Send A Message

Send text, media, and custom messages to users and groups using the CometChat React Native SDK.

Quick Reference - Send a text message:

// Send text to a user
const textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage("UID", "Hello!", CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER);
const sent = await CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage);

// Send media to a group
const mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage("GUID", file, CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE, CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP);
const sentMedia = await CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage);

Available via: SDK | REST API | UI Kits

Using CometChat, you can send three types of messages:

1. Text Message is the most common and standard message type.
2. Media Message, for sending photos, videos and files.
3. Custom Message, for sending completely custom data using JSON structures.
4. Interactive Message for sending end-user interactive messages of type form, card and custom interactive.

You can also send metadata along with a text, media or custom message. Think, for example, if you want to share the user’s location with every message, you can use the metadata field.

Text Message

In other words, as a sender, how do I send a text message?

To send a text message to a single user or group, you need to use the sendMessage() method and pass a TextMessage object to it.

Add Metadata

To send custom data along with a text message, you can use the setMetadata method and pass a JSON Object to it.

JavaScript

let metadata = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};

textMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

TypeScript

let metadata: Object = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};

textMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

Add Tags

To add a tag to a message you can use the setTags() method of the TextMessage Class. The setTags() method accepts a list of tags.

JavaScript

let tags = ["starredMessage"];

textMessage.setTags(tags);

TypeScript

let tags: Array<String> = ["starredMessage"];

textMessage.setTags(tags);

Once the text message object is ready, you need to use the sendMessage() method to send the text message to the recipient.

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

The TextMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
receiverID	UID of the user or GUID of the group receiving the message	YES
messageText	The text message	YES
receiverType	The type of the receiver- CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER or CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP	YES

When a text message is sent successfully, the response will include a TextMessage object which includes all information related to the sent message.

Response

On Success — Returns a TextMessage object:

TextMessage Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
id	string	Unique message identifier	"25182"
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
text	string	Message text content	"Hello world!"
type	string	Message type	"text"
category	string	Message category	"message"
receiverId	string	UID of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
receiverType	string	Type of receiver	"user"
sentAt	number	Unix timestamp when sent	1771320772
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp of last update	1771320772
sender	object	Sender user details	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓
data	object	Additional message data	See below ↓
reactions	array	Message reactions	[]
mentionedUsers	array	Users mentioned in message	[]
mentionedMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user is mentioned	false
metadata	object	Custom metadata	{"@injected": {"extensions": {"link-preview": {"links": []}}}}

---

sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the sender	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771320632
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether sender has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked sender	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771320647
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether receiver has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked receiver	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
text	string	Message text	"Hello world!"
resource	string	SDK resource identifier	"REACT_NATIVE-4_0_13-..."
entities	object	Sender and receiver entities	See below ↓
metadata	object	Injected metadata from extensions	{"@injected": {"extensions": {"link-preview": {"links": []}}}}
moderation	object	Moderation status	See below ↓

---

data.entities Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
sender	object	Sender entity wrapper	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver entity wrapper	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Sender user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771320632
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.entities.receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.receiver.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771320647
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.moderation Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
status	string	Moderation status	"pending"

Set Quoted Message Id

To set a quoted message ID for a message, use the setQuotedMessageId() method of the TextMessage class. This method accepts the ID of the message to be quoted.

JavaScript

textMessage.setQuotedMessageId(10);

TypeScript

textMessage.setQuotedMessageId(10);

Once the text message object is ready, you need to use the sendMessage() method to send the text message to the recipient.

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageText = "Hello world!";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
  receiverID,
  messageText,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageText: string = "Hello world!",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  textMessage: CometChat.TextMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
    receiverID,
    messageText,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.TextMessage) => {
    console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
  }
);

The TextMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
receiverID	UID of the user or GUID of the group receiving the message	Required
messageText	The text message	Required
receiverType	The type of the receiver - CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER or CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP	Required

When a text message is sent successfully, the response will include a TextMessage object which includes all information related to the sent message.

