React Native Chat Components

The official React Native and Expo components for Stream Chat, a service for building chat applications.

Quick Links

• Stream Chat API product overview
• Register to get an API key for Stream Chat
• React Native Chat Tutorial
• Chat UI Kit
• Release Notes
• Internationalisation (i18n)
• Cookbook 🚀

Contents

• React Native Chat Tutorial
• Example Apps
  • Expo Example
  • Native Example
• Docs
• Keep in mind
• Setup
  • Expo package
  • Native package
• Upgrade
• Common Issues

React Native Chat Tutorial

The best place to start is the React Native Chat Tutorial. It teaches you how to use this SDK and also shows how to make common changes.

Example Apps

This repo includes 2 example apps. One that's used with Expo, and one for native.

Expo example

1. Make sure node version is >= v10.13.0

2. yarn global add expo-cli
   git clone https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-react-native.git
   cd stream-chat-react-native/examples/ExpoMessaging
   yarn && yarn start

Native example

1. Please make sure you have installed necessary dependencies depending on your development OS and target OS. Follow the guidelines given on official react native documentation for installing dependencies: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/getting-started#

2. Make sure node version is >= v10.13.0

3. Start the simulator

4. git clone https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-react-native.git
   cd stream-chat-react-native/examples/NativeMessaging
   yarn install

5. • For iOS

     cd ios && pod install && cd ..
     react-native run-ios

   • For android

     react-native run-android

   If you run into following error on android:

   Execution failed for task ':app:validateSigningDebug'.
   > Keystore file '/path_to_project/stream-chat-react-native/examples/NativeMessaging/android/app/debug.keystore' not found for signing config 'debug'.

   You can generate the debug keystore by running this command in the android/app/ directory: keytool -genkey -v -keystore debug.keystore -storepass android -alias androiddebugkey -keypass android -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 - Reference

Docs

The styleguidist docs for stream-chat-react-native document how all the components work.

The React Native components are created using the stream-chat-js library. If you're customizing the components it's important to learn how the Chat Server API works. You'll want to review our JS chat API docs.

Keep in mind

1. Navigation between different component is something we expect consumers to implement. You can checkout the example given in this repository

2. Minor releases may come with some breaking changes, so always check the release notes before upgrading minor version.

Library currently exposes following components:

1. Avatar
2. Chat
3. Channel
4. MessageList
5. TypingIndicator
6. MessageInput
7. MessageSimple
8. ChannelList
9. Thread
10. ChannelPreviewMessenger
11. CloseButton
12. IconBadge

You can see detailed documentation about the components at https://getstream.github.io/stream-chat-react-native

Setup (Setting up an chat app)

Expo package

yarn global add expo-cli
# expo-cli supports following Node.js versions:
# * >=8.9.0 <9.0.0 (Maintenance LTS)
# * >=10.13.0 <11.0.0 (Active LTS)
# * >=12.0.0 (Current Release)
expo init StreamChatExpoExample
cd StreamChatExpoExample

# Add chat expo package
yarn add stream-chat-expo

# If you are using stream-chat-expo <= 0.4.0 and expo <= 34, then you don't need to add @react-native-community/netinfo as dependency. Since previously we used use NetInfo from react-native package.
expo install @react-native-community/netinfo expo-document-picker expo-image-picker expo-permissions

Please check Example to see usage of the components.

OR you can swap this file for your App.js in the root folder with additional following steps:

yarn add [email protected] react-native-gesture-handler react-native-reanimated

and finally

yarn start

Native package:

For react native < 0.60

react-native init StreamChatReactNativeExample
cd StreamChatReactNativeExample
yarn add stream-chat-react-native

# https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-netinfo#react-native-compatibility
# For React native 0.59.x - use @react-native-community/[email protected]
# For React native <= 0.58.x - use @react-native-community/[email protected]
yarn add @react-native-community/[email protected]

# https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-image-picker#react-native-compatibility
yarn add [email protected]
yarn add react-native-document-picker

react-native link @react-native-community/netinfo

# if you are planning to use image picker or file picker or both
react-native link react-native-image-picker
react-native link react-native-document-picker

Please check Example to see usage of components.

OR you can swap this file for your App.js in root folder with additional following steps:

yarn add [email protected]
yarn add [email protected] react-native-reanimated
react-native link react-native-gesture-handler
react-native link react-native-reanimated

If you are planning to use image picker, there are some additional steps to be done. You can find them here - https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-image-picker/blob/master/docs/Install.md

If you are planning to use file/document picker, you need to enable iCloud capability in your app - https://github.com/Elyx0/react-native-document-picker#reminder

and finally

react-native run-ios

For react native >= 0.60

react-native init StreamChatReactNativeExample
cd StreamChatReactNativeExample
yarn add stream-chat-react-native
yarn add @react-native-community/netinfo react-native-image-picker react-native-document-picker
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

Just to be sure, please verify you are using appropriate version of following packages as per your react-native version.

• netinfo : https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-netinfo#react-native-compatibility

• react-native-image-picker : https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-image-picker#react-native-compatibility

Please check Example to see usage of components.

