diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Channels.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Channels.tsx
index 77813c63..99c0b3c1 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Channels.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Channels.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React from "react";
+import React, { useEffect } from "react";
 import styled from "styled-components";
 
 import { ChannelData, channels } from "../helpers/channelsMock";
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ interface ChannelsProps {
   theme: Theme;
   icon: string;
   name: string;
+  notifications: { [id: string]: number };
+  clearNotifications: (id: string) => void;
   members: number;
   setActiveChannel: (val: ChannelData) => void;
   activeChannelId: number;
@@ -18,9 +20,20 @@ export function Channels({
   icon,
   name,
   members,
+  notifications,
   setActiveChannel,
+  clearNotifications,
   activeChannelId,
 }: ChannelsProps) {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const channel = channels.find((channel) => channel.id === activeChannelId);
+    if (channel) {
+      if (notifications[channel.name] > 0) {
+        clearNotifications(channel.name);
+      }
+    }
+  }, [notifications, activeChannelId]);
+
   return (
     <ChannelsWrapper theme={theme}>
       <Community>
@@ -37,6 +50,11 @@ export function Channels({
             channel={channel}
             theme={theme}
             isActive={channel.id === activeChannelId}
+            notification={
+              notifications[channel.name] > 0
+                ? notifications[channel.name]
+                : undefined
+            }
             onClick={() => {
               setActiveChannel(channel);
             }}
@@ -50,6 +68,7 @@ export function Channels({
 interface ChannelProps {
   theme: Theme;
   channel: ChannelData;
+  notification?: number;
   isActive: boolean;
   activeView?: boolean;
   onClick?: () => void;
@@ -61,6 +80,7 @@ export function Channel({
   isActive,
   activeView,
   onClick,
+  notification,
 }: ChannelProps) {
   return (
     <ChannelWrapper
@@ -82,7 +102,11 @@ export function Channel({
           <ChannelName
             theme={theme}
             className={
-              isActive ? "active" : channel.notifications ? "notified" : ""
+              isActive
+                ? "active"
+                : notification && notification > 0
+                ? "notified"
+                : ""
             }
           >
             # {channel.name}
@@ -95,10 +119,8 @@ export function Channel({
           )}
         </ChannelTextInfo>
       </ChannelInfo>
-      {channel.notifications && !activeView && (
-        <NotificationBagde theme={theme}>
-          {channel.notifications}
-        </NotificationBagde>
+      {notification && notification > 0 && !activeView && (
+        <NotificationBagde theme={theme}>{notification}</NotificationBagde>
       )}
     </ChannelWrapper>
   );
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat.tsx
index 3249760f..cb94aa81 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { useState } from "react";
 import styled from "styled-components";
 
 import { ChannelData, channels } from "../helpers/channelsMock";
+import { useMessenger } from "../hooks/useMessenger";
 import { Theme } from "../styles/themes";
 
 import { Channels } from "./Channels";
@@ -16,11 +17,23 @@ interface ChatProps {
 
 export function Chat({ theme, channelsON, membersON }: ChatProps) {
   const [activeChannel, setActiveChannel] = useState<ChannelData>(channels[0]);
+  const {
+    messenger,
+    messages,
+    sendMessage,
+    notifications,
+    clearNotifications,
+  } = useMessenger(
+    activeChannel.name,
+    channels.map((channel) => channel.name)
+  );
 
   return (
     <ChatWrapper>
       {channelsON && (
         <Channels
+          notifications={notifications}
+          clearNotifications={clearNotifications}
           theme={theme}
           icon={"https://www.cryptokitties.co/icons/logo.svg"}
           name={"CryptoKitties"}
@@ -29,12 +42,31 @@ export function Chat({ theme, channelsON, membersON }: ChatProps) {
           activeChannelId={activeChannel.id}
         />
       )}
-      <ChatBody theme={theme} channel={activeChannel} />
+      {messenger ? (
+        <ChatBody
+          theme={theme}
+          channel={activeChannel}
+          messages={messages}
+          sendMessage={sendMessage}
+        />
+      ) : (
+        <Loading>Connecting to waku</Loading>
+      )}
       {membersON && <Members theme={theme} />}
     </ChatWrapper>
   );
 }
 
+const Loading = styled.div`
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  flex: 1;
+  height: 100%;
+  text-align: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  align-items: center;
+`;
+
 const ChatWrapper = styled.div`
   width: 100%;
   height: 100vh;
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
index 6aa6b758..82fbab93 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React from "react";
 import styled from "styled-components";
 
 import { ChannelData } from "../../helpers/channelsMock";
-import { useMessenger } from "../../hooks/useMessenger";
+import { ChatMessage } from "../../models/ChatMessage";
 import { Theme } from "../../styles/themes";
 import { Channel } from "../Channels";
 
@@ -12,11 +12,16 @@ import { ChatMessages } from "./ChatMessages";
 interface ChatBodyProps {
   theme: Theme;
   channel: ChannelData;
+  messages: ChatMessage[];
+  sendMessage: (text: string) => void;
 }
 
