lock and unlock chats feature

models updated with lock values , course model has two group lock and professor lock options

serializers updated with new fields

admin panel updated for this new fields

signals configured to automatically lock/unlock the chatrooms related to courses based on the boolean values of course

to chat room page navigation shortcut is updated with unfold action buttons instead of html files

apps/chat/admin.py

@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
 from django.db.models import Count
 from unfold.admin import ModelAdmin, TabularInline
 from unfold.contrib.filters.admin import RangeNumericFilter, RangeDateTimeFilter
+from django.shortcuts import redirect
+from django.urls import reverse
+from unfold.decorators import action
 
 from apps.chat.models import RoomMessage, ChatMessage, MessageReadStatus
 from utils.admin import project_admin_site
@@ -44,13 +47,13 @@ User = get_user_model()
 class RoomMessageAdmin(ModelAdmin):
     list_display = (
         'name', 'room_type_badge', 'course', 'initiator',
-         'messages_count', 'view_messages_button'
+         'messages_count', 'view_messages_button','is_locked'
     )
     list_filter = (
         'room_type', 
         ('created_at', RangeDateTimeFilter), 
         ('updated_at', RangeDateTimeFilter), 
-        'course'
+        'course','is_locked'
     )
     search_fields = ('name', 'description', 'course__title', 'initiator__username', 'recipient__username')
     ordering = ('-created_at',)
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ class RoomMessageAdmin(ModelAdmin):
     
     fieldsets = (
         (_("Room Information"), {
-            'fields': ('name', 'description', 'room_type', 'messages_count'),
+            'fields': ('name', 'description', 'room_type', 'messages_count','is_locked'),
             'classes': ('grid-col-2',),
         }),
         (_("Relations"), {
@@ -127,7 +130,7 @@ class MessageReadStatusInline(TabularInline):
 
 
 class ChatMessageAdmin(ModelAdmin):
-    change_list_template = 'admin/chat/chatmessage/change_list.html'
+    # change_list_template = 'admin/chat/chatmessage/change_list.html'
     list_display = (
         'id', 'room', 'sender', 'content_type_badge', 'content_preview', 
         'content_size_display', 'has_attachment', 'sent_at', 'is_deleted_status'
@@ -167,7 +170,17 @@ class ChatMessageAdmin(ModelAdmin):
             'classes': ('grid-col-2',),
         }),
     )
-    
+    actions_list = ["back_to_chat_rooms"]
+
+    @action(
+        description=_("Back to Chat Rooms"),
+        icon="arrow_back", # Unfold natively supports Google Material Icons!
+    )
+    def back_to_chat_rooms(self, request):
+        """Redirects the admin back to the RoomMessage list"""
+        url = reverse('admin:chat_roommessage_changelist')
+        return redirect(url)
+
     def content_preview(self, obj):
         if obj.content_type == 'text':
             preview = obj.content[:50] + '...' if len(obj.content) > 50 else obj.content

apps/chat/migrations/0002_roommessage_is_locked.py

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.12 on 2026-04-26 14:28
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('chat', '0001_initial'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='roommessage',
+            name='is_locked',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False, help_text='If True, only the professor and admins can send new messages.', verbose_name='Is Locked'),
+        ),
+    ]

apps/chat/models.py

@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ class RoomMessage(models.Model):
         auto_now=True,
         verbose_name="Updated At"
     )
+
+    is_locked = models.BooleanField(
+        default=False, 
+        verbose_name="Is Locked",
+        help_text="If True, only the professor and admins can send new messages."
+    )
     room_type = models.CharField(
         max_length=10,
         choices=RoomTypeChoices.choices,

apps/course/admin/course.py

@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ class CourseAdmin(DirectCourseAdmin):
         (_('Status'), {
             'fields': ('status', 'is_online', 'online_link'),
         }),
+        (_('Chat Settings'), {
+            'fields': ('is_group_chat_locked', 'is_professor_chat_locked'),
+        }),
         (_('Course Details'), {
             'fields': ('description', 'short_description', 'level', 'duration', 'lessons_count',),
             # 'classes': ['tab'],

apps/course/migrations/0002_course_is_chat_group_lock_course_is_prof_chat_lock.py

