cometchat

Foundational rules for CometChat Android UI Kit v5. Initialization, login, UIKitSettings builder, dependency setup, and anti-patterns. Read this first.

CometChat Calls v6 integration for native Android (V6 beta — Compose + Kotlin Views). Works end-to-end on chatuikit-compose-android:6.0.0 (validated 2026-05-12 against web peer) — but only with FIVE non-obvious workarounds the kit itself doesn't ship — (1) explicit calls-sdk-android:5.0.+ peer dep, (2) annotations-java5 exclude, (3) stub classes for legacy com.cometchat.calls.{CometChatRTCView, model.RTCUser, model.RTCReceiver, model.RTCCallback} to satisfy chat-sdk's CallManager bytecode, (4) AVOID CometChatCallButtons (broken — captures first-rendered user globally; ignores per-row prop) — instead wire your own button to CometChat.initiateCall then CometChatCallActivity.Companion.launchOutgoingCallScreen(context, call, null), (5) Call constructor arg order CHANGED in chat-sdk 5.x — (receiverUid, receiverType, type) not (receiverUid, type, receiverType). Covers UIKitSettings calling configuration, surface-aware Compose+Views routing, foreground service correctness on Android 14+, ConnectionService + FCM VoIP

CometChat Android UIKit v6 core setup — Gradle dependencies, SDK initialization, login/logout, and message sending

V5→V6 migration recipes for native Android. CometChat ships V5 (chat-uikit-android:5.x — Java + Kotlin Views) and V6 beta (chatuikit-{compose,kotlin}-android:6.x — Compose surface OR Kotlin Views, calls bundled) side-by-side. Covers when to migrate vs stay, the cohort-selection decision (Compose vs Kotlin Views on V6), gradle dependency rewrites, builder API changes (UIKitSettings replaces UIKitSettingsBuilder), theme system rewrite (CometChatTheme.DayNight), calls integration delta (calls bundled — drop calls-sdk-android), Activity theme rules, side-by-side cohort selection during migration, and a verification checklist.

Foundational rules for CometChat Angular UI Kit v4 integration — UIKitSettingsBuilder init pattern, login order, CometChatThemeService, environment config via src/environments/environment.ts, and anti-patterns that break real Angular apps.

Framework-specific patterns for integrating CometChat React UI Kit v6 into Astro projects using React islands. Covers client:only rendering, island communication, CSS handling, and common pitfalls.

Shared rules for CometChat React UI Kit v6. Always loaded alongside framework + placement skills. Read this first.

Use when writing any code that uses CometChat Flutter UIKit v5 (cometchat_chat_uikit v5.2.14, cometchat_calls_uikit v5.0.15, cometchat_uikit_shared v5.2.3). Contains hard rules that prevent silent failures.

Integration patterns for bare React Native CLI projects — pod install, Info.plist + AndroidManifest permissions, Apple privacy manifest, native module linking, Metro config.

Component catalog for the CometChat React Native UI Kit v5 — names, props, slot views, request builders, hide flags, style shape. Always loaded before writing CometChat* JSX.

Shared rules for CometChat React Native UI Kit v5. Always loaded alongside framework (expo/bare) and placement skills. Read this first.

Customize the CometChat React Native UI Kit without forking — four-tier model: props → request builders → text formatters + message templates → DataSource decorators + event bus.

Integration patterns for Expo managed workflow — app.json config, permissions, gesture handler setup, env vars, Expo Router file-based routing subsection.

Feature catalog for React Native — calls (separate SDK + WebRTC), extensions (polls / stickers / translation / link preview / collaborative doc / whiteboard / smart replies), AI agent, in-call chat. When to toggle, install, or swap.

Where to put chat in a React Native app — Stack screen, BottomTab, Modal, BottomSheet, Embedded. Maps each to CometChat component composition with ASCII layout references.

Production-readiness for React Native — server-minted auth tokens, user management CRUD, external-backend recipes (Express / Hono / Firebase Functions / Vercel Serverless). RN has no API routes, so the backend is always external.

