diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5385b7c70..3485c1157 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   - `skillsInstall.*` → `skills.install.*`
   - per-skill config map moved to `skills.entries` (e.g. `skills.peekaboo.enabled` → `skills.entries.peekaboo.enabled`)
   - new optional bundled allowlist: `skills.allowBundled` (only affects bundled skills)
+- Sessions: group keys now use `surface:group:<id>` / `surface:channel:<id>`; legacy `group:*` keys migrate on next message; `groupdm` keys are no longer recognized.
 
 ### Features
 - Talk mode: continuous speech conversations (macOS/iOS/Android) with ElevenLabs TTS, reply directives, and optional interrupt-on-speech.
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatController.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatController.kt
index d37e9ff46..1e7a23dcf 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatController.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatController.kt
@@ -469,7 +469,8 @@ class ChatController(
       val key = obj["key"].asStringOrNull()?.trim().orEmpty()
       if (key.isEmpty()) return@mapNotNull null
       val updatedAt = obj["updatedAt"].asLongOrNull()
-      ChatSessionEntry(key = key, updatedAtMs = updatedAt)
+      val displayName = obj["displayName"].asStringOrNull()?.trim()
+      ChatSessionEntry(key = key, updatedAtMs = updatedAt, displayName = displayName)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatModels.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatModels.kt
index 2d27a5be4..8c7f1b3b3 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatModels.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/chat/ChatModels.kt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ data class ChatPendingToolCall(
 data class ChatSessionEntry(
   val key: String,
   val updatedAtMs: Long?,
+  val displayName: String? = null,
 )
 
 data class ChatHistory(
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatComposer.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatComposer.kt
index af958d71c..8ac6f0aca 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatComposer.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatComposer.kt
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ fun ChatComposer(
   var showSessionMenu by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
 
   val sessionOptions = resolveSessionChoices(sessionKey, sessions)
+  val currentSessionLabel =
+    sessionOptions.firstOrNull { it.key == sessionKey }?.displayName ?: sessionKey
 
   val canSend = pendingRunCount == 0 && (input.trim().isNotEmpty() || attachments.isNotEmpty()) && healthOk
 
@@ -82,13 +84,13 @@ fun ChatComposer(
             onClick = { showSessionMenu = true },
             contentPadding = ButtonDefaults.ContentPadding,
           ) {
-            Text("Session: $sessionKey")
+            Text("Session: $currentSessionLabel")
           }
 
           DropdownMenu(expanded = showSessionMenu, onDismissRequest = { showSessionMenu = false }) {
             for (entry in sessionOptions) {
               DropdownMenuItem(
-                text = { Text(entry.key) },
+                text = { Text(entry.displayName ?: entry.key) },
                 onClick = {
                   onSelectSession(entry.key)
                   showSessionMenu = false
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatSessionsDialog.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatSessionsDialog.kt
index 55d30b9b7..218cb25f6 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatSessionsDialog.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/com/steipete/clawdis/node/ui/chat/ChatSessionsDialog.kt
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ private fun SessionRow(
       verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
       horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(10.dp),
     ) {
-      Text(entry.key, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
+      Text(entry.displayName ?: entry.key, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
       Spacer(modifier = Modifier.weight(1f))
       if (isCurrent) {
         Text("Current", style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelSmall, color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant)
@@ -90,4 +90,3 @@ private fun SessionRow(
     }
   }
 }
-
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ContextMenuCardView.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ContextMenuCardView.swift
index c54c4a067..41005e826 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ContextMenuCardView.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ContextMenuCardView.swift
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ struct ContextMenuCardView: View {
                 height: self.barHeight)
 
             HStack(alignment: .firstTextBaseline, spacing: 8) {
-                Text(row.key)
+                Text(row.label)
                     .font(.caption.weight(row.key == "main" ? .semibold : .regular))
                     .lineLimit(1)
                     .truncationMode(.middle)
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionData.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionData.swift
index ebfbaac7f..ce0501209 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionData.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionData.swift
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ struct GatewaySessionDefaultsRecord: Codable {
 
 struct GatewaySessionEntryRecord: Codable {
     let key: String
+    let displayName: String?
+    let surface: String?
+    let subject: String?
+    let room: String?
+    let space: String?
     let updatedAt: Double?
     let sessionId: String?
     let systemSent: Bool?
@@ -65,6 +70,11 @@ struct SessionRow: Identifiable {
     let id: String
     let key: String
     let kind: SessionKind
+    let displayName: String?
+    let surface: String?
+    let subject: String?
+    let room: String?
+    let space: String?
     let updatedAt: Date?
     let sessionId: String?
     let thinkingLevel: String?
@@ -75,6 +85,7 @@ struct SessionRow: Identifiable {
     let model: String?
 
     var ageText: String { relativeAge(from: self.updatedAt) }
+    var label: String { self.displayName ?? self.key }
 
     var flagLabels: [String] {
         var flags: [String] = []
@@ -92,6 +103,8 @@ enum SessionKind {
     static func from(key: String) -> SessionKind {
         if key == "global" { return .global }
         if key.hasPrefix("group:") { return .group }
+        if key.contains(":group:") { return .group }
+        if key.contains(":channel:") { return .group }
         if key == "unknown" { return .unknown }
         return .direct
     }
@@ -127,6 +140,11 @@ extension SessionRow {
                 id: "direct-1",
                 key: "user@example.com",
                 kind: .direct,
+                displayName: nil,
+                surface: nil,
+                subject: nil,
+                room: nil,
+                space: nil,
                 updatedAt: Date().addingTimeInterval(-90),
                 sessionId: "sess-direct-1234",
                 thinkingLevel: "low",
@@ -137,8 +155,13 @@ extension SessionRow {
                 model: "claude-3.5-sonnet"),
             SessionRow(
                 id: "group-1",
-                key: "group:engineering",
+                key: "discord:channel:release-squad",
                 kind: .group,
+                displayName: "discord:#release-squad",
+                surface: "discord",
+                subject: nil,
+                room: "#release-squad",
+                space: nil,
                 updatedAt: Date().addingTimeInterval(-3600),
                 sessionId: "sess-group-4321",
                 thinkingLevel: "medium",
@@ -151,6 +174,11 @@ extension SessionRow {
                 id: "global",
                 key: "global",
                 kind: .global,
+                displayName: nil,
+                surface: nil,
+                subject: nil,
+                room: nil,
+                space: nil,
                 updatedAt: Date().addingTimeInterval(-86400),
                 sessionId: nil,
                 thinkingLevel: nil,
@@ -269,6 +297,11 @@ enum SessionLoader {
                 id: entry.key,
                 key: entry.key,
                 kind: SessionKind.from(key: entry.key),
+                displayName: entry.displayName,
+                surface: entry.surface,
+                subject: entry.subject,
+                room: entry.room,
+                space: entry.space,
                 updatedAt: updated,
                 sessionId: entry.sessionId,
                 thinkingLevel: entry.thinkingLevel,
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionMenuLabelView.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionMenuLabelView.swift
index 5cfd1b4a0..7d1ad5ca8 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionMenuLabelView.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionMenuLabelView.swift
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ struct SessionMenuLabelView: View {
                 height: self.barHeight)
 
