Follow / Unfollow thread support in EmbeddedChat

[Pratheek555]

Brief Title

Enable users to follow and unfollow thread messages to receive updates

Acceptance Criteria fulfillment

• Added UI control to follow and unfollow a thread
• Users can follow a thread without posting a message
• Shows exactly two avatars amongst the list of users, and rest are shown in a "+2" users format.

Fixes #1062

Video/Screenshots

EmbeddedChat._.Simple.-.Simple.Storybook.-.Brave.2026-01-11.11-07-40.mp4

PR Test Details

Note: The PR will be ready for live testing at https://rocketchat.github.io/EmbeddedChat/pulls/pr-<pr_number> after approval. Contributors are requested to replace <pr_number> with the actual PR number.

[Spiral-Memory]

Hi @Pratheek555
Could you please explain the benefits of following a thread? For example, will there be specific notifications, and how exactly will following be helpful? Thanks.

[Pratheek555]

Hey @Zishaan

Benefits:

If anyone feels interested about a particular discussion and want to be notified with any new developments in the thread they can follow the thread, this is similar to the feature already present in the Rocketchat app.

Notifications:
As of now the flow is anyone who replies in the thread are automatically following the thread, and they get the notifications as intended before. This feature uses the same flow of /chat.followMessage and /chat.unfollowMessage endpoints to add the current user as a follower to the thread.

Please do let me know If I missed anything.

Thank you!

[Spiral-Memory]

I understand that, but what I’m asking is, do we currently have a notification mechanism in embedded chat?

[Pratheek555]

Hey @Spiral-Memory

I noticed now that we do not have notification mechanism for thread messages, I assumed we had one as we have a mechanism for normal messages.

Should I focus on implementation of notification mechanism for thread messages or do let me know if it's unnecessary.

[Spiral-Memory]

Yeah, that’s why I’d like you to improve this PR to create an overall better solution, including the same.

[Pratheek555]

Understood thank you for the feedback!

[Pratheek555]

Hey @Spiral-Memory , I have looking into how the notifications for following threads works in the main Rocketchat App. Below are the observations:

Case 1: New message in the thread followed by the user

• notification sound (I am not sure if this is a good idea for embedded chat or not)
• Below snip shot of the UI change

Case 2: New message and the user is being mentioned

• notification sound
• Change in UI

I feel these are good ways to notify the users of the threads they follow, please do let me know If i am missing something.
This could also be like a notification system for people who replied to the thread but don't get any notification or UI feedback.