diff --git a/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt b/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
index d740a24dc..2950ef364 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/xmtpreactnativesdk/XMTPModule.kt
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ class XMTPModule : Module() {
 
         //
         // Client API
+        AsyncFunction("canMessage") { clientAddress: String, peerAddress: String ->
+            val client = clients[clientAddress] ?: throw XMTPException("No client")
+
+            client.canMessage(peerAddress)
+        }
+
         AsyncFunction("listConversations") { clientAddress: String ->
             val client = clients[clientAddress] ?: throw XMTPException("No client")
             val conversationList = client.conversations.list()
diff --git a/example/src/HomeHeaderView.tsx b/example/src/HomeHeaderView.tsx
index 7e800845c..10fe4cc03 100644
--- a/example/src/HomeHeaderView.tsx
+++ b/example/src/HomeHeaderView.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ function NewConversationView({
   async function startConverstation() {
     setIsCreating(true);
     try {
+      const canMessage = await client.canMessage(address);
+      if (!canMessage) {
+        setIsCreating(false);
+        setErr(`${address} is not on the XMTP network yet`);
+        return;
+      }
       const conversation = await client.conversations.newConversation(address);
       setIsCreating(false);
       onSuccess();
diff --git a/ios/XMTPModule.swift b/ios/XMTPModule.swift
index 94235d3b2..1299a0954 100644
--- a/ios/XMTPModule.swift
+++ b/ios/XMTPModule.swift
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ public class XMTPModule: Module {
 
 		//
 		// Client API
+		AsyncFunction("canMessage") { (clientAddress: String, peerAddress: String) -> Bool in
+			guard let client = clients[clientAddress] else {
+				throw Error.noClient
+			}
+
+			return try await client.canMessage(peerAddress)
+		}
+
 		AsyncFunction("listConversations") { (clientAddress: String) -> [String] in
 			guard let client = clients[clientAddress] else {
 				throw Error.noClient
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index b3689b240..ba977281a 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ export async function createRandom(
   return await XMTPModule.createRandom(environment);
 }
 
+export async function canMessage(clientAddress: string, peerAddress: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  return await XMTPModule.canMessage(clientAddress, peerAddress);
+}
+
 export async function listConversations(
   clientAddress: string
 ): Promise<Conversation[]> {
diff --git a/src/lib/Client.ts b/src/lib/Client.ts
index 63be66f82..123c68b09 100644
--- a/src/lib/Client.ts
+++ b/src/lib/Client.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ export class Client {
     return new Client(address);
   }
 
+  async canMessage(
+    peerAddress: string
+  ): Promise<boolean> {
+    return await XMTPModule.canMessage(this.address, peerAddress);
+  }
+
   constructor(address: string) {
     this.address = address;
     this.conversations = new Conversations(this);