             HStack(alignment: .firstTextBaseline, spacing: 8) {
-                Text(self.row.key)
+                Text(self.row.label)
                     .font(.caption.weight(self.row.key == "main" ? .semibold : .regular))
                     .foregroundStyle(self.primaryTextColor)
                     .lineLimit(1)
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionsSettings.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionsSettings.swift
index 88e87eea6..4a2a0e81e 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionsSettings.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SessionsSettings.swift
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ struct SessionsSettings: View {
     private func sessionRow(_ row: SessionRow) -> some View {
         VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
             HStack(alignment: .firstTextBaseline, spacing: 8) {
-                Text(row.key)
+                Text(row.label)
                     .font(.subheadline.bold())
                     .lineLimit(1)
                     .truncationMode(.middle)
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/MenuSessionsInjectorTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/MenuSessionsInjectorTests.swift
index cfd08d03b..91048ec87 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/MenuSessionsInjectorTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/MenuSessionsInjectorTests.swift
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ struct MenuSessionsInjectorTests {
                 id: "main",
                 key: "main",
                 kind: .direct,
+                displayName: nil,
+                surface: nil,
+                subject: nil,
+                room: nil,
+                space: nil,
                 updatedAt: Date(),
                 sessionId: "s1",
                 thinkingLevel: "low",
@@ -38,9 +43,14 @@ struct MenuSessionsInjectorTests {
                 tokens: SessionTokenStats(input: 10, output: 20, total: 30, contextTokens: 200_000),
                 model: "claude-opus-4-5"),
             SessionRow(
-                id: "group:alpha",
-                key: "group:alpha",
+                id: "discord:group:alpha",
+                key: "discord:group:alpha",
                 kind: .group,
+                displayName: nil,
+                surface: nil,
+                subject: nil,
+                room: nil,
+                space: nil,
                 updatedAt: Date(timeIntervalSinceNow: -60),
                 sessionId: "s2",
                 thinkingLevel: "high",
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/SessionDataTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/SessionDataTests.swift
index 8d8e36a54..d386558a5 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/SessionDataTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/SessionDataTests.swift
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import Testing
 struct SessionDataTests {
     @Test func sessionKindFromKeyDetectsCommonKinds() {
         #expect(SessionKind.from(key: "global") == .global)
-        #expect(SessionKind.from(key: "group:engineering") == .group)
+        #expect(SessionKind.from(key: "discord:group:engineering") == .group)
         #expect(SessionKind.from(key: "unknown") == .unknown)
         #expect(SessionKind.from(key: "user@example.com") == .direct)
     }
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ struct SessionDataTests {
             id: "x",
             key: "user@example.com",
             kind: .direct,
+            displayName: nil,
+            surface: nil,
+            subject: nil,
+            room: nil,
+            space: nil,
             updatedAt: Date(),
             sessionId: nil,
             thinkingLevel: "high",
@@ -41,4 +46,3 @@ struct SessionDataTests {
         #expect(row.flagLabels.contains("aborted"))
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/WorkActivityStoreTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/WorkActivityStoreTests.swift
index a0d3a60d5..a50c616b2 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/WorkActivityStoreTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/WorkActivityStoreTests.swift
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ struct WorkActivityStoreTests {
     @Test func mainSessionJobPreemptsOther() {
         let store = WorkActivityStore()
 
-        store.handleJob(sessionKey: "group:1", state: "started")
+        store.handleJob(sessionKey: "discord:group:1", state: "started")
         #expect(store.iconState == .workingOther(.job))
-        #expect(store.current?.sessionKey == "group:1")
+        #expect(store.current?.sessionKey == "discord:group:1")
 
         store.handleJob(sessionKey: "main", state: "started")
         #expect(store.iconState == .workingMain(.job))
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ struct WorkActivityStoreTests {
 
         store.handleJob(sessionKey: "main", state: "finished")
         #expect(store.iconState == .workingOther(.job))
-        #expect(store.current?.sessionKey == "group:1")
+        #expect(store.current?.sessionKey == "discord:group:1")
 
-        store.handleJob(sessionKey: "group:1", state: "finished")
+        store.handleJob(sessionKey: "discord:group:1", state: "finished")
         #expect(store.iconState == .idle)
         #expect(store.current == nil)
     }
diff --git a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatComposer.swift b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatComposer.swift
index 2ea691c43..9bdd2bc93 100644
--- a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatComposer.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatComposer.swift
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ struct ClawdisChatComposer: View {
                 set: { next in self.viewModel.switchSession(to: next) }))
         {
             ForEach(self.viewModel.sessionChoices, id: \.key) { session in
-                Text(session.key)
+                Text(session.displayName ?? session.key)
                     .font(.system(.caption, design: .monospaced))
                     .tag(session.key)
             }
diff --git a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSessions.swift b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSessions.swift
index 475528275..1db032523 100644
--- a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSessions.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSessions.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ public struct ClawdisChatSessionEntry: Codable, Identifiable, Sendable, Hashable
 
     public let key: String
     public let kind: String?
+    public let displayName: String?
+    public let surface: String?
+    public let subject: String?
+    public let room: String?
+    public let space: String?
     public let updatedAt: Double?
     public let sessionId: String?
 
diff --git a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSheets.swift b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSheets.swift
index f413c3d3e..a4a8da6cc 100644
--- a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSheets.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatSheets.swift
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ struct ChatSessionsSheet: View {
                     self.dismiss()
                 } label: {
                     VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
-                        Text(session.key)
+                        Text(session.displayName ?? session.key)
                             .font(.system(.body, design: .monospaced))
                             .lineLimit(1)
                         if let updatedAt = session.updatedAt, updatedAt > 0 {
diff --git a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatViewModel.swift b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatViewModel.swift
index 025e91ca6..010f56046 100644
--- a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Sources/ClawdisChatUI/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -341,6 +341,11 @@ public final class ClawdisChatViewModel {
         ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
             key: key,
             kind: nil,
+            displayName: nil,
+            surface: nil,
+            subject: nil,
+            room: nil,
+            space: nil,
             updatedAt: nil,
             sessionId: nil,
             systemSent: nil,
diff --git a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Tests/ClawdisKitTests/ChatViewModelTests.swift b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Tests/ClawdisKitTests/ChatViewModelTests.swift
index acdcd7a6c..9b2a7cfa6 100644
--- a/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Tests/ClawdisKitTests/ChatViewModelTests.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/ClawdisKit/Tests/ClawdisKitTests/ChatViewModelTests.swift
@@ -282,6 +282,11 @@ private extension TestChatTransportState {
                 ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
                     key: "recent-1",
                     kind: nil,
+                    displayName: nil,
+                    surface: nil,
+                    subject: nil,
+                    room: nil,
+                    space: nil,
                     updatedAt: recent,
                     sessionId: nil,
                     systemSent: nil,
@@ -296,6 +301,11 @@ private extension TestChatTransportState {
                 ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
                     key: "main",
                     kind: nil,
+                    displayName: nil,
+                    surface: nil,
+                    subject: nil,
+                    room: nil,
+                    space: nil,
                     updatedAt: stale,
                     sessionId: nil,
                     systemSent: nil,
@@ -310,6 +320,11 @@ private extension TestChatTransportState {
                 ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
                     key: "recent-2",
                     kind: nil,
+                    displayName: nil,
+                    surface: nil,
+                    subject: nil,
+                    room: nil,
+                    space: nil,
                     updatedAt: recentOlder,
                     sessionId: nil,
                     systemSent: nil,
@@ -324,6 +339,11 @@ private extension TestChatTransportState {
                 ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
                     key: "old-1",
                     kind: nil,
+                    displayName: nil,
+                    surface: nil,
+                    subject: nil,
+                    room: nil,
+                    space: nil,
                     updatedAt: stale,
                     sessionId: nil,
                     systemSent: nil,
@@ -365,6 +385,11 @@ private extension TestChatTransportState {
                 ClawdisChatSessionEntry(
                     key: "main",
                     kind: nil,
+                    displayName: nil,
+                    surface: nil,
+                    subject: nil,
+                    room: nil,
+                    space: nil,
                     updatedAt: recent,
                     sessionId: nil,
                     systemSent: nil,
diff --git a/docs/AGENTS.default.md b/docs/AGENTS.default.md
index 4c967fd16..ddf2d0ea1 100644
--- a/docs/AGENTS.default.md
+++ b/docs/AGENTS.default.md
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ git commit -m "Add Clawd workspace"
 ## What Clawdis Does
 - Runs WhatsApp gateway + Pi coding agent so the assistant can read/write chats, fetch context, and run skills via the host Mac.
 - macOS app manages permissions (screen recording, notifications, microphone) and exposes the `clawdis` CLI via its bundled binary.
-- Direct chats collapse into the shared `main` session by default; groups stay isolated as `group:<jid>`; heartbeats keep background tasks alive.
+- Direct chats collapse into the shared `main` session by default; groups stay isolated as `surface:group:<id>` (rooms: `surface:channel:<id>`); heartbeats keep background tasks alive.
 