Media Message

In other words, as a sender, how do I send a media message like photos, videos & files?

To send a media message to any user or group, you need to use the sendMediaMessage() method and pass a MediaMessage object to it.

Add Metadata

To send custom data along with a media message, you can use the setMetadata method and pass a JSON Object to it.

JavaScript

let metadata = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};

mediaMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

TypeScript

let metadata: Object = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};

mediaMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

Add Caption (Text along with Media Message)

To send a caption with a media message, you can use the setCaption method and pass text to it.

JavaScript

let caption = "Random Caption";

mediaMessage.setCaption(caption);

TypeScript

let caption: string = "Random Caption";

mediaMessage.setCaption(caption);

Add Tags

To add a tag to a message you can use the setTags() method of the MediaMessage Class. The setTags() method accepts a list of tags.

JavaScript

let tags = ["starredMessage"];

mediaMessage.setTags(tags);

TypeScript

let tags: Array<String> = ["starredMessage"];

mediaMessage.setTags(tags);

There are 2 ways you can send Media Messages using the CometChat SDK:

1. By Providing the File

You can directly share the file object while creating an object of the MediaMessage class. When the media message is sent using the sendMediaMessage() method, this file is then uploaded to CometChat servers and the URL of the file is sent in the success response of the sendMediaMessage() function.

Getting the file Object: You can use different React Native packages for sending media messages. We demonstrate how to send images using CometChat.

ImagePicker.showImagePicker(options, (response) => {
if (response.didCancel) {
  console.log('User cancelled photo picker');
} else if (response.error) {
  console.log('ImagePicker Error: ', response.error);
} else if (response.customButton) {
  console.log('User tapped custom button: ', response.customButton);
} else {
  console.log('ImagePicker Response: ', response);
  if (Platform.OS === 'ios' && response.fileName != undefined) {
    var ext = response.fileName.split('.')[1].toLowerCase();
    var type = this.getMimeType(ext);
    var name = response.fileName;
  } else {
    var type = response.type;
    var name = 'Camera_001.jpeg';
  }
  var file = {
    name: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.fileName : name,
    type: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.type : type,
    uri: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.uri : response.uri.replace("file://", ""),
  }
  console.log('file: ', file);
  this.setState({ mediaMsg: file })
}
});
}

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  this.state.mediaMsg,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  this.state.mediaMsg,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    this.state.mediaMsg,
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    this.state.mediaMsg,
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

The MediaMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
receiverId	The UID or GUID of the recipient.	YES
file	The file object to be sent	YES
messageType	The type of the message that needs to be sent which in this case can be: 1.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE 2.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.VIDEO 3.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.AUDIO 4.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE	YES
receiverType	The type of the receiver to whom the message is to be sent. 1. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER 2. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP	YES

Response

On Success — Returns a MediaMessage object:

MediaMessage Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
id	string	Unique message identifier	"25189"
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
receiverId	string	UID of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
receiverType	string	Type of receiver	"user"
sentAt	number	Unix timestamp when sent	1771323061
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp of last update	1771323061
sender	object	Sender user details	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓
data	object	Additional message data	See below ↓
reactions	array	Message reactions	[]
mentionedUsers	array	Users mentioned in message	[]
mentionedMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user is mentioned	false

---

sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the sender	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether sender has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked sender	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether receiver has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked receiver	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
url	string	URL to the uploaded media file	"https://data-in.cometchat.io/.../c35f9734fc20947b7456bbea68126f99.png"
resource	string	SDK resource identifier	"REACT_NATIVE-4_0_14-..."
attachments	array	Media attachments	See below ↓
entities	object	Sender and receiver entities	See below ↓
moderation	object	Moderation status	{"status": "pending"}

---

data.attachments Array (per item):

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
url	string	URL to the attachment	"https://data-in.cometchat.io/.../c35f9734fc20947b7456bbea68126f99.png"
name	string	File name	"1770616246_260562078_3832605b5c8a337ac672b0c60933d208.png"
mimeType	string	MIME type	"image/png"
extension	string	File extension	"png"
size	number	File size in bytes	2295572

