diff --git a/webapp/components/channel_switch_modal.jsx b/webapp/components/channel_switch_modal.jsx
index 4194e7b53f..761da1395c 100644
--- a/webapp/components/channel_switch_modal.jsx
+++ b/webapp/components/channel_switch_modal.jsx
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ export default class SwitchChannelModal extends React.Component {
                         type='input'
                         onUserInput={this.onUserInput}
                         value={this.state.text}
+                        placeholder={Utils.localizeMessage('channel_switch_modal.hint', 'Type the name of a channel')}
                         onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
                         listComponent={SuggestionList}
                         maxLength='64'
diff --git a/webapp/i18n/en.json b/webapp/i18n/en.json
index 36686af21f..2f84a97d93 100644
--- a/webapp/i18n/en.json
+++ b/webapp/i18n/en.json
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@
   "channel_switch_modal.help": "↑↓ to browse, TAB to select, ↵ to confirm, ESC to dismiss",
   "channel_switch_modal.submit": "Switch",
   "channel_switch_modal.not_found": "No matches found.",
+  "channel_switch_modal.hint": "Type the name of a channel",
   "choose_auth_page.emailCreate": "Create new team with email address",
   "choose_auth_page.find": "Find my teams",
   "choose_auth_page.gitlabCreate": "Create new team with GitLab Account",