 ## Core Skills (enable in Settings → Skills)
 - **mcporter** — Tool server runtime/CLI for managing external skill backends.
diff --git a/docs/discord.md b/docs/discord.md
index 475525aa6..fc56fc680 100644
--- a/docs/discord.md
+++ b/docs/discord.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ Status: ready for DM and guild text channels via the official Discord bot gatewa
 
 ## Goals
 - Talk to Clawdis via Discord DMs or guild channels.
-- Share the same `main` session used by WhatsApp/Telegram/WebChat; guild channels stay isolated as `group:<channelId>`.
+- Share the same `main` session used by WhatsApp/Telegram/WebChat; guild channels stay isolated as `discord:group:<channelId>`.
+- Group DMs are treated as group sessions (separate from `main`) and show up with a `discord:g-...` display label.
 - Keep routing deterministic: replies always go back to the surface they arrived on.
 
 ## How it works
diff --git a/docs/grammy.md b/docs/grammy.md
index 7214f40e7..cfd593622 100644
--- a/docs/grammy.md
+++ b/docs/grammy.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Updated: 2025-12-07
 - **Gateway:** `monitorTelegramProvider` builds a grammY `Bot`, wires mention/allowlist gating, media download via `getFile`/`download`, and delivers replies with `sendMessage/sendPhoto/sendVideo/sendAudio/sendDocument`. Supports long-poll or webhook via `webhookCallback`.
 - **Proxy:** optional `telegram.proxy` uses `undici.ProxyAgent` through grammY’s `client.baseFetch`.
 - **Webhook support:** `webhook-set.ts` wraps `setWebhook/deleteWebhook`; `webhook.ts` hosts the callback with health + graceful shutdown. Gateway enables webhook mode when `telegram.webhookUrl` is set (otherwise it long-polls).
-- **Sessions:** direct chats map to `main`; groups map to `group:<chatId>`; replies route back to the same surface.
+- **Sessions:** direct chats map to `main`; groups map to `telegram:group:<chatId>`; replies route back to the same surface.
 - **Config knobs:** `telegram.botToken`, `requireMention`, `allowFrom`, `mediaMaxMb`, `proxy`, `webhookSecret`, `webhookUrl`.
 - **Tests:** grammy mocks cover DM + group mention gating and outbound send; more media/webhook fixtures still welcome.
 
diff --git a/docs/group-messages.md b/docs/group-messages.md
index c50a5a5d0..94012b168 100644
--- a/docs/group-messages.md
+++ b/docs/group-messages.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Goal: let Clawd sit in WhatsApp groups, wake up only when pinged, and keep that
 ## What’s implemented (2025-12-03)
 - Activation modes: `mention` (default) or `always`. `mention` requires a ping (real WhatsApp @-mentions via `mentionedJids`, regex patterns, or the bot’s E.164 anywhere in the text). `always` wakes the agent on every message but it should reply only when it can add meaningful value; otherwise it returns the silent token `NO_REPLY`. Activation is controlled per group (command or UI), not via config.
 - Group allowlist bypass: we still enforce `routing.allowFrom` on the participant at inbox ingest, but group JIDs themselves no longer block replies.
-- Per-group sessions: session keys look like `group:<jid>` so commands such as `/verbose on` or `/think:high` are scoped to that group; personal DM state is untouched. Heartbeats are skipped for group threads.
+- Per-group sessions: session keys look like `whatsapp:group:<jid>` so commands such as `/verbose on` or `/think:high` are scoped to that group; personal DM state is untouched. Heartbeats are skipped for group threads.
 - Context injection: last N (default 50) group messages are prefixed under `[Chat messages since your last reply - for context]`, with the triggering line under `[Current message - respond to this]`.
 - Sender surfacing: every group batch now ends with `[from: Sender Name (+E164)]` so Pi knows who is speaking.
 - Ephemeral/view-once: we unwrap those before extracting text/mentions, so pings inside them still trigger.
@@ -63,4 +63,4 @@ Only the owner number (from `routing.allowFrom`, defaulting to the bot’s own E
 ## Known considerations
 - Heartbeats are intentionally skipped for groups to avoid noisy broadcasts.
 - Echo suppression uses the combined batch string; if you send identical text twice without mentions, only the first will get a response.
-- Session store entries will appear as `group:<jid>` in the session store (`~/.clawdis/sessions/sessions.json` by default); a missing entry just means the group hasn’t triggered a run yet.
+- Session store entries will appear as `whatsapp:group:<jid>` in the session store (`~/.clawdis/sessions/sessions.json` by default); a missing entry just means the group hasn’t triggered a run yet.
diff --git a/docs/groups.md b/docs/groups.md
index bc5aa96eb..febde1f18 100644
--- a/docs/groups.md
+++ b/docs/groups.md
@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@ read_when:
 Clawdis treats group chats consistently across surfaces: WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage.
 
 ## Session keys
-- Group sessions use `group:<id>` in `ctx.From`.
+- Group sessions use `surface:group:<id>` session keys (rooms/channels use `surface:channel:<id>`).
 - Direct chats use the main session (or per-sender if configured).
 - Heartbeats are skipped for group sessions.
 
+## Display labels
+- UI labels use `displayName` when available, formatted as `surface:<token>`.
+- `#room` is reserved for rooms/channels; group chats use `g-<slug>` (lowercase, spaces -> `-`, keep `#@+._-`).
+
 ## Mention gating (default)
 Group messages require a mention unless overridden per group.
 
diff --git a/docs/session.md b/docs/session.md
index 756bd5181..ca78efed8 100644
--- a/docs/session.md
+++ b/docs/session.md
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ All session state is **owned by the gateway** (the “master” Clawdis). UI cli
   - Store file: `~/.clawdis/sessions/sessions.json` (legacy: `~/.clawdis/sessions.json`).
   - Transcripts: `~/.clawdis/sessions/<SessionId>.jsonl` (one file per session id).
 - The store is a map `sessionKey -> { sessionId, updatedAt, ... }`. Deleting entries is safe; they are recreated on demand.
+- Group entries may include `displayName`, `surface`, `subject`, `room`, and `space` to label sessions in UIs.
 - Clawdis does **not** read legacy Pi/Tau session folders.
 
 ## Mapping transports → session keys
 - Direct chats (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, desktop Web Chat) all collapse to the **primary key** so they share context.
 - Multiple phone numbers can map to that same key; they act as transports into the same conversation.
-- Group chats still isolate state with `group:<jid>` keys; do not reuse the primary key for groups.
+- Group chats isolate state with `surface:group:<id>` keys (rooms/channels use `surface:channel:<id>`); do not reuse the primary key for groups.
+  - Legacy `group:<surface>:<id>` and `group:<id>` keys are still recognized.
 