---

data.entities Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
sender	object	Sender entity wrapper	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver entity wrapper	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Sender user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.entities.receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.receiver.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
tags	array	User tags	[]

2. By Providing the URL of the File

The second way to send media messages using the CometChat SDK is to provide the SDK with the URL of any file that is hosted on your servers or any cloud storage. To achieve this you will have to make use of the Attachment class. For more information, you can refer to the below code snippet:

To User

let receiverID = "cometchat-uid-2";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let file = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "cometchat-guid-1";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let file = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "cometchat-uid-2",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let file: Object = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment: CometChat.Attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "cometchat-guid-1",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let file: Object = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment: CometChat.Attachment = new CometChat.Attachment(file);
mediaMessage.setAttachment(attachment);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

When a media message is sent successfully, the response will include a MediaMessage object which includes all information related to the sent message.

Response

On Success — Returns a MediaMessage object:

MediaMessage Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
id	string	Unique message identifier	"25189"
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
receiverId	string	UID of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
receiverType	string	Type of receiver	"user"
sentAt	number	Unix timestamp when sent	1771323061
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp of last update	1771323061
sender	object	Sender user details	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓
data	object	Additional message data	See below ↓
reactions	array	Message reactions	[]
mentionedUsers	array	Users mentioned in message	[]
mentionedMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user is mentioned	false

---

sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the sender	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether sender has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked sender	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether receiver has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked receiver	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
url	string	URL to the media file	"https://data-in.cometchat.io/.../c35f9734fc20947b7456bbea68126f99.png"
resource	string	SDK resource identifier	"REACT_NATIVE-4_0_14-..."
attachments	array	Media attachments	See below ↓
entities	object	Sender and receiver entities	See below ↓
moderation	object	Moderation status	{"status": "pending"}

---

data.attachments Array (per item):

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
url	string	URL to the attachment	"https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png"
name	string	File name	"mario"
mimeType	string	MIME type	"image/png"
extension	string	File extension	"png"

---

data.entities Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
sender	object	Sender entity wrapper	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver entity wrapper	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Sender user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.entities.receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.receiver.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
tags	array	User tags	[]

Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

Starting version 3.0.9 & above the SDK supports sending multiple attachments in a single media message. As in the case of a single attachment in a media message, there are two ways you can send Media Messages using the CometChat SDK:

1. By Providing an Array of Files

You can now share an array of files while creating an object of the MediaMessage class. When the media message is sent using the sendMediaMessage() method, the files are uploaded to the CometChat servers & the URL of the files is sent in the success response of the sendMediaMessage() method.

Getting the file Object: You can use different React Native packages for sending media messages. We demonstrate how to send images using CometChat.

let options = {
    selectionLimit: 0
};
ImagePicker.showImagePicker(options, (response) => {
if (response.didCancel) {
  console.log('User cancelled photo picker');
} else if (response.error) {
  console.log('ImagePicker Error: ', response.error);
} else if (response.customButton) {
  console.log('User tapped custom button: ', response.customButton);
} else {
  console.log('ImagePicker Response: ', response);
  let files = response.assets;
  let allFiles = [];
  if (files && files.length > 0) {
      console.log("files", files);
      files.forEach(file => {
          if (Platform.OS === 'ios' && file.fileName !== undefined) {
              name = file.fileName;
              type = file.type;
          } else {
              type = file.type;
              name = 'Camera_001.jpeg';
          }
          if (mediaType == 'video') {
              type = 'video/quicktime';
              name = 'Camera_002.mov';
          }
          let tempFile = {
              name: name,
              type:
                  Platform.OS === 'android' && mediaType != 'video'
                      ? file.type
                      : type,
              uri:
                  Platform.OS === 'android'
                      ? file.uri
                      : file.uri.replace('file://', ''),
              size: file.fileSize
          };
          allFiles.push(tempFile);
      });
      this.props.sendMediaMessage(
          allFiles,
          mediaType === 'photo'
              ? CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE
              : CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.VIDEO,
      );
  }
}
});
}