-export function ChatBody({ theme, channel }: ChatBodyProps) {
-  const { messages, sendMessage } = useMessenger(channel.name);
-
+export function ChatBody({
+  theme,
+  channel,
+  messages,
+  sendMessage,
+}: ChatBodyProps) {
   return (
     <ChatBodyWrapper theme={theme}>
       <ChannelWrapper>
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/useMessenger.ts b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/useMessenger.ts
index 5d71ad26..f68d8464 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/useMessenger.ts
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/useMessenger.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
-import { StoreCodec } from "js-waku";
+// import { StoreCodec } from "js-waku";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { Identity, Messenger } from "status-communities/dist/cjs";
 
 import { ChatMessage } from "../models/ChatMessage";
 
-export function useMessenger(chatId: string) {
+export function useMessenger(chatId: string, chatIdList: string[]) {
   const [messenger, setMessenger] = useState<Messenger | undefined>(undefined);
   const [messages, setMessages] = useState<{ [chatId: string]: ChatMessage[] }>(
     {}
   );
+  const [notifications, setNotifications] = useState<{
+    [chatId: string]: number;
+  }>({});
+
+  const clearNotifications = useCallback((id: string) => {
+    setNotifications((prevNotifications) => {
+      return {
+        ...prevNotifications,
+        [id]: 0,
+      };
+    });
+  }, []);
 
   const addNewMessage = useCallback(
-    (sender: Uint8Array, content: string, date: Date) => {
+    (sender: Uint8Array, content: string, date: Date, id: string) => {
       let signer = "0x";
       sender.forEach((e) => {
         signer = signer + e.toString(16);
@@ -22,87 +34,76 @@ export function useMessenger(chatId: string) {
           content: content,
           date: date,
         };
-        return {
-          ...prevMessages,
-          [chatId]: [...prevMessages[chatId], newMessage],
-        };
+        if (prevMessages?.[id]) {
+          return {
+            ...prevMessages,
+            [id]: [...prevMessages[id], newMessage],
+          };
+        } else {
+          return {
+            ...prevMessages,
+            [id]: [newMessage],
+          };
+        }
       });
+      if (chatId != id) {
+        setNotifications((prevNotifications) => {
+          return {
+            ...prevNotifications,
+            [id]: prevNotifications[id] + 1,
+          };
+        });
+      }
     },
-    [chatId]
+    []
   );
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const createMessenger = async () => {
       const identity = Identity.generate();
       const messenger = await Messenger.create(identity);
-      await new Promise((resolve) => {
-        messenger.waku?.libp2p.peerStore.on(
-          "change:protocols",
-          ({ protocols }) => {
-            if (protocols.includes(StoreCodec)) {
-              resolve("");
-            }
-          }
-        );
-      });
-      await messenger.joinChat(chatId);
-      setMessages((prevMessages) => {
-        return { ...prevMessages, [chatId]: [] };
-      });
-      const chat = messenger.chatsById.get(chatId);
-      const contentTopic = chat?.contentTopic;
-
-      if (contentTopic) {
-        const messages = await messenger.waku.store.queryHistory(
-          [contentTopic],
-          { decryptionKeys: [chat?.symKey] }
-        );
-        console.log(messages);
-      }
-      messenger.addObserver((message) => {
-        addNewMessage(
-          message.signer ?? new Uint8Array(),
-          message.chatMessage?.text ?? "",
-          new Date(message.chatMessage?.proto.timestamp ?? 0)
-        );
-      }, chatId);
+      await new Promise((resolve) =>
+        messenger.waku.libp2p.pubsub.once("pubsub:subscription-change", () =>
+          resolve(null)
+        )
+      );
+      await Promise.all(
+        chatIdList.map(async (id) => {
+          await messenger.joinChat(id);
+          clearNotifications(id);
+          messenger.addObserver((message) => {
+            addNewMessage(
+              message.signer ?? new Uint8Array(),
+              message.chatMessage?.text ?? "",
+              new Date(message.chatMessage?.proto.timestamp ?? 0),
+              id
+            );
+          }, id);
+        })
+      );
       setMessenger(messenger);
     };
     createMessenger();
   }, []);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const joinNewChat = async () => {
-      try {
-        await messenger?.joinChat(chatId);
-        setMessages((prevMessages) => {
-          return { ...prevMessages, [chatId]: [] };
-        });
-        messenger?.addObserver((message) => {
-          addNewMessage(
-            message.signer ?? new Uint8Array(),
-            message.chatMessage?.text ?? "",
-            new Date(message.chatMessage?.proto.timestamp ?? 0)
-          );
-        }, chatId);
-      } catch {
-        return;
-      }
-    };
-    joinNewChat();
-  }, [chatId]);
-
   const sendMessage = useCallback(
     async (messageText: string) => {
       await messenger?.sendMessage(messageText, chatId);
       addNewMessage(
         messenger?.identity.publicKey ?? new Uint8Array(),
         messageText,
-        new Date()
+        new Date(),
+        chatId
       );
     },
     [chatId, messenger]
   );
 
-  return { messenger, messages: messages?.[chatId] ?? [], sendMessage };
+  return {
+    messenger,
+    messages: messages?.[chatId] ?? [],
+    sendMessage,
+    notifications,
+    clearNotifications,
+  };
 }