 ## Lifecyle
 - Idle expiry: `session.idleMinutes` (default 60). After the timeout a new `sessionId` is minted on the next message.
diff --git a/docs/sessions.md b/docs/sessions.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56627b95a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/sessions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+summary: "Alias for session management docs"
+read_when:
+  - You looked for docs/sessions.md; canonical doc lives in docs/session.md
+---
+# Sessions
+
+Canonical session management docs live in `docs/session.md`.
diff --git a/docs/signal.md b/docs/signal.md
index cc6898dbe..b386f9d6b 100644
--- a/docs/signal.md
+++ b/docs/signal.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ You can still run Clawdis on your own Signal account if your goal is “respond
 
 ## Addressing (send targets)
 - Direct: `signal:+15551234567` (or plain `+15551234567`)
-- Groups: `group:<groupId>`
+- Groups: `signal:group:<groupId>`
 - Usernames: `username:<name>` / `u:<name>`
 
 ## Process plan (Clawdis adapter)
diff --git a/docs/surface.md b/docs/surface.md
index 9135e80bc..e0cc05d9c 100644
--- a/docs/surface.md
+++ b/docs/surface.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Goal: make replies deterministic per channel while keeping one shared context fo
 
 - **Surfaces** (channel labels): `whatsapp`, `webchat`, `telegram`, `discord`, `imessage`, `voice`, etc. Add `Surface` to inbound `MsgContext` so templates/agents can log which channel a turn came from. Routing is fixed: replies go back to the origin surface; the model doesn’t choose.
 - **Reply context:** inbound replies include `ReplyToId`, `ReplyToBody`, and `ReplyToSender`, and the quoted context is appended to `Body` as a `[Replying to ...]` block.
-- **Canonical direct session:** All direct chats collapse into the single `main` session by default (no config needed). Groups stay `group:<jid>`, so they remain isolated.
+- **Canonical direct session:** All direct chats collapse into the single `main` session by default (no config needed). Groups stay `surface:group:<id>` (rooms: `surface:channel:<id>`), so they remain isolated.
 - **Session store:** Keys are resolved via `resolveSessionKey(scope, ctx, mainKey)`; the agent JSONL path lives under `~/.clawdis/sessions/<SessionId>.jsonl`.
 - **WebChat:** Always attaches to `main`, loads the full session transcript so desktop reflects cross-surface history, and writes new turns back to the same session.
 - **Implementation hints:**
diff --git a/docs/telegram.md b/docs/telegram.md
index a30c135c4..06f298083 100644
--- a/docs/telegram.md
+++ b/docs/telegram.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Status: ready for bot-mode use with grammY (long-polling by default; webhook sup
 
 ## Goals
 - Let you talk to Clawdis via a Telegram bot in DMs and groups.
-- Share the same `main` session used by WhatsApp/WebChat; groups stay isolated as `group:<chatId>`.
+- Share the same `main` session used by WhatsApp/WebChat; groups stay isolated as `telegram:group:<chatId>`.
 - Keep transport routing deterministic: replies always go back to the surface they arrived on.
 
 ## How it will work (Bot API)
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Status: ready for bot-mode use with grammY (long-polling by default; webhook sup
      - The webhook listener currently binds to `0.0.0.0:8787` and serves `POST /telegram-webhook` by default.
      - If you need a different public port/host, set `telegram.webhookUrl` to the externally reachable URL and use a reverse proxy to forward to `:8787`.
 4) Direct chats: user sends the first message; all subsequent turns land in the shared `main` session (default, no extra config).
-5) Groups: add the bot, disable privacy mode (or make it admin) so it can read messages; group threads stay on `group:<chatId>` and require mention/command to trigger replies.
+5) Groups: add the bot, disable privacy mode (or make it admin) so it can read messages; group threads stay on `telegram:group:<chatId>` and require mention/command to trigger replies.
 6) Optional allowlist: reuse `routing.allowFrom` for direct chats by chat id (`123456789` or `telegram:123456789`).
 
 ## Capabilities & limits (Bot API)
diff --git a/docs/whatsapp.md b/docs/whatsapp.md
index aa4b6a5b3..ee4a32837 100644
--- a/docs/whatsapp.md
+++ b/docs/whatsapp.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Status: WhatsApp Web via Baileys only. Gateway owns the single session.
   - `<media:image|video|audio|document|sticker>`
 
 ## Groups
-- Groups map to `group:<jid>` sessions.
+- Groups map to `whatsapp:group:<jid>` sessions.
 - Activation modes:
   - `mention` (default): requires @mention or regex match.
   - `always`: always triggers.
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.triggers.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.triggers.test.ts
index 62c77995b..3d84067d7 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.triggers.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.triggers.test.ts
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ describe("trigger handling", () => {
           From: "123@g.us",
           To: "+2000",
           ChatType: "group",
+          Surface: "whatsapp",
           SenderE164: "+2000",
         },
         {},
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ describe("trigger handling", () => {
       const store = JSON.parse(
         await fs.readFile(cfg.session.store, "utf-8"),
       ) as Record<string, { groupActivation?: string }>;
-      expect(store["group:123@g.us"]?.groupActivation).toBe("always");
+      expect(store["whatsapp:group:123@g.us"]?.groupActivation).toBe("always");
       expect(runEmbeddedPiAgent).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
   });
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ describe("trigger handling", () => {
           From: "123@g.us",
           To: "+2000",
           ChatType: "group",
+          Surface: "whatsapp",
           SenderE164: "+999",
         },
         {},
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ describe("trigger handling", () => {
           From: "123@g.us",
           To: "+2000",
           ChatType: "group",
+          Surface: "whatsapp",
           SenderE164: "+2000",
           GroupSubject: "Test Group",
           GroupMembers: "Alice (+1), Bob (+2)",
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
index 916c16d4a..17bc067c7 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ import { type ClawdisConfig, loadConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import {
   DEFAULT_IDLE_MINUTES,
   DEFAULT_RESET_TRIGGERS,
+  buildGroupDisplayName,
   loadSessionStore,
+  resolveGroupSessionKey,
   resolveSessionKey,
   resolveSessionTranscriptPath,
   resolveStorePath,
@@ -364,9 +366,9 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
   let persistedModelOverride: string | undefined;
   let persistedProviderOverride: string | undefined;
 
+  const groupResolution = resolveGroupSessionKey(ctx);
   const isGroup =
-    typeof ctx.From === "string" &&
-    (ctx.From.includes("@g.us") || ctx.From.startsWith("group:"));
+    ctx.ChatType?.trim().toLowerCase() === "group" || Boolean(groupResolution);
   const triggerBodyNormalized = stripStructuralPrefixes(ctx.Body ?? "")
     .trim()
     .toLowerCase();
@@ -399,6 +401,16 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
 