OR you can swap this file for your App.js in root folder with additional following steps:

yarn add [email protected]
yarn add react-native-gesture-handler react-native-reanimated
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

If you are planning to use image picker, there are some additional steps to be done. You can find them here - https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-image-picker/blob/master/docs/Install.md

If you are planning to use file/document picker, you need to enable iCloud capability in your app - https://github.com/Elyx0/react-native-document-picker#reminder

and finally

iOS:

react-native run-ios

Note for Android:

If you are using androidx app:

AndroidX is a major step forward in the Android ecosystem, and the old support library artifacts are being deprecated. For 0.60, React Native has been migrated over to AndroidX. This is a breaking change, and your native code and dependencies will need to be migrated as well.

(reference: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/blog/2019/07/03/version-60#androidx-support)

In current context, dependencies such as react-native-document-picker and (if you are using react-navigation) react-native-gesture-handler, react-native-reanimated don't have androidx support. But awesome tool named jetifier is quite useful to patch these dependencies with androidx support.

NOTE If you are planning to use file picker functionality, make sure you enable iCloud capability in your app

Upgrade

• Upgrade from 0.1.x to 0.2.x:

  • 0.2.x added support for react native 0.60. Dependencies like react-native-image-picker, react-native-document-picker and netinfo have been taken out of hard dependencies and moved to peer dependencies and thus will have to be installed manually on consumer end (Reference)

  • React native 0.60 came with autolinking functionality, that means if some native libraries are linked manually before upgrade, they will have to be unlinked so that react native can autolink them (Reference)

    react-native unlink react-native-image-picker
    react-native unlink react-native-document-picker
    react-native unlink @react-native-community/netinfo
    

  • React native 0.60 has been migrated over to AndroidX. In current context, dependencies such as react-native-document-picker and (if you are using react-navigation) react-native-gesture-handler, react-native-reanimated don't have androidx support. But awesome tool named jetifier is quite useful to patch these dependencies with androidx support.

  • CocoaPods are not part of React Native's iOS project (ref). Thus make sure to install all the pod dependencies.

    cd ios && pod install && cd ..
    

Common issues

While running native example, you may (not necessarily) run into following issues:

1. When you execute react-native run-ios for the first time, it starts a metro bundler in parallel. It can result into some errors, since build process isn't complete yet. Try the following to fix this:

   1. Close/stop the metro bundler process.
   2. Let the build process finish completely, it can take usually around 2-3 minutes for the first time.
   3. Start the metro bundler manually by executing yarn start inside stream-chat-react-native/examples/NativeMessaging directory.

2. When you execute react-native run-android, you may (not necessarily) run into following error:

   info Starting JS server...
   info Building and installing the app on the device (cd android && ./gradlew app:installDebug)...
   Starting a Gradle Daemon, 1 incompatible Daemon could not be reused, use --status for details
   
   FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.
   
   * What went wrong:
   A problem occurred configuring project ':@react-native-community_netinfo'.
   > SDK location not found. Define location with sdk.dir in the local.properties file or with an ANDROID_HOME environment variable.
   
   * Try:
   Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output. Run with --scan to get full insights.
   
   * Get more help at https://help.gradle.org
   
   BUILD FAILED in 13s
   error Could not install the app on the device, read the error above for details.
   Make sure you have an Android emulator running or a device connected and have
   set up your Android development environment:
   https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/getting-started.html
   error Command failed: ./gradlew app:installDebug. Run CLI with --verbose flag for more details.
   

   To resolve this, do the following

   1. Craete a file named local.properties inside stream-chat-react-native/examples/NativeMessaging/android directory
   2. Put the this line in that file. Make sure sdk path is correctly mentioned as per your system:

      sdk.dir=/Users/{user_name}/Library/Android/sdk/
      

   3. Rerun react-native run-android in stream-chat-react-native/examples/NativeMessaging directory

Internationalisation

Instance of class Streami18n should be provided to Chat component to handle translations. Stream provides following list of in-built translations for components:

1. English (en)
2. Dutch (nl)
3. Russian (ru)
4. Turkish (tr)
5. French (fr)
6. Italian (it)
7. Hindi (hi)

Default language is English. Simplest way to start using chat components in one of the in-built languages would be following:

Simplest way to start using chat components in one of the in-built languages would be following:

const i18n = new Streami18n({ language: 'nl' });
<Chat client={chatClient} i18nInstance={i18n}>
  ...
</Chat>;

If you would like to override certain keys in in-built translation:

const i18n = new Streami18n({
  language: 'nl',
  translationsForLanguage: {
    'Nothing yet...': 'Nog Niet ...',
    '{{ firstUser }} and {{ secondUser }} are typing...':
      '{{ firstUser }} en {{ secondUser }} zijn aan het typen...',
  },
});

You can find all the available keys here: https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-react-native/tree/master/src/i18n

They are also exported as json object from the library.

import {
  enTranslations,
  nlTranslations,
  ruTranslations,
  trTranslations,
  frTranslations,
  hiTranslations,
  itTranslations,
  esTranslations,
} from 'stream-chat-react-native'; // or 'stream-chat-expo'

Please read this docs on i18n for more details and further customizations - https://getstream.github.io/stream-chat-react-native/#streami18n