diff --git a/src/components/chat.tsx b/src/components/chat.tsx
index eaaac71..ae148ac 100644
--- a/src/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/src/components/chat.tsx
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function ChatBody({
     setInput('');
 
     // send message to backend
-    chatModel.sendMessage({ body: input });
+    chatModel.addMessage({ body: input });
   };
 
   return (
diff --git a/src/handlers/websocket-handler.ts b/src/handlers/websocket-handler.ts
index 0cc0403..aedba8c 100644
--- a/src/handlers/websocket-handler.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/websocket-handler.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class WebSocketHandler extends ChatModel {
    * Sends a message across the WebSocket. Promise resolves to the message ID
    * when the server sends the same message back, acknowledging receipt.
    */
-  sendMessage(message: ChatService.ChatRequest): Promise<boolean> {
+  addMessage(message: ChatService.ChatRequest): Promise<boolean> {
     message.id = UUID.uuid4();
     return new Promise(resolve => {
       this._socket?.send(JSON.stringify(message));
diff --git a/src/model.ts b/src/model.ts
index 3a1aaa4..0a9abf7 100644
--- a/src/model.ts
+++ b/src/model.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export interface IChatModel extends IDisposable {
    * @param message - the message to send.
    * @returns whether the message has been sent or not, or nothing if not needed.
    */
-  sendMessage(
+  addMessage(
     message: ChatService.ChatRequest
   ): Promise<boolean | void> | boolean | void;
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export class ChatModel implements IChatModel {
    * @param message - the message to send.
    * @returns whether the message has been sent or not.
    */
-  sendMessage(
+  addMessage(
     message: ChatService.ChatRequest
   ): Promise<boolean | void> | boolean | void {}