Diagnose and fix CometChat Flutter UIKit v6 integration problems. Covers init failures, login errors, UI rendering issues, keyboard problems, call failures, listener leaks, theme jank, and platform-specific build errors. Use when seeing errors, crashes, or unexpected behavior with CometChat components.

Use when building chat with CometChat Flutter UIKit v6 (cometchat_chat_uikit). Triggers on CometChatUIKit, CometChatConversations, CometChatMessageList, CometChatMessageComposer, CometChatMessageHeader, CometChatUsers, CometChatGroups, UIKitSettings, CometChatThemeHelper, CometChatColorPalette, ConversationsBloc, MessageListBloc, CometChatTextBubble, CometChatImageBubble, CometChatMessageBubble, CometChatMentionsFormatter, SliverSpacing, ERR_ALREADY_LOGGED_IN, ERR_INVALID_REGION, authentication null. Also for adding chat to Flutter, customizing bubbles, theming, real-time messages. Use whenever user mentions CometChat or says "chat UI".

Use when migrating a CometChat Flutter app from UIKit v5 (cometchat_calls_uikit + GetX) to UIKit v6 (cometchat_chat_uikit unified package, no GetX). Covers import changes, dependency cleanup, GetX removal, init/login pattern changes, navigation rewrites, screen structure flattening, notification service updates, and BuilderSettings removal. Also use when seeing imports from cometchat_calls_uikit, get/get.dart, or v5-era patterns like GetBuilder, Get.put, Get.find, PageManager, BuilderSettings, or CometChatCallingExtension.

Use when implementing voice calls, video calls, or call UI with CometChat Flutter UIKit v6. Covers CometChatCallButtons, CometChatIncomingCall, CometChatOutgoingCall, CometChatOngoingCall, CometChatCallLogs, CometChatUIKitCalls, CallingConfiguration, CallButtonsBloc, IncomingCallBloc, OutgoingCallBloc, OngoingCallBloc, CallLogsBloc, CallEventService, CallOperationsServiceLocator, call_operations, call_settings, SessionSettingsBuilder, CallAppSettings, initiateCall, acceptCall, rejectCall, endSession, startSession, generateToken, CallNavigationContext, CometChatDisplayIncomingCallOverlay, CallScreenOverlay, native_call_kit, call permissions, audio call, video call, group call, call logs, call history, incoming call screen, outgoing call screen, ongoing call screen, call bubble, or "add calling to my app". Also use when seeing errors like "CallManager not found", "startSession null", "call token null", "session already started", or call-related crashes.

Complete catalog of CometChat Flutter UI Kit v6 widgets. Reference before writing integration code — never invent widget names. Covers all chat components (conversations, messages, users, groups), call components (buttons, incoming, outgoing, ongoing, call logs), and shared views (avatar, badge, receipt, reactions, bubbles, list base, search, status indicator).

Use when implementing the conversations list with CometChat Flutter UIKit v6. Triggers on mentions of CometChatConversations, ConversationsBloc, ConversationsState, ConversationsLoaded, ConversationsServiceLocator, conversation list, recent chats, unread count, typing indicator in conversations, conversation item, last message, delete conversation, swipe actions, ConversationsRequestBuilder, onItemTap, subtitleView, trailingView, listItemView, or customizing the conversations screen. Also use when the user asks about showing a list of chats or recent conversations.

Use when writing any code that uses cometchat_chat_uikit. Contains hard rules that prevent silent failures, crashes, and subtle bugs. Covers CometChatUIKit.init, login, logout, UIKitSettings, UIKitSettingsBuilder, listener lifecycle, theme caching, subscriptionType, region, muid preservation, and the Clean Architecture + BLoC component pattern. Also use when seeing errors like "Authentication null", "APP ID null", ERR_ALREADY_LOGGED_IN, or StateError from uninitialized ServiceLocator. Make sure to use this skill for any CometChat Flutter UIKit code, even simple widget usage.

