# Anonymous visitors can now browse public chat channels on new sites by default **URL:** \ **Category:** Announcements\ **Tags:** chat\ **Created:** [October 26, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-visitors-can-now-browse-public-chat-channels-on-new-sites-by-default/415529 "2026-10-26T02:36:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![rishabh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rishabh/32/179446_2.png) [@rishabh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/rishabh)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-visitors-can-now-browse-public-chat-channels-on-new-sites-by-default/415529/1 "2026-10-26T02:36:49Z")
On new Discourse sites, chat channels are now visible to everyone by default, including anonymous visitors in a read-only view. This means visitors can discover your community’s chat activity without needing to create an account first. They can browse public channels, follow the conversation, get a feel for the community, and sign up when they’re ready ✨ ![Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 11.10.20 AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/a/2/a/a2a689b239dea423160f2db3642e3c60540be21b.png) ![Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 11.10.40 AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/c/0/a/c0afe25248ebce8e8c7f1b5aaf46851040f537c8.png) **What about existing sites?** Nothing changes. A migration preserves your current `chat allowed groups` setting, so existing sites will keep whatever configuration they already have. **Admin control:** You can manage anonymous access (and access for other trust levels) via **Settings → Chat → chat allowed groups** in the admin dashboard. To disable anonymous chat viewing, remove the `anonymous` group from that list. --- _[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-visitors-can-now-browse-public-chat-channels-on-new-sites-by-default/415529)._