diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-footer.gjs b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-footer.gjs
index a7906c2069c..fd7726bb899 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-footer.gjs
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/chat-footer.gjs
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@ export default class ChatFooter extends Component {
   <template>
     {{#if this.shouldRenderFooter}}
       <nav class="c-footer" {{this.updateThreadCount}}>
+        <DButton
+          @route="chat.channels"
+          @class={{concatClass
+            "btn-flat"
+            "c-footer__item"
+            (if (eq this.router.currentRouteName "chat.channels") "--active")
+          }}
+          @icon="comments"
+          @id="c-footer-channels"
+          @translatedLabel={{i18n "chat.channel_list.title"}}
+          aria-label={{i18n "chat.channel_list.aria_label"}}
+        />
+
         {{#if this.directMessagesEnabled}}
           <DButton
             @route="chat.direct-messages"
@@ -60,19 +73,6 @@ export default class ChatFooter extends Component {
           />
         {{/if}}
 
-        <DButton
-          @route="chat.channels"
-          @class={{concatClass
-            "btn-flat"
-            "c-footer__item"
-            (if (eq this.router.currentRouteName "chat.channels") "--active")
-          }}
-          @icon="comments"
-          @id="c-footer-channels"
-          @translatedLabel={{i18n "chat.channel_list.title"}}
-          aria-label={{i18n "chat.channel_list.aria_label"}}
-        />
-
         {{#if this.threadsEnabled}}
           <DButton
             @route="chat.threads"
diff --git a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/chat-index.js b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/chat-index.js
index 458f777f31c..7955f8f3506 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/chat-index.js
+++ b/plugins/chat/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/chat-index.js
@@ -13,11 +13,7 @@ export default class ChatIndexRoute extends DiscourseRoute {
   redirect() {
     // on mobile redirect user to the first footer tab route
     if (this.site.mobileView) {
-      if (this.chat.userCanAccessDirectMessages) {
-        return this.router.replaceWith("chat.direct-messages");
-      } else {
-        return this.router.replaceWith("chat.channels");
-      }
+      return this.router.replaceWith("chat.channels");
     }
 
     // We are on desktop. Check for a channel to enter and transition if so
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/browse_page_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/browse_page_spec.rb
index 09d236ae7e2..e78b103ed4d 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/browse_page_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/browse_page_spec.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ RSpec.describe "Browse page", type: :system do
         chat_page.visit_browse
         find(".c-navbar__back-button").click
 
-        expect(browse_page).to have_current_path("/chat/direct-messages")
+        expect(browse_page).to have_current_path("/chat/channels")
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/chat_footer_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/chat_footer_spec.rb
index fede8ebe557..5b028c5f0ab 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/chat_footer_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/chat_footer_spec.rb
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ RSpec.describe "Chat footer on mobile", type: :system, mobile: true do
       expect(page).to have_no_css(".c-footer")
     end
 
-    it "redirects the user to the direct messages tab" do
+    it "redirects the user to the channels tab" do
       visit("/")
       chat_page.open_from_header
 
-      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/direct-messages")
+      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/channels")
     end
 
     it "shows threads tab when user has threads" do
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/list_channels/mobile_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/list_channels/mobile_spec.rb
index 920d5cbd57f..a9820c89555 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/list_channels/mobile_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/list_channels/mobile_spec.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ RSpec.describe "List channels | mobile", type: :system, mobile: true do
 
       context "when member of the channel" do
         it "shows the channel in the correct section" do
-          visit("/chat")
+          visit("/chat/direct-messages")
           expect(page.find(".direct-message-channels")).to have_content(current_user.username)
         end
       end
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/message_notifications_mobile_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/message_notifications_mobile_spec.rb
index 7c3c2bde436..483c2b868f4 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/message_notifications_mobile_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/message_notifications_mobile_spec.rb
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ RSpec.describe "Message notifications - mobile", type: :system, mobile: true do
 
         context "when a message is created" do
           it "correctly renders notifications" do
-            visit("/chat")
+            visit("/chat/direct-messages")
 
             create_message(dm_channel_1, user: user_1)
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ RSpec.describe "Message notifications - mobile", type: :system, mobile: true do
           end
 
           it "reorders channels" do
-            visit("/chat")
+            visit("/chat/direct-messages")
 
             expect(page).to have_css(
               ".chat-channel-row:nth-child(1)[data-chat-channel-id=\"#{dm_channel_1.id}\"]",
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/navigation_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/navigation_spec.rb
index 7912d836808..166198a6bf6 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/navigation_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/navigation_spec.rb
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ RSpec.describe "Navigation", type: :system do
   end
 
   context "when clicking chat icon on mobile and is viewing channel" do
-    it "navigates to direct messages tab", mobile: true do
+    it "navigates to channels tab", mobile: true do
       chat_page.visit_channel(category_channel_2)
       chat_page.open_from_header
 
-      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/direct-messages")
+      expect(page).to have_current_path("/chat/channels")
     end
   end