Customize CometChat Flutter UIKit v6 beyond defaults — four tiers: props/view slots, request builders, text formatters + message templates, and BubbleFactory/DataSource. Use when the user wants custom bubbles, custom headers, custom list items, custom message actions, or custom message types.

Migrate an Android project from CometChat Calls SDK v4 to v5. Use when upgrading calls SDK version, replacing deprecated v4 APIs, migrating CallSettings to SessionSettings, replacing CometChatCallsEventsListener with v5 listeners, migrating startSession to joinSession, or adding CometChatCalls.login(). Triggers on "migrate calls sdk", "upgrade v4 to v5", "replace deprecated calls api", "CallSettings to SessionSettings", "migration guide".

Control audio during calls — mute/unmute microphone, switch audio output device (speaker, earpiece, bluetooth). Use when implementing audio toggle, audio mode switching, or custom mute buttons. Triggers on "mute audio", "unmute", "audio mode", "speaker", "earpiece", "bluetooth audio".

Fetch call history using CallLogRequest with pagination and filters. Use when displaying call logs, filtering by type/status/recording, or accessing recordings. Triggers on "call logs", "call history", "CallLogRequest", "fetch recordings".

Build custom call UI — custom control panel, custom participant list, layout customization. Use when hiding default controls and building your own call interface. Triggers on "custom control panel", "custom participant list", "custom UI", "hideControlPanel", "custom call interface".

Register all five call event listeners — SessionStatusListener, ParticipantEventListener, MediaEventsListener, ButtonClickListener, LayoutListener. Use when handling call events, session status, participant changes, media state, button clicks, or layout changes. Triggers on "event listener", "session listener", "participant listener", "media listener", "button click", "layout listener".

Join a CometChat call session using CometChatCalls.joinSession with SessionSettingsBuilder. Use when joining calls, configuring session settings, voice vs video calls, or generating tokens. Triggers on "join session", "join call", "start call", "SessionSettingsBuilder".

Manage call participants — mute, pause video, pin/unpin, raise hand, view participant list. Use when implementing moderation, participant actions, or custom participant UI. Triggers on "mute participant", "pin participant", "participant list", "raise hand", "kick participant", "participant management".

Record call sessions with start/stop, auto-start recording, and recording events. Use when implementing call recording, accessing recordings from call logs, or showing recording indicators. Triggers on "recording", "record call", "auto start recording", "recording events".

Set up CometChat Calls SDK v5 for Flutter. Use when adding SDK dependency, configuring CallAppSettings, CometChatCalls.init, platform permissions. Triggers on "setup calls sdk", "add cometchat dependency", "initialize calls", "pubspec".

Audio controls for CometChat Calls SDK v5 Flutter. Mute/unmute audio, switch audio mode (speaker, earpiece, bluetooth). Triggers on "mute", "unmute", "audio", "speaker", "earpiece", "bluetooth", "audio mode".

Background call handling in CometChat Calls SDK v5 Flutter. Keep calls alive in background, OngoingCallService, lifecycle management. Triggers on "background", "foreground service", "keep alive", "app lifecycle", "background call".

Fetch and display call history using CallLogRequest and CallLogRequestBuilder. Use when showing call logs, call history, filtering by type/status/direction. Triggers on "call logs", "call history", "CallLogRequest", "fetchNext", "call records".

Custom UI for CometChat Calls SDK v5 Flutter. Custom control panel, hide default UI, build your own call controls. Triggers on "custom ui", "custom controls", "hide control panel", "custom layout", "overlay", "custom buttons".

CometChat Calls SDK v5 event listeners for Flutter. SessionStatusListeners, ParticipantEventListeners, MediaEventListeners, ButtonClickListeners, LayoutListeners. Triggers on "listener", "event", "callback", "onSessionJoined", "onParticipantJoined", "onAudioModeChanged".

