diff --git a/src/chat/core.nim b/src/chat/core.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e38ea454f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chat/core.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import "../status/chat" as status_chat
+
+proc join*(chatId: string) =
+  # TODO: check whether we have joined a chat already or not
+  # TODO: save chat list in the db
+  echo "Joining chat: ", chatId
+  status_chat.loadFilters(chatId)
+  status_chat.saveChat(chatId)
+  status_chat.chatMessages(chatId)
+  
+proc load*(): seq[string] =
+  # TODO: retrieve chats from DB
+  join("test")
+  result = @["test"]
+
diff --git a/src/chats.nim b/src/chats.nim
index e039735e86..0f2b2030c7 100644
--- a/src/chats.nim
+++ b/src/chats.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import NimQml
 import Tables
+import chat/core as chat
 
 type
   RoleNames {.pure.} = enum
@@ -18,11 +19,15 @@ QtObject:
 
   proc newChatsModel*(): ChatsModel =
     new(result, delete)
-    result.names = @["test", "test2"]
+    result.names = @[]
     result.setup
 
-  proc addNameTolist*(self: ChatsModel, name: string) =
-      self.names.add(name)
+  proc addNameTolist*(self: ChatsModel, chatId: string) {.slot.} =
+    chat.join(chatId)
+    self.beginInsertRows(newQModelIndex(), self.names.len, self.names.len)
+    self.names.add(chatId)
+    self.endInsertRows()
+  
 
   method rowCount(self: ChatsModel, index: QModelIndex = nil): int =
     return self.names.len
diff --git a/src/nim_status_client.nim b/src/nim_status_client.nim
index 373465c676..3660f8492a 100644
--- a/src/nim_status_client.nim
+++ b/src/nim_status_client.nim
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ proc mainProc() =
   echo status.callPrivateRPC("{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\", \"method\":\"wakuext_requestMessages\", \"params\":[{\"topics\": [\"0x7998f3c8\"]}], \"id\": 1}")
 
   # result.accountResult = status.queryAccounts()
-  status_test.subscribeToTest()
 
   let logic = newApplicationView(app, status.callPrivateRPC)
   defer: logic.delete
@@ -49,11 +48,13 @@ proc mainProc() =
       chatsModel.addNameTolist(channel.name)
   )
 
+  status.startMessenger()
   appState.addChannel("test")
   appState.addChannel("test2")
 
   engine.setRootContextProperty("logic", logicVariant)
   engine.setRootContextProperty("chatsModel", chatsVariant)
+
   engine.load("../ui/main.qml")
 
   # Qt main event loop is entered here
diff --git a/src/status/core.nim b/src/status/core.nim
index ed34c4dcae..a0708db3c9 100644
--- a/src/status/core.nim
+++ b/src/status/core.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import libstatus
 import signals
 import types
+import chat
 
 proc setSignalHandler(signalHandler: SignalCallback) =
   libstatus.setSignalEventCallback(signalHandler)
@@ -8,6 +9,9 @@ proc setSignalHandler(signalHandler: SignalCallback) =
 proc init*() =
   setSignalHandler(onSignal)
 
+proc startMessenger*() =
+  chat.startMessenger()
+
 proc callRPC*(inputJSON: string): string =
   return $libstatus.callRPC(inputJSON)
 
diff --git a/src/status/signals.nim b/src/status/signals.nim
index 22723407d7..7f67884944 100644
--- a/src/status/signals.nim
+++ b/src/status/signals.nim
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@ var onSignal*: SignalCallback = proc(p0: cstring): void =
     of "messages.new":
       echo $p0
     else:
-      echo messageType  #TODO: do something
+      discard messageType  #TODO: do something
 
   tearDownForeignThreadGc()
diff --git a/src/status/test.nim b/src/status/test.nim
index e77c4a2b1f..c61b4a4c22 100644
--- a/src/status/test.nim
+++ b/src/status/test.nim
@@ -29,12 +29,6 @@ proc queryAccounts*(): string =
   echo response
   result = parseJson(response)["result"][0].getStr()
 
-
-proc subscribeToTest*() = 
-  loadFilters("test")
-  saveChat("test")
-  chatMessages("test")
-
 proc setupNewAccount*() =
   # Deleting directories
   recreateDir(datadir)
diff --git a/ui/app/AppLayouts/ChatLayout.qml b/ui/app/AppLayouts/ChatLayout.qml
index 1fa6cf3ec0..3a236a8f06 100644
--- a/ui/app/AppLayouts/ChatLayout.qml
+++ b/ui/app/AppLayouts/ChatLayout.qml
@@ -108,6 +108,13 @@ SplitView {
                         font.bold: true
                         font.pixelSize: 28
                     }
+
+                     MouseArea {
+                        anchors.fill: parent
+                        onClicked : {
+                            chatsModel.addNameTolist(searchText.text)
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             }