   sessionKey = resolveSessionKey(sessionScope, ctx, mainKey);
   sessionStore = loadSessionStore(storePath);
+  if (
+    groupResolution?.legacyKey &&
+    groupResolution.legacyKey !== sessionKey
+  ) {
+    const legacyEntry = sessionStore[groupResolution.legacyKey];
+    if (legacyEntry && !sessionStore[sessionKey]) {
+      sessionStore[sessionKey] = legacyEntry;
+      delete sessionStore[groupResolution.legacyKey];
+    }
+  }
   const entry = sessionStore[sessionKey];
   const idleMs = idleMinutes * 60_000;
   const freshEntry = entry && Date.now() - entry.updatedAt <= idleMs;
@@ -431,7 +443,35 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
     modelOverride: persistedModelOverride ?? baseEntry?.modelOverride,
     providerOverride: persistedProviderOverride ?? baseEntry?.providerOverride,
     queueMode: baseEntry?.queueMode,
+    displayName: baseEntry?.displayName,
+    chatType: baseEntry?.chatType,
+    surface: baseEntry?.surface,
+    subject: baseEntry?.subject,
+    room: baseEntry?.room,
+    space: baseEntry?.space,
   };
+  if (groupResolution?.surface) {
+    const surface = groupResolution.surface;
+    const subject = ctx.GroupSubject?.trim();
+    const isRoomSurface = surface === "discord" || surface === "slack";
+    const nextRoom =
+      isRoomSurface && subject && subject.startsWith("#") ? subject : undefined;
+    const nextSubject = nextRoom ? undefined : subject;
+    sessionEntry.chatType = groupResolution.chatType ?? "group";
+    sessionEntry.surface = surface;
+    if (nextSubject) sessionEntry.subject = nextSubject;
+    if (nextRoom) sessionEntry.room = nextRoom;
+    sessionEntry.displayName = buildGroupDisplayName({
+      surface: sessionEntry.surface,
+      subject: sessionEntry.subject,
+      room: sessionEntry.room,
+      space: sessionEntry.space,
+      id: groupResolution.id,
+      key: sessionKey,
+    });
+  } else if (!sessionEntry.chatType) {
+    sessionEntry.chatType = "direct";
+  }
   sessionStore[sessionKey] = sessionEntry;
   await saveSessionStore(storePath, sessionStore);
 
@@ -1038,8 +1078,7 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
   // Prepend queued system events (transitions only) and (for new main sessions) a provider snapshot.
   // Token efficiency: we filter out periodic/heartbeat noise and keep the lines compact.
   const isGroupSession =
-    typeof ctx.From === "string" &&
-    (ctx.From.includes("@g.us") || ctx.From.startsWith("group:"));
+    sessionEntry?.chatType === "group" || sessionEntry?.chatType === "room";
   const isMainSession =
     !isGroupSession && sessionKey === (sessionCfg?.mainKey ?? "main");
   if (isMainSession) {
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
index 0ca8852ef..249fc6277 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.test.ts
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ describe("buildStatusMessage", () => {
         sessionId: "g1",
         updatedAt: 0,
         groupActivation: "always",
+        chatType: "group",
       },
-      sessionKey: "group:123@g.us",
+      sessionKey: "whatsapp:group:123@g.us",
       sessionScope: "per-sender",
       webLinked: true,
     });
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/status.ts b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
index dbef495d2..4024841ef 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/status.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/status.ts
@@ -191,7 +191,13 @@ export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
     .filter(Boolean)
     .join(" • ");
 
-  const groupActivationLine = args.sessionKey?.startsWith("group:")
+  const isGroupSession =
+    entry?.chatType === "group" ||
+    entry?.chatType === "room" ||
+    Boolean(args.sessionKey?.includes(":group:")) ||
+    Boolean(args.sessionKey?.includes(":channel:")) ||
+    Boolean(args.sessionKey?.startsWith("group:"));
+  const groupActivationLine = isGroupSession
     ? `Group activation: ${entry?.groupActivation ?? "mention"}`
     : undefined;
 
diff --git a/src/commands/agent.ts b/src/commands/agent.ts
index 5edd1c45d..64daf9a70 100644
--- a/src/commands/agent.ts
+++ b/src/commands/agent.ts
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ export async function agentCommand(
     }
     if (deliveryProvider === "signal" && !signalTarget) {
       const err = new Error(
-        "Delivering to Signal requires --to <E.164|group:ID|signal:+E.164>",
+        "Delivering to Signal requires --to <E.164|group:ID|signal:group:ID|signal:+E.164>",
       );
       if (!bestEffortDeliver) throw err;
       logDeliveryError(err);
diff --git a/src/commands/sessions.test.ts b/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
index 3d1fbd273..1ee0f8e68 100644
--- a/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe("sessionsCommand", () => {
 
   it("shows placeholder rows when tokens are missing", async () => {
     const store = writeStore({
-      "group:demo": {
+      "discord:group:demo": {
         sessionId: "xyz",
         updatedAt: Date.now() - 5 * 60_000,
         thinkingLevel: "high",
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ describe("sessionsCommand", () => {
 
     fs.rmSync(store);
 
-    const row = logs.find((line) => line.includes("group:demo")) ?? "";
+    const row = logs.find((line) => line.includes("discord:group:demo")) ?? "";
     expect(row).toContain("-".padEnd(20));
     expect(row).toContain("think:high");
     expect(row).toContain("5m ago");
diff --git a/src/commands/sessions.ts b/src/commands/sessions.ts
index 538470016..7c91ecfa2 100644
--- a/src/commands/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/commands/sessions.ts
@@ -119,10 +119,17 @@ const formatAge = (ms: number | null | undefined) => {
   return `${days}d ago`;
 };
 
-function classifyKey(key: string): SessionRow["kind"] {
+function classifyKey(key: string, entry?: SessionEntry): SessionRow["kind"] {
   if (key === "global") return "global";
-  if (key.startsWith("group:")) return "group";
   if (key === "unknown") return "unknown";
+  if (entry?.chatType === "group" || entry?.chatType === "room") return "group";
+  if (
+    key.startsWith("group:") ||
+    key.includes(":group:") ||
+    key.includes(":channel:")
+  ) {
+    return "group";
+  }
   return "direct";
 }
 
@@ -132,7 +139,7 @@ function toRows(store: Record<string, SessionEntry>): SessionRow[] {
       const updatedAt = entry?.updatedAt ?? null;
       return {
         key,
-        kind: classifyKey(key),
+        kind: classifyKey(key, entry),
         updatedAt,
         ageMs: updatedAt ? Date.now() - updatedAt : null,
         sessionId: entry?.sessionId,
diff --git a/src/commands/status.ts b/src/commands/status.ts
index 456249495..37462379f 100644
--- a/src/commands/status.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export async function getStatusSummary(): Promise<StatusSummary> {
 
       return {
         key,
-        kind: classifyKey(key),
+        kind: classifyKey(key, entry),
         sessionId: entry?.sessionId,
         updatedAt,
         age,
@@ -169,10 +169,17 @@ const formatContextUsage = (
   return `tokens: ${formatKTokens(used)} used, ${formatKTokens(left)} left of ${formatKTokens(contextTokens)} (${pctLabel})`;
 };
 
-const classifyKey = (key: string): SessionStatus["kind"] => {
+const classifyKey = (key: string, entry?: SessionEntry): SessionStatus["kind"] => {
   if (key === "global") return "global";
-  if (key.startsWith("group:")) return "group";
   if (key === "unknown") return "unknown";
+  if (entry?.chatType === "group" || entry?.chatType === "room") return "group";
+  if (
+    key.startsWith("group:") ||
+    key.includes(":group:") ||
+    key.includes(":channel:")
+  ) {
+    return "group";
+  }
   return "direct";
 };
 
diff --git a/src/config/sessions.test.ts b/src/config/sessions.test.ts
index dcab9cb14..afec54a51 100644
--- a/src/config/sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/sessions.test.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,26 @@ describe("sessions", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("prefixes group keys with surface when available", () => {
+    expect(
+      deriveSessionKey("per-sender", {
+        From: "12345-678@g.us",
+        ChatType: "group",
+        Surface: "whatsapp",
+      }),
+    ).toBe("whatsapp:group:12345-678@g.us");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps explicit surface when provided in group key", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveSessionKey(
+        "per-sender",
+        { From: "group:discord:12345", ChatType: "group" },
+        "main",
+      ),
+    ).toBe("discord:group:12345");
+  });
+
   it("collapses direct chats to main by default", () => {
     expect(resolveSessionKey("per-sender", { From: "+1555" })).toBe("main");
   });
diff --git a/src/config/sessions.ts b/src/config/sessions.ts
index 449638101..0a4f7df60 100644
--- a/src/config/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/config/sessions.ts
@@ -10,11 +10,24 @@ import { normalizeE164 } from "../utils.js";
 
 export type SessionScope = "per-sender" | "global";
 