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  files,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  this.state.mediaMsg,
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    this.state.mediaMsg,
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    this.state.mediaMsg,
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

The MediaMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description
receiverId	The UID or GUID of the recipient.
files	An array of files.
messageType	The type of the message that needs to be sent which in this case can be: 1.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE 2.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.VIDEO 3.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.AUDIO 4.CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE
receiverType	The type of the receiver to whom the message is to be sent. 1. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER 2. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP

2. By Providing the URL of Multiple Files

The second way to send multiple attachments in a single media message using the CometChat SDK is to provide the SDK with the URL of multiple files that are hosted on your servers or any cloud storage. To achieve this you will have to make use of the Attachment class. For more information, you can refer to the below code snippet:

To User

let receiverID = "cometchat-uid-2";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let attachment1 = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2 = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "cometchat-guid-1";
let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE;
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
  receiverID,
  "",
  messageType,
  receiverType
);

let attachment1 = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2 = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "cometchat-uid-2",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let attachment1: Object = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2: Object = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments: Array<CometChat.Attachment> = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "cometchat-guid-1",
  messageType: string = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE,
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
    receiverID,
    "",
    messageType,
    receiverType
  );

let attachment1: Object = {
  name: "mario",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png",
};

let attachment2: Object = {
  name: "jaguar",
  extension: "png",
  mimeType: "image/png",
  url: "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png",
};

let attachments: Array<CometChat.Attachment> = [];
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment1));
attachments.push(new CometChat.Attachment(attachment2));

mediaMessage.setAttachments(attachments);

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
  (mediaMessage: CometChat.MediaMessage) => {
    console.log("message", mediaMessage);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("error in sending message", error);
  }
);

When a media message is sent successfully, the response will include a MediaMessage object which includes all information related to the sent message.

You can use the setMetadata(), setCaption() & setTags() methods to add metadata, caption and tags respectively in exactly the same way as it is done while sending a single file or attachment in a Media Message.

Response

On Success — Returns a MediaMessage object with multiple attachments:

MediaMessage Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
id	string	Unique message identifier	"25189"
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
receiverId	string	UID of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
receiverType	string	Type of receiver	"user"
sentAt	number	Unix timestamp when sent	1771323061
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp of last update	1771323061
sender	object	Sender user details	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓
data	object	Additional message data	See below ↓
reactions	array	Message reactions	[]
mentionedUsers	array	Users mentioned in message	[]
mentionedMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user is mentioned	false

---

sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the sender	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether sender has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked sender	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether receiver has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked receiver	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
type	string	Media type	"image"
category	string	Message category	"message"
url	string	URL to the primary media file	"https://data-in.cometchat.io/.../c35f9734fc20947b7456bbea68126f99.png"
resource	string	SDK resource identifier	"REACT_NATIVE-4_0_14-..."
attachments	array	Media attachments	See below ↓
entities	object	Sender and receiver entities	See below ↓
moderation	object	Moderation status	{"status": "pending"}

---

data.attachments Array (per item):

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
url	string	URL to the attachment	"https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png"
name	string	File name	"mario"
mimeType	string	MIME type	"image/png"
extension	string	File extension	"png"

Example with multiple attachments:

• Attachment 1: {"name": "mario", "extension": "png", "mimeType": "image/png", "url": "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png"}
• Attachment 2: {"name": "jaguar", "extension": "png", "mimeType": "image/png", "url": "https://pngimg.com/uploads/jaguar/jaguar_PNG20759.png"}

---

data.entities Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
sender	object	Sender entity wrapper	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver entity wrapper	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Sender user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323060
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.entities.receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.receiver.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
tags	array	User tags	[]

Custom Message

In other words, as a sender, how do I send a custom message like location coordinates?

