Feat : Custom Channel Folders & Categories for Better Organization

Summary:

Introduce a feature that allows users to organize channels into custom folders or categories for better workspace navigation. This would help users manage large numbers of channels efficiently, similar to Discord’s "Categories" feature but with personal customization options.

Problem Statement:

Currently, Rocket.Chat displays all channels in a linear list format, making it difficult to manage and navigate workspaces with many channels. Users have no way to group channels based on their needs (e.g., projects, teams, departments, or personal preferences). This results in cluttered sidebars and a poor user experience when switching between multiple channels.

Proposed Solution:Implement Channel Folders & Custom Categories to allow users to group channels based on their workflow. This feature would have two main components:

User-Created Personal Folders:

Each user can create private folders (e.g., "Work," "Casual," "Projects").
Users can drag and drop channels into folders.
Folders can be collapsed/expanded for a cleaner UI.

Admin-Managed Categories (Global):

Admins can create official channel categories (e.g., "Engineering," "Marketing," "HR").
These categories would be visible to all members.
Admins can move channels between categories for better workspace organization.

Additional Enhancements:

Ability to pin/star channels within folders for quick access.
Option to auto-sort folders alphabetically or by recent activity.
Mobile support for drag-and-drop functionality.

Benefits:
✅ Improved Channel Navigation – Users can quickly find and access relevant channels.
✅ Reduced Sidebar Clutter – Grouping similar channels makes the interface cleaner.
✅ Personalized Experience – Each user can organize channels in a way that suits them.
✅ Better Team Collaboration – Admin-managed categories provide clear structure.

Potential Challenges & Considerations:

UI/UX design to ensure folders/categories do not make navigation more complex.
Implementing seamless drag-and-drop functionality across web and mobile.
Permissions: Should users be able to create folders only for themselves, or can they share them?

Comparison with Similar Features:

Discord: Uses "Categories" for channel grouping (admin-managed).
Slack: No native folder feature, but allows users to "Star" and organize channels in the sidebar.
Microsoft Teams: Uses "Teams & Channels" but lacks personal grouping options.

Conclusion:
Adding Channel Folders & Custom Categories would significantly enhance usability, productivity, and organization within Rocket.Chat, making it a more efficient alternative to Slack and Discord for large teams and communities.

Would love to hear feedback and thoughts from the community! 🚀

The issue names no files, tests, or entry points. Start by clarifying the personal-folder versus admin-category permissions and reviewing the existing channel navigation and mobile behavior. Done would require an agreed scope covering grouping, drag-and-drop, collapse/expand, sorting, and the requested web and mobile support.