+const GROUP_SURFACES = new Set([
+  "whatsapp",
+  "telegram",
+  "discord",
+  "signal",
+  "imessage",
+  "webchat",
+  "slack",
+]);
+
+export type SessionChatType = "direct" | "group" | "room";
+
 export type SessionEntry = {
   sessionId: string;
   updatedAt: number;
   systemSent?: boolean;
   abortedLastRun?: boolean;
+  chatType?: SessionChatType;
   thinkingLevel?: string;
   verboseLevel?: string;
   providerOverride?: string;
@@ -27,6 +40,11 @@ export type SessionEntry = {
   totalTokens?: number;
   model?: string;
   contextTokens?: number;
+  displayName?: string;
+  surface?: string;
+  subject?: string;
+  room?: string;
+  space?: string;
   lastChannel?:
     | "whatsapp"
     | "telegram"
@@ -38,6 +56,14 @@ export type SessionEntry = {
   skillsSnapshot?: SessionSkillSnapshot;
 };
 
+export type GroupKeyResolution = {
+  key: string;
+  legacyKey?: string;
+  surface?: string;
+  id?: string;
+  chatType?: SessionChatType;
+};
+
 export type SessionSkillSnapshot = {
   prompt: string;
   skills: Array<{ name: string; primaryEnv?: string }>;
@@ -66,6 +92,135 @@ export function resolveStorePath(store?: string) {
   return path.resolve(store);
 }
 
+function normalizeGroupLabel(raw?: string) {
+  const trimmed = raw?.trim().toLowerCase() ?? "";
+  if (!trimmed) return "";
+  const dashed = trimmed.replace(/\s+/g, "-");
+  const cleaned = dashed.replace(/[^a-z0-9#@._+-]+/g, "-");
+  return cleaned.replace(/-{2,}/g, "-").replace(/^[-.]+|[-.]+$/g, "");
+}
+
+function shortenGroupId(value?: string) {
+  const trimmed = value?.trim() ?? "";
+  if (!trimmed) return "";
+  if (trimmed.length <= 14) return trimmed;
+  return `${trimmed.slice(0, 6)}...${trimmed.slice(-4)}`;
+}
+
+export function buildGroupDisplayName(params: {
+  surface?: string;
+  subject?: string;
+  room?: string;
+  space?: string;
+  id?: string;
+  key: string;
+}) {
+  const surfaceKey = (params.surface?.trim().toLowerCase() || "group").trim();
+  const detail =
+    params.room?.trim() ||
+    params.subject?.trim() ||
+    params.space?.trim() ||
+    "";
+  const fallbackId = params.id?.trim() || params.key.replace(/^group:/, "");
+  const rawLabel = detail || fallbackId;
+  let token = normalizeGroupLabel(rawLabel);
+  if (!token) {
+    token = normalizeGroupLabel(shortenGroupId(rawLabel));
+  }
+  if (!params.room && token.startsWith("#")) {
+    token = token.replace(/^#+/, "");
+  }
+  if (token && !/^[@#]/.test(token) && !token.startsWith("g-")) {
+    token = `g-${token}`;
+  }
+  return token ? `${surfaceKey}:${token}` : surfaceKey;
+}
+
+export function resolveGroupSessionKey(ctx: MsgContext): GroupKeyResolution | null {
+  const from = typeof ctx.From === "string" ? ctx.From.trim() : "";
+  if (!from) return null;
+  const chatType = ctx.ChatType?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const isGroup =
+    chatType === "group" ||
+    from.startsWith("group:") ||
+    from.includes("@g.us") ||
+    from.includes(":group:") ||
+    from.includes(":channel:");
+  if (!isGroup) return null;
+
+  const surfaceHint = ctx.Surface?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const hasLegacyGroupPrefix = from.startsWith("group:");
+  const raw = (hasLegacyGroupPrefix ? from.slice("group:".length) : from).trim();
+
+  let surface: string | undefined;
+  let kind: "group" | "channel" | undefined;
+  let id = "";
+
+  const parseKind = (value: string) => {
+    if (value === "channel") return "channel";
+    return "group";
+  };
+
+  const parseParts = (parts: string[]) => {
+    if (parts.length >= 2 && GROUP_SURFACES.has(parts[0])) {
+      surface = parts[0];
+      if (parts.length >= 3) {
+        const kindCandidate = parts[1];
+        if (["group", "channel"].includes(kindCandidate)) {
+          kind = parseKind(kindCandidate);
+          id = parts.slice(2).join(":");
+        } else {
+          id = parts.slice(1).join(":");
+        }
+      } else {
+        id = parts[1];
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+    if (parts.length >= 2 && ["group", "channel"].includes(parts[0])) {
+      kind = parseKind(parts[0]);
+      id = parts.slice(1).join(":");
+    }
+  };
+
+  if (hasLegacyGroupPrefix) {
+    const legacyParts = raw.split(":").filter(Boolean);
+    if (legacyParts.length > 1) {
+      parseParts(legacyParts);
+    } else {
+      id = raw;
+    }
+  } else if (from.includes("@g.us") && !from.includes(":")) {
+    id = from;
+  } else {
+    parseParts(from.split(":").filter(Boolean));
+    if (!id) {
+      id = raw || from;
+    }
+  }
+
+  const resolvedSurface = surface ?? surfaceHint;
+  if (!resolvedSurface) {
+    const legacy = hasLegacyGroupPrefix ? `group:${raw}` : `group:${from}`;
+    return { key: legacy, id: raw || from, legacyKey: legacy, chatType: "group" };
+  }
+
+  const resolvedKind = kind === "channel" ? "channel" : "group";
+  const key = `${resolvedSurface}:${resolvedKind}:${id || raw || from}`;
+  let legacyKey: string | undefined;
+  if (hasLegacyGroupPrefix || from.includes("@g.us")) {
+    legacyKey = `group:${id || raw || from}`;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    key,
+    legacyKey,
+    surface: resolvedSurface,
+    id: id || raw || from,
+    chatType: resolvedKind === "channel" ? "room" : "group",
+  };
+}
+
 export function loadSessionStore(
   storePath: string,
 ): Record<string, SessionEntry> {
@@ -145,6 +300,12 @@ export async function updateLastRoute(params: {
     totalTokens: existing?.totalTokens,
     model: existing?.model,
     contextTokens: existing?.contextTokens,
+    displayName: existing?.displayName,
+    chatType: existing?.chatType,
+    surface: existing?.surface,
+    subject: existing?.subject,
+    room: existing?.room,
+    space: existing?.space,
     skillsSnapshot: existing?.skillsSnapshot,
     lastChannel: channel,
     lastTo: to?.trim() ? to.trim() : undefined,
@@ -157,14 +318,9 @@ export async function updateLastRoute(params: {
 // Decide which session bucket to use (per-sender vs global).
 export function deriveSessionKey(scope: SessionScope, ctx: MsgContext) {
   if (scope === "global") return "global";
+  const resolvedGroup = resolveGroupSessionKey(ctx);
+  if (resolvedGroup) return resolvedGroup.key;
   const from = ctx.From ? normalizeE164(ctx.From) : "";
-  // Preserve group conversations as distinct buckets
-  if (typeof ctx.From === "string" && ctx.From.includes("@g.us")) {
-    return `group:${ctx.From}`;
-  }
-  if (typeof ctx.From === "string" && ctx.From.startsWith("group:")) {
-    return ctx.From;
-  }
   return from || "unknown";
 }
 
