
   const [recordSeconds, setRecordSeconds] = useState(0);
   const [dragHint, setDragHint] = useState<"idle" | "lock" | "cancel">("idle");
   const hasTextToSend = text.trim().length > 0;
+  const activeChat = chats.find((chat) => chat.id === activeChatId);
+  const canSendInActiveChat = Boolean(
+    activeChatId &&
+      activeChat &&
+      (activeChat.type !== "channel" || activeChat.my_role === "owner" || activeChat.my_role === "admin" || activeChat.is_saved)
+  );
 
   useEffect(() => {
     recordingStateRef.current = recordingState;
@@ -146,7 +153,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
   }
 
   async function handleSend() {
-    if (!activeChatId || !text.trim() || !me) {
+    if (!activeChatId || !text.trim() || !me || !canSendInActiveChat) {
       return;
     }
     const clientMessageId = makeClientMessageId();
@@ -205,7 +212,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
     messageType: "file" | "image" | "video" | "audio" | "voice" | "circle_video" = "file",
     waveformPoints?: number[] | null
   ) {
-    if (!activeChatId || !me) {
+    if (!activeChatId || !me || !canSendInActiveChat) {
       return;
     }
     setIsUploading(true);
@@ -303,7 +310,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
   }
 
   async function startRecord() {
-    if (recordingState !== "idle") {
+    if (recordingState !== "idle" || !canSendInActiveChat) {
       return false;
     }
     try {
@@ -694,11 +701,17 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
         </div>
       ) : null}
 
+      {!canSendInActiveChat && activeChat?.type === "channel" ? (
+        <div className="mb-2 rounded-xl border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/10 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-amber-200">
+          Read-only channel: only owners and admins can post.
+        </div>
+      ) : null}
+
       <div className="mb-2 flex items-end gap-2">
         <div className="relative">
           <button
             className="h-[42px] min-w-[42px] rounded-full bg-slate-700/85 px-3 text-sm font-semibold text-slate-200 hover:bg-slate-700 disabled:opacity-60"
-            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle"}
+            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle" || !canSendInActiveChat}
             onClick={() => setShowAttachMenu((v) => !v)}
             type="button"
           >
@@ -728,7 +741,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
             type="file"
             multiple
             accept="image/*,video/*"
-            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle"}
+            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle" || !canSendInActiveChat}
             onChange={(event) => {
               const files = event.target.files ? Array.from(event.target.files) : [];
               if (files.length) {
@@ -742,7 +755,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
             className="hidden"
             type="file"
             multiple
-            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle"}
+            disabled={isUploading || recordingState !== "idle" || !canSendInActiveChat}
             onChange={(event) => {
               const files = event.target.files ? Array.from(event.target.files) : [];
               if (files.length) {
@@ -758,6 +771,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
           onClick={() => setShowFormatMenu((v) => !v)}
           type="button"
           title="Text formatting"
+          disabled={!canSendInActiveChat}
         >
           Aa
         </button>
@@ -765,9 +779,10 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
         <textarea
           ref={textareaRef}
           className="min-h-[42px] max-h-40 flex-1 resize-y rounded-2xl border border-slate-700/80 bg-slate-800/80 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-slate-400 focus:border-sky-500"
-          placeholder="Write a message..."
+          placeholder={canSendInActiveChat ? "Write a message..." : "Read-only channel"}
           rows={1}
           value={text}
+          disabled={!canSendInActiveChat}
           onKeyDown={onComposerKeyDown}
           onChange={(event) => {
             const next = event.target.value;
@@ -783,7 +798,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
         {hasTextToSend ? (
           <button
             className="h-[42px] w-[56px] rounded-full bg-sky-500 px-3 text-sm font-semibold text-slate-950 hover:bg-sky-400 disabled:opacity-60"
-            disabled={recordingState !== "idle" || !activeChatId}
+            disabled={recordingState !== "idle" || !activeChatId || !canSendInActiveChat}
             onClick={handleSend}
             type="button"
             title="Send message"
@@ -795,7 +810,7 @@ export function MessageComposer() {
             className={`h-[42px] w-[56px] rounded-full px-3 text-sm font-semibold ${
               recordingState === "idle" ? "bg-emerald-500 text-slate-950 hover:bg-emerald-400" : "bg-slate-700 text-slate-300"
             }`}
-            disabled={isUploading || !activeChatId}
+            disabled={isUploading || !activeChatId || !canSendInActiveChat}
             onPointerDown={onMicPointerDown}
             type="button"
             title="Hold to record voice"
diff --git a/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx b/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
index f7223ee..f7af9ad 100644
--- a/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/MessageList.tsx
@@ -1025,6 +1025,9 @@ function canDeleteForEveryone(
   if (chat.type === "channel") {
     return chat.my_role === "owner" || chat.my_role === "admin";
   }
+  if (chat.type === "group" && (chat.my_role === "owner" || chat.my_role === "admin")) {
+    return true;
+  }
   return message.sender_id === meId;
 }