In-call chat messaging during active CometChat call session in Flutter. Chat button, unread count badge. Triggers on "in-call chat", "chat button", "messaging during call", "unread count", "in call message".

Join a CometChat call session using CometChatCalls.joinSession with SessionSettingsBuilder and Widget container. Use when joining calls, configuring session settings, voice vs video calls. Triggers on "join session", "join call", "start call", "SessionSettingsBuilder", "Widget".

Set up CometChat Calls SDK v5 for iOS. Use when adding SDK via SPM or CocoaPods, configuring CallAppSettingsBuilder, CometChatCalls init, Info.plist permissions. Triggers on "setup calls sdk", "add cometchat dependency", "initialize calls", "spm setup", "cocoapods setup".

Control audio during calls — mute/unmute microphone, switch audio output device (speaker, earpiece, bluetooth). Use when implementing audio toggle, audio mode switching, or custom mute buttons. Triggers on "mute audio", "unmute", "audio mode", "speaker", "earpiece", "bluetooth audio".

Fetch call history using CallLogsRequest with pagination and filters. Use when displaying call logs, filtering by type/status/recording, or accessing recordings. Triggers on "call logs", "call history", "CallLogsRequest", "fetch recordings".

Build custom call UI — custom control panel, UIViewRepresentable patterns, layout customization. Use when hiding default controls and building your own call interface. Triggers on "custom control panel", "custom UI", "hideControlPanel", "custom call interface", "UIViewRepresentable".

Register call event listeners — SessionStatusListener, ParticipantEventListener, MediaEventsListener, ButtonClickListener. Use when handling call events, session status, participant changes, media state, or button clicks. Triggers on "event listener", "session listener", "participant listener", "media listener", "button click".

Manage call participants — mute, pause video, pin/unpin, raise hand, view participant list. Use when implementing moderation, participant actions, or custom participant UI. Triggers on "mute participant", "pin participant", "participant list", "raise hand", "participant management".

Enable Picture-in-Picture mode for calls. Use when implementing PiP, floating call window, or PiP layout events. Triggers on "picture in picture", "PiP", "pip mode", "floating window".

Implement ringing with dual SDK (Chat + Calls). Use when adding incoming/outgoing call screens, CometChat.initiateCall, accept/reject/cancel calls. Triggers on "ringing", "incoming call", "outgoing call", "initiateCall", "acceptCall", "rejectCall".

Control audio during calls — mute/unmute microphone. Use when implementing audio toggle or custom mute buttons. Triggers on "mute audio", "unmute", "microphone", "audio controls", "toggleAudio".

Control audio output mode on mobile — switch between speaker, earpiece, Bluetooth, and headphones. Use when implementing audio routing, speaker toggle, or handling audio device changes. Triggers on "audio mode", "speaker", "earpiece", "bluetooth audio", "headphones", "setAudioMode", "audio routing".

Build custom call UI — hide default header/control panel and render your own React Native views around the call component. Use when hiding default controls and building your own call interface. Triggers on "custom control panel", "custom UI", "hideControlPanel", "custom call interface", "custom buttons".

Register call event listeners using CometChatCalls.addEventListener — session status, participant, media, button click, layout, and mobile-specific events. Use when handling call events, session status, participant changes, media state, button clicks, or layout changes. Triggers on "event listener", "addEventListener", "session listener", "participant listener", "media listener", "button click", "layout listener".

Join a CometChat call session using CometChatCalls.Component with callToken and sessionSettings. Use when joining calls, rendering the call UI, voice vs video calls, or generating tokens. Triggers on "join session", "join call", "start call", "CometChatCalls.Component", "callToken".

Migrate a React Native project from CometChat Calls SDK v4 to v5. Use when upgrading calls SDK version, replacing deprecated v4 APIs, migrating CallSettingsBuilder to sessionSettings, replacing OngoingCallListener with addEventListener. Triggers on "migrate calls sdk", "upgrade v4 to v5", "replace deprecated calls api", "CallSettingsBuilder to sessionSettings", "migration guide".