@@ -181,7 +337,10 @@ export function resolveSessionKey(
   if (scope === "global") return raw;
   // Default to a single shared direct-chat session called "main"; groups stay isolated.
   const canonical = (mainKey ?? "main").trim() || "main";
-  const isGroup = raw.startsWith("group:") || raw.includes("@g.us");
+  const isGroup =
+    raw.startsWith("group:") ||
+    raw.includes(":group:") ||
+    raw.includes(":channel:");
   if (!isGroup) return canonical;
   return raw;
 }
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor.ts b/src/discord/monitor.ts
index 880e0f8cc..135a4e52c 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  ChannelType,
   Client,
   Events,
   GatewayIntentBits,
@@ -106,7 +107,10 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
       if (message.author?.bot) return;
       if (!message.author) return;
 
-      const isDirectMessage = !message.guild;
+      const channelType = message.channel.type;
+      const isGroupDm = channelType === ChannelType.GroupDM;
+      const isDirectMessage = channelType === ChannelType.DM;
+      const isGuildMessage = Boolean(message.guild);
       const botId = client.user?.id;
       const wasMentioned =
         !isDirectMessage && Boolean(botId && message.mentions.has(botId));
@@ -142,7 +146,7 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
         }
       }
 
-      if (!isDirectMessage && guildAllowFrom) {
+      if (!isDirectMessage && isGuildMessage && guildAllowFrom) {
         const guilds = normalizeDiscordAllowList(guildAllowFrom.guilds, [
           "guild:",
         ]);
@@ -197,7 +201,16 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
 
       const fromLabel = isDirectMessage
         ? buildDirectLabel(message)
-        : buildGuildLabel(message);
+        : isGroupDm
+          ? buildGroupDmLabel(message)
+          : buildGuildLabel(message);
+      const groupSubject = (() => {
+        if (isDirectMessage) return undefined;
+        const channelName =
+          "name" in message.channel ? message.channel.name : message.channelId;
+        if (!channelName) return undefined;
+        return isGuildMessage ? `#${channelName}` : channelName;
+      })();
       const textWithId = `${text}\n[discord message id: ${message.id} channel: ${message.channelId}]`;
       let combinedBody = formatAgentEnvelope({
         surface: "Discord",
@@ -238,10 +251,7 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
           : `channel:${message.channelId}`,
         ChatType: isDirectMessage ? "direct" : "group",
         SenderName: message.member?.displayName ?? message.author.tag,
-        GroupSubject:
-          !isDirectMessage && "name" in message.channel
-            ? message.channel.name
-            : undefined,
+        GroupSubject: groupSubject,
         Surface: "discord" as const,
         WasMentioned: wasMentioned,
         MessageSid: message.id,
@@ -358,6 +368,13 @@ function buildDirectLabel(message: import("discord.js").Message) {
   return `${username} id:${message.author.id}`;
 }
 
+function buildGroupDmLabel(message: import("discord.js").Message) {
+  const channelName =
+    "name" in message.channel ? message.channel.name : undefined;
+  const name = channelName ? ` ${channelName}` : "";
+  return `Group DM${name} id:${message.channelId}`;
+}
+
 function buildGuildLabel(message: import("discord.js").Message) {
   const channelName =
     "name" in message.channel ? message.channel.name : message.channelId;
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.test.ts
index 1e246c280..cfac4af86 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.test.ts
@@ -3865,7 +3865,7 @@ describe("gateway server", () => {
             thinkingLevel: "low",
             verboseLevel: "on",
           },
-          "group:dev": {
+          "discord:group:dev": {
             sessionId: "sess-group",
             updatedAt: now - 120_000,
             totalTokens: 50,
@@ -3977,7 +3977,7 @@ describe("gateway server", () => {
     const deleted = await rpcReq<{ ok: true; deleted: boolean }>(
       ws,
       "sessions.delete",
-      { key: "group:dev" },
+      { key: "discord:group:dev" },
     );
     expect(deleted.ok).toBe(true);
     expect(deleted.payload?.deleted).toBe(true);
@@ -3986,7 +3986,9 @@ describe("gateway server", () => {
     }>(ws, "sessions.list", {});
     expect(listAfterDelete.ok).toBe(true);
     expect(
-      listAfterDelete.payload?.sessions.some((s) => s.key === "group:dev"),
+      listAfterDelete.payload?.sessions.some(
+        (s) => s.key === "discord:group:dev",
+      ),
     ).toBe(false);
     const filesAfterDelete = await fs.readdir(dir);
     expect(
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.ts b/src/gateway/server.ts
index a8f1589c4..e62841b34 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import {
   writeConfigFile,
 } from "../config/config.js";
 import {
+  buildGroupDisplayName,
   loadSessionStore,
   resolveStorePath,
   type SessionEntry,
@@ -455,6 +456,11 @@ type GatewaySessionsDefaults = {
 type GatewaySessionRow = {
   key: string;
   kind: "direct" | "group" | "global" | "unknown";
+  displayName?: string;
+  surface?: string;
+  subject?: string;
+  room?: string;
+  space?: string;
   updatedAt: number | null;
   sessionId?: string;
   systemSent?: boolean;
@@ -862,13 +868,41 @@ function loadSessionEntry(sessionKey: string) {
   return { cfg, storePath, store, entry };
 }
 
-function classifySessionKey(key: string): GatewaySessionRow["kind"] {
+function classifySessionKey(
+  key: string,
+  entry?: SessionEntry,
+): GatewaySessionRow["kind"] {
   if (key === "global") return "global";
-  if (key.startsWith("group:")) return "group";
   if (key === "unknown") return "unknown";
+  if (entry?.chatType === "group" || entry?.chatType === "room") return "group";
+  if (
+    key.startsWith("group:") ||
+    key.includes(":group:") ||
+    key.includes(":channel:")
+  ) {
+    return "group";
+  }
   return "direct";
 }
 
+function parseGroupKey(
+  key: string,
+): { surface?: string; kind?: "group" | "channel"; id?: string } | null {
+  if (key.startsWith("group:")) {
+    const raw = key.slice("group:".length);
+    return raw ? { id: raw } : null;
+  }
+  const parts = key.split(":").filter(Boolean);
+  if (parts.length >= 3) {
+    const [surface, kind, ...rest] = parts;
+    if (kind === "group" || kind === "channel") {
+      const id = rest.join(":");
+      return { surface, kind, id };
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 function getSessionDefaults(cfg: ClawdisConfig): GatewaySessionsDefaults {
   const resolved = resolveConfiguredModelRef({
     cfg,
@@ -913,9 +947,32 @@ function listSessionsFromStore(params: {
       const input = entry?.inputTokens ?? 0;
       const output = entry?.outputTokens ?? 0;
       const total = entry?.totalTokens ?? input + output;
+      const parsed = parseGroupKey(key);
+      const surface = entry?.surface ?? parsed?.surface;
+      const subject = entry?.subject;
+      const room = entry?.room;
+      const space = entry?.space;
+      const id = parsed?.id;
+      const displayName =
+        entry?.displayName ??
+        (surface
+          ? buildGroupDisplayName({
+              surface,
+              subject,
+              room,
+              space,
+              id,
+              key,
+            })
+          : undefined);
       return {
         key,
-        kind: classifySessionKey(key),
+        kind: classifySessionKey(key, entry),
+        displayName,
+        surface,
+        subject,
+        room,
+        space,
         updatedAt,
         sessionId: entry?.sessionId,
         systemSent: entry?.systemSent,
@@ -2881,6 +2938,12 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
             verboseLevel: entry?.verboseLevel,
             model: entry?.model,
             contextTokens: entry?.contextTokens,
+            displayName: entry?.displayName,
+            chatType: entry?.chatType,
+            surface: entry?.surface,
+            subject: entry?.subject,
+            room: entry?.room,
+            space: entry?.space,
             lastChannel: entry?.lastChannel,
             lastTo: entry?.lastTo,
             skillsSnapshot: entry?.skillsSnapshot,
diff --git a/src/imessage/targets.ts b/src/imessage/targets.ts
index eaa5c8428..c1f1def41 100644
--- a/src/imessage/targets.ts
+++ b/src/imessage/targets.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,23 @@ export function parseIMessageTarget(raw: string): IMessageTarget {
   if (!trimmed) throw new Error("iMessage target is required");
   const lower = trimmed.toLowerCase();
 
