# useChannelImage

Reads `channel.data?.image` reactively and re-renders when the channel is updated.

## Best Practices

- Use this hook to drive the channel avatar/image in headers, previews, and details screens.
- Treat the value as read-only state derived from the channel store.
- Handle `undefined` and provide a fallback avatar (e.g. member images or initials).
- Prefer this hook over reading `channel.data?.image` directly so the UI stays in sync with `channel.updated` events.

## Usage

```tsx
import { useChannelImage } from "stream-chat-react-native";

const image = useChannelImage(channel);
```

## Parameters

| Name    | Type      | Required | Description                  |
| ------- | --------- | -------- | ---------------------------- |
| channel | `Channel` | No       | Channel whose image is read. |

## Returns

| Type                    | Description                                         |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `string` \| `undefined` | The channel's image URL, or `undefined` if not set. |


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This page was last updated at 2026-06-30T12:00:26.063Z.

For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/react-native/hooks/channel-state/use-channel-image/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/react-native/hooks/channel-state/use-channel-image/).