Enable Picture-in-Picture mode for calls in React Native. Use when implementing PiP, floating call window, or minimized call view. Triggers on "picture in picture", "PiP", "pip mode", "floating window", "enablePictureInPictureLayout".

Record call sessions with start/stop, auto-start recording, and recording events. Use when implementing call recording or showing recording indicators. Triggers on "recording", "record call", "auto start recording", "recording events", "startRecording".

Control audio during calls — mute/unmute microphone, switch audio input/output devices. Use when implementing audio toggle, device switching, or custom mute buttons. Triggers on "mute audio", "unmute", "audio device", "microphone", "speaker", "audio controls".

Fetch call history using CallLogRequestBuilder with pagination and filters. Use when displaying call logs, filtering by type/status/recording, or accessing recordings. Triggers on "call logs", "call history", "CallLogRequestBuilder", "fetch recordings".

Build custom call UI — hide default header/control panel and render your own UI around the call, customize appearance with CSS variables and class overrides. Use when hiding default controls and building your own call interface. Triggers on "custom control panel", "custom UI", "hideControlPanel", "custom call interface", "CSS override", "theme".

Register call event listeners using CometChatCalls.addEventListener — session status, participant, media, button click, layout events. Use when handling call events, session status, participant changes, media state, button clicks, or layout changes. Triggers on "event listener", "addEventListener", "session listener", "participant listener", "media listener", "button click", "layout listener".

Join a CometChat call session using CometChatCalls.joinSession with SessionSettings and an HTMLElement container. Use when joining calls, configuring session settings, voice vs video calls, or generating tokens. Triggers on "join session", "join call", "start call", "SessionSettings", "joinSession".

Migrate a web project from CometChat Calls SDK v4 to v5. Use when upgrading calls SDK version, replacing deprecated v4 APIs, migrating CallSettings to SessionSettings, replacing OngoingCallListener with addEventListener, migrating startSession to joinSession. Triggers on "migrate calls sdk", "upgrade v4 to v5", "replace deprecated calls api", "CallSettings to SessionSettings", "migration guide".

Record call sessions with start/stop, auto-start recording, and recording events. Use when implementing call recording, accessing recordings from call logs, or showing recording indicators. Triggers on "recording", "record call", "auto start recording", "recording events", "startRecording".

Implement ringing with dual SDK (Chat + Calls). Use when adding incoming/outgoing call screens, CometChat.initiateCall, accept/reject/cancel calls, or integrating Chat SDK signaling with Calls SDK sessions. Triggers on "ringing", "incoming call", "outgoing call", "initiateCall", "acceptCall", "rejectCall".

Use when implementing login, logout, or session management with CometChat Flutter SDK v5. Triggers on mentions of CometChat.login(), loginWithAuthToken, getLoggedInUser, logout, auth tokens, createUser, or errors like ERR_ALREADY_LOGGED_IN, ERROR_USER_NOT_LOGGED_IN. Also use when the user is setting up user authentication flows, handling app resume sessions, or creating new CometChat users before login. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user mentions CometChat authentication, even if they just say 'connect the user', 'sign in to chat', or 'how do I log out'.

Use when combining multiple CometChat SDK methods for app flows like registration, conversation list updates, AI feature gating, or bootstrap sequences. Triggers on mentions of createUser then login, getConversation for patching, isAIFeatureEnabled, setSource, setPlatformParams, conversation list refresh on new message, or when building multi-step SDK integration flows.

Shared rules and patterns for any CometChat Flutter SDK v5 integration. Use as foundational context alongside a feature-specific skill. Do not use alone — pair with cometchat-flutter-init, cometchat-flutter-auth, cometchat-flutter-messaging, etc. Provides the Completer pattern, listener lifecycle rules, error handling conventions, and hard constraints that all feature skills inherit.