+  for (const { prefix, service } of SERVICE_PREFIXES) {
+    if (lower.startsWith(prefix)) {
+      const remainder = stripPrefix(trimmed, prefix);
+      if (!remainder) throw new Error(`${prefix} target is required`);
+      const remainderLower = remainder.toLowerCase();
+      const isChatTarget =
+        CHAT_ID_PREFIXES.some((p) => remainderLower.startsWith(p)) ||
+        CHAT_GUID_PREFIXES.some((p) => remainderLower.startsWith(p)) ||
+        CHAT_IDENTIFIER_PREFIXES.some((p) => remainderLower.startsWith(p)) ||
+        remainderLower.startsWith("group:");
+      if (isChatTarget) {
+        return parseIMessageTarget(remainder);
+      }
+      return { kind: "handle", to: remainder, service };
+    }
+  }
+
   for (const prefix of CHAT_ID_PREFIXES) {
     if (lower.startsWith(prefix)) {
       const value = stripPrefix(trimmed, prefix);
@@ -89,14 +106,6 @@ export function parseIMessageTarget(raw: string): IMessageTarget {
     return { kind: "chat_guid", chatGuid: value };
   }
 
-  for (const { prefix, service } of SERVICE_PREFIXES) {
-    if (lower.startsWith(prefix)) {
-      const to = stripPrefix(trimmed, prefix);
-      if (!to) throw new Error(`${prefix} target is required`);
-      return { kind: "handle", to, service };
-    }
-  }
-
   return { kind: "handle", to: trimmed, service: "auto" };
 }
 
@@ -105,6 +114,14 @@ export function parseIMessageAllowTarget(raw: string): IMessageAllowTarget {
   if (!trimmed) return { kind: "handle", handle: "" };
   const lower = trimmed.toLowerCase();
 
+  for (const { prefix } of SERVICE_PREFIXES) {
+    if (lower.startsWith(prefix)) {
+      const remainder = stripPrefix(trimmed, prefix);
+      if (!remainder) return { kind: "handle", handle: "" };
+      return parseIMessageAllowTarget(remainder);
+    }
+  }
+
   for (const prefix of CHAT_ID_PREFIXES) {
     if (lower.startsWith(prefix)) {
       const value = stripPrefix(trimmed, prefix);
diff --git a/src/signal/send.ts b/src/signal/send.ts
index c82ae8ce0..b05765e0e 100644
--- a/src/signal/send.ts
+++ b/src/signal/send.ts
@@ -43,19 +43,20 @@ function parseTarget(raw: string): SignalTarget {
   let value = raw.trim();
   if (!value) throw new Error("Signal recipient is required");
   const lower = value.toLowerCase();
-  if (lower.startsWith("group:")) {
-    return { type: "group", groupId: value.slice("group:".length).trim() };
-  }
   if (lower.startsWith("signal:")) {
     value = value.slice("signal:".length).trim();
   }
-  if (lower.startsWith("username:")) {
+  const normalized = value.toLowerCase();
+  if (normalized.startsWith("group:")) {
+    return { type: "group", groupId: value.slice("group:".length).trim() };
+  }
+  if (normalized.startsWith("username:")) {
     return {
       type: "username",
       username: value.slice("username:".length).trim(),
     };
   }
-  if (lower.startsWith("u:")) {
+  if (normalized.startsWith("u:")) {
     return { type: "username", username: value.trim() };
   }
   return { type: "recipient", recipient: value };
diff --git a/src/telegram/send.ts b/src/telegram/send.ts
index ad9ac64e9..06b50da5b 100644
--- a/src/telegram/send.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/send.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ function normalizeChatId(to: string): string {
 
   // Common internal prefixes that sometimes leak into outbound sends.
   // - ctx.To uses `telegram:<id>`
-  // - group sessions often use `group:<id>`
+  // - group sessions often use `telegram:group:<id>`
   let normalized = trimmed.replace(/^(telegram|tg|group):/i, "").trim();
 
   // Accept t.me links for public chats/channels.
diff --git a/src/web/auto-reply.test.ts b/src/web/auto-reply.test.ts
index 11657ab91..05b217e7b 100644
--- a/src/web/auto-reply.test.ts
+++ b/src/web/auto-reply.test.ts
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ describe("web auto-reply", () => {
       .mockResolvedValueOnce({ text: "ok" });
 
     const { storePath, cleanup } = await makeSessionStore({
-      "group:123@g.us": {
+      "whatsapp:group:123@g.us": {
         sessionId: "g-1",
         updatedAt: Date.now(),
         groupActivation: "always",
diff --git a/src/web/auto-reply.ts b/src/web/auto-reply.ts
index 74ff33072..762cb8135 100644
--- a/src/web/auto-reply.ts
+++ b/src/web/auto-reply.ts
@@ -412,7 +412,10 @@ function getSessionRecipients(cfg: ReturnType<typeof loadConfig>) {
   const storePath = resolveStorePath(cfg.session?.store);
   const store = loadSessionStore(storePath);
   const isGroupKey = (key: string) =>
-    key.startsWith("group:") || key.includes("@g.us");
+    key.startsWith("group:") ||
+    key.includes(":group:") ||
+    key.includes(":channel:") ||
+    key.includes("@g.us");
   const isCronKey = (key: string) => key.startsWith("cron:");
 
   const recipients = Object.entries(store)
@@ -812,7 +815,7 @@ export async function monitorWebProvider(
   const resolveGroupActivationFor = (conversationId: string) => {
     const key = conversationId.startsWith("group:")
       ? conversationId
-      : `group:${conversationId}`;
+      : `whatsapp:group:${conversationId}`;
     const store = loadSessionStore(sessionStorePath);
     const entry = store[key];
     const requireMention = cfg.routing?.groupChat?.requireMention;
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/types.ts b/ui/src/ui/types.ts
index f804a2564..1d2c36b5d 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/types.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/types.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ export type GatewaySessionsDefaults = {
 export type GatewaySessionRow = {
   key: string;
   kind: "direct" | "group" | "global" | "unknown";
+  displayName?: string;
+  surface?: string;
+  subject?: string;
+  room?: string;
+  space?: string;
   updatedAt: number | null;
   sessionId?: string;
   systemSent?: boolean;
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/views/sessions.ts b/ui/src/ui/views/sessions.ts
index 6eed6612e..c82526538 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/views/sessions.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/views/sessions.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ function renderRow(row: GatewaySessionRow, onPatch: SessionsProps["onPatch"]) {
   const verbose = row.verboseLevel ?? "";
   return html`
     <div class="table-row">
-      <div class="mono">${row.key}</div>
+      <div class="mono">${row.displayName ?? row.key}</div>
       <div>${row.kind}</div>
       <div>${updated}</div>
       <div>${formatSessionTokens(row)}</div>