diff --git a/react/features/chat/components/native/Chat.js b/react/features/chat/components/native/Chat.js
index ef7d71a07..c3b2affd1 100644
--- a/react/features/chat/components/native/Chat.js
+++ b/react/features/chat/components/native/Chat.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { translate } from '../../../base/i18n';
 import JitsiScreen from '../../../base/modal/components/JitsiScreen';
 import { connect } from '../../../base/redux';
+import { closeChat } from '../../actions.any';
 import AbstractChat, {
     _mapStateToProps,
     type Props as AbstractProps
@@ -81,6 +82,8 @@ export default translate(connect(_mapStateToProps)(props => {
         navigation.setOptions({
             tabBarLabel: `${t('chat.tabs.chat')} ${nrUnreadMessages}`
         });
+
+        return () => props.dispatch(closeChat());
     }, [ nrUnreadMessages ]);
 
     return (
diff --git a/react/features/chat/components/native/PrivateMessageButton.js b/react/features/chat/components/native/PrivateMessageButton.js
index b639fbf26..49166b8ab 100644
--- a/react/features/chat/components/native/PrivateMessageButton.js
+++ b/react/features/chat/components/native/PrivateMessageButton.js
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import { IconMessage, IconReply } from '../../../base/icons';
 import { getParticipantById } from '../../../base/participants';
 import { connect } from '../../../base/redux';
 import { AbstractButton, type AbstractButtonProps } from '../../../base/toolbox/components';
-import { handleLobbyChatInitialized } from '../../../chat/actions.any';
+import { handleLobbyChatInitialized, openChat } from '../../../chat/actions';
 import { navigate } from '../../../mobile/navigation/components/conference/ConferenceNavigationContainerRef';
 import { screen } from '../../../mobile/navigation/routes';
 
+
 export type Props = AbstractButtonProps & {
 
     /**
@@ -68,6 +69,8 @@ class PrivateMessageButton extends AbstractButton<Props, any> {
             this.props.dispatch(handleLobbyChatInitialized(this.props.participantID));
         }
 
+        this.props.dispatch(openChat(this.props._participant));
+
         this.props._isPollsDisabled
             ? navigate(screen.conference.chat, {
                 privateMessageRecipient: this.props._participant