Use when handling CometChat errors in a Flutter app. Triggers on mentions of CometChatException, error codes like ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED, ERR_INVALID_APP_ID, ERROR_USER_NOT_LOGGED_IN, onError callbacks, or any CometChat error. Also use when the user asks about retry logic, error recovery, user-friendly error messages for chat failures, or why a CometChat method is throwing an exception. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user encounters a CometChat error or asks about graceful error handling, even if they just say 'my chat app keeps crashing' or 'how do I handle failures'.

Use when initializing the CometChat Flutter SDK v5 in any Flutter app. Triggers on any mention of CometChat.init(), AppSettingsBuilder, 'set up CometChat', 'integrate CometChat', or questions about why CometChat methods are failing before init completes. Also use when adding CometChat to a new project or troubleshooting 'SDK not initialized' errors. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user mentions CometChat setup, SDK initialization, AppSettings configuration, or encounters ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED errors, even if they don't explicitly say 'init'.

Use when sending or receiving messages with CometChat Flutter SDK v5. Triggers on mentions of TextMessage, MediaMessage, CustomMessage, sendMessage, sendMediaMessage, sendCustomMessage, MessageListener, MessagesRequest, MessagesRequestBuilder, fetchPrevious, fetchNext, editMessage, deleteMessage, or message pagination. Also use when the user asks about chat message delivery, editing or deleting messages, thread replies, or loading message history. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user mentions sending or receiving chat messages, even if they just say 'add chat functionality', 'display conversation', or 'load message history'.

Use when subscribing to real-time events with CometChat Flutter SDK v5. Triggers on mentions of MessageListener, UserListener, GroupListener, ConnectionListener, typing indicators, read receipts, delivery receipts, presence status, online/offline detection, startTyping, endTyping, markAsRead, markAsDelivered, or WebSocket connection state. Also use when the user asks about real-time updates, live message delivery, why presence events aren't working, or listener lifecycle management. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user mentions real-time chat features, listener registration, or event subscriptions, even if they just say 'show when user is typing' or 'detect online users'.

Integrate CometChat into any Flutter app. Auto-detects your project setup and walks you through adding chat — init, auth, messaging, groups, real-time events. Start here — do not invoke feature-specific skills directly. Trigger with "add CometChat to my Flutter app", "integrate CometChat", "set up chat in Flutter", or any mention of CometChat Flutter SDK.

Framework-specific patterns for integrating CometChat React UI Kit v6 into Astro projects using React islands. Covers client:only rendering, island communication, CSS handling, and common pitfalls.

Complete catalog of CometChat React UI Kit v6 components. Reference before writing integration code -- never invent component names.

Shared rules for CometChat React UI Kit v6. Always loaded alongside framework + placement skills. Read this first.

Customize a CometChat React UI Kit integration beyond what `cometchat init` and `cometchat apply-feature` produce — custom message bubbles, custom header views, custom subtitle views, custom empty/loading states, custom action menus, request builder filters, event listeners, and component composition. Picks up where the framework skills end (after Phase A init succeeds).

Add features (calls, reactions, polls, file sharing, presence, etc.) to an already-integrated CometChat project. Routes to the right sub-flow based on feature type — default (already enabled), extension (API toggle), ai-feature (API toggle + OpenAI key), dashboard-only (third-party config), package-install (calls), or component-swap (rich text).

Framework-specific patterns for integrating CometChat React UI Kit v6 into Next.js projects (App Router and Pages Router). Covers SSR prevention, provider setup, route placement, API routes, and common pitfalls.

Framework-specific patterns for integrating CometChat React UI Kit v6 into React Router projects (v6 library mode and v7 framework mode). Covers SSR prevention, routing patterns, outlet nesting, and common pitfalls.

Entry-point for CometChat integration in any React, React Native, Angular, Android, Flutter, or iOS project — web (React/Next.js/React Router/Astro), React Native (Expo/bare), Angular (12-15), native Android (V5 stable, V6 beta), Flutter (V5 stable, V6 beta), and native iOS (V5 stable). Detects the framework, gathers requirements through an interactive conversation, and writes production-quality integration code.