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.12 on 2026-04-26 15:12
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('course', '0001_initial'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='course',
+            name='is_chat_group_lock',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False, verbose_name='Lock Group Chat'),
+        ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='course',
+            name='is_prof_chat_lock',
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=False, verbose_name='Lock Private Chats with Professor'),
+        ),
+    ]

apps/course/migrations/0003_rename_is_chat_group_lock_course_is_group_chat_locked_and_more.py

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.12 on 2026-04-26 15:18
+
+from django.db import migrations
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('course', '0002_course_is_chat_group_lock_course_is_prof_chat_lock'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RenameField(
+            model_name='course',
+            old_name='is_chat_group_lock',
+            new_name='is_group_chat_locked',
+        ),
+        migrations.RenameField(
+            model_name='course',
+            old_name='is_prof_chat_lock',
+            new_name='is_professor_chat_locked',
+        ),
+    ]

apps/course/models/course.py

@@ -98,6 +98,15 @@ class Course(models.Model):
         verbose_name=_('Course Final Price'), decimal_places=2, max_digits=10, default=0.00, blank=True,
         help_text=_('This field is automatically calculated based on the discount percentage.')
     )
+
+    is_group_chat_locked = models.BooleanField(
+        default=False, 
+        verbose_name=_('Lock Group Chat')
+    )
+    is_professor_chat_locked = models.BooleanField(
+        default=False, 
+        verbose_name=_('Lock Private Chats with Professor')
+    )
     
     timing = models.JSONField(blank=True, null=True, default=default_timing, verbose_name=_("Timing"))
     features  = models.JSONField(verbose_name=_('Course features'), default=dict, blank=True, null=True)

apps/course/serializers/course.py

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from rest_framework import serializers
-
 # from dj_filer.admin import get_thumbs
 from utils import get_thumbs
 from apps.course.models import Course, CourseCategory, Attachment, Glossary, LessonCompletion, Participant, Lesson, CourseAttachment, CourseGlossary, CourseLesson
@@ -134,7 +133,9 @@ class CourseDetailSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
             'features',
             'last_lesson_id',
             'room_id',
-            'user_transaction_status'
+            'user_transaction_status',
+            'is_group_chat_locked',
+            'is_professor_chat_locked'
         ]
 
     def get_room_id(self, obj):

apps/course/signals.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from apps.course.models import Course
 from apps.chat.models import RoomMessage
+from django.db.models import Q
 
 from django.db.models.signals import post_save, post_delete
 from django.dispatch import receiver
@@ -53,4 +54,29 @@ def invalidate_professor_course_cache(sender, instance, **kwargs):
 def invalidate_professor_profile_cache(sender, instance, **kwargs):
     if instance.user_type == UserModel.UserType.PROFESSOR:
         cache_key = f"professor_detail_{instance.slug}"
-        cache.delete(cache_key)
+        cache.delete(cache_key)
+
+@receiver(post_save, sender=Course)
+def sync_course_chat_locks(sender, instance, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Automatically locks/unlocks the related chat rooms when the admin 
+    toggles the chat locks on the Course page.
+    """
+    # 1. Update the Group Chat
+    RoomMessage.objects.filter(
+        course=instance,
+        room_type=RoomMessage.RoomTypeChoices.GROUP
+    ).update(is_locked=instance.is_group_chat_locked)
+
+    # 2. Update the Private Chats between the Professor and Students of this course
+    # Get all student IDs enrolled in this course
+    student_ids = instance.participants.values_list('student_id', flat=True)
+    
+    if student_ids:
+        RoomMessage.objects.filter(
+            room_type=RoomMessage.RoomTypeChoices.PRIVATE
+        ).filter(
+            # Find rooms where initiator is prof and recipient is student, OR vice versa
+            Q(initiator_id=instance.professor_id, recipient_id__in=student_ids) | 
+            Q(initiator_id__in=student_ids, recipient_id=instance.professor_id)
+        ).update(is_locked=instance.is_professor_chat_locked)

templates/admin/chat/chatmessage/change_list.html

@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-{% extends "admin/change_list.html" %}
-{% load i18n admin_urls %}
-
-{% block object-tools-items %}
-    {{ block.super }}
-    <li>
-        <a href="{% url 'admin:chat_roommessage_changelist' %}" class="unfold-button unfold-button-secondary">
-            <span class="material-icons-outlined">arrow_back</span>
-            {% translate "Back to Chat Rooms" %}
-        </a>
-    </li>
-{% endblock %}