CometChat allows you to send custom messages which are neither text nor media messages.

In order to send a custom message, you need to use the sendCustomMessage() method. The sendCustomMessage() method takes an object of the CustomMessage which can be obtained using the below constructor.

JavaScript

let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

TypeScript

let customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

The above constructor helps you create a custom message with the message type set to whatever is passed to the constructor and the category set to custom.

The parameters involved are:

Parameter	Description
receiverId	The unique ID of the user or group to which the message is to be sent
receiverType	Type of the receiver i.e user or group
customType	Custom message type that you need to set
customData	The data to be passed as the message in the form of a JSON Object

You can also use the subType field of the CustomMessage class to set a specific type for the custom message. This can be achieved using the setSubtype() method.

Add Tags

To add a tag to a message you can use the setTags() method of the CustomMessage Class. The setTags() method accepts a list of tags.

JavaScript

let tags = ["starredMessage"];

customMessage.setTags(tags);

TypeScript

let tags: Array<String> = ["starredMessage"];

customMessage.setTags(tags);

Once the object of CustomMessage class is ready you can send the custom message using the sendCustomMessage() method.

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

The above sample explains how custom messages can be used to share the location with a user. The same can be achieved for groups.

On success, you will receive an object of the CustomMessage class.

Response

On Success — Returns a CustomMessage object:

CustomMessage Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
id	string	Unique message identifier	"25190"
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
type	string	Custom message type	"location"
category	string	Message category	"custom"
receiverId	string	UID of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
receiverType	string	Type of receiver	"user"
sentAt	number	Unix timestamp when sent	1771323234
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp of last update	1771323234
customData	object	Custom payload data	See below ↓
sender	object	Sender user details	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓
data	object	Additional message data	See below ↓
reactions	array	Message reactions	[]
mentionedUsers	array	Users mentioned in message	[]
mentionedMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user is mentioned	false
metadata	object	Custom metadata	{"@injected": {"extensions": {"link-preview": {"links": []}}}}

---

customData Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
latitude	string	Latitude coordinate	"50.6192171633316"
longitude	string	Longitude coordinate	"-72.68182268750002"

---

sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the sender	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323089
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether sender has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked sender	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier of the receiver	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
hasBlockedMe	boolean	Whether receiver has blocked logged-in user	false
blockedByMe	boolean	Whether logged-in user has blocked receiver	false
deactivatedAt	number	Deactivation timestamp (0 if active)	0
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
text	string	Fallback text	"Sent a custom message"
resource	string	SDK resource identifier	"REACT_NATIVE-4_0_14-..."
customData	object	Custom payload data	{"latitude": "50.6192171633316", "longitude": "-72.68182268750002"}
entities	object	Sender and receiver entities	See below ↓
metadata	object	Injected metadata from extensions	{"@injected": {"extensions": {"link-preview": {"links": []}}}}
moderation	object	Moderation status	{"status": "pending"}

---

data.entities Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
sender	object	Sender entity wrapper	See below ↓
receiver	object	Receiver entity wrapper	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Sender user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.sender.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-2"
name	string	Display name	"George Alan"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-2.webp"
status	string	Online status	"online"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771323089
tags	array	User tags	[]

---

data.entities.receiver Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
entityType	string	Type of entity	"user"
entity	object	Receiver user details	See below ↓

---

data.entities.receiver.entity Object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
uid	string	Unique identifier	"cometchat-uid-3"
name	string	Display name	"Nancy Grace"
avatar	string	URL to avatar image	"https://assets.cometchat.io/sampleapp/v2/users/cometchat-uid-3.webp"
status	string	Online status	"offline"
role	string	User role	"default"
lastActiveAt	number	Unix timestamp of last activity	1771322968
conversationId	string	Conversation identifier	"cometchat-uid-2_user_cometchat-uid-3"
tags	array	User tags	[]

Update Conversation

How can I decide whether the custom message should update the last message of a conversation?

By default, a custom message will update the last message of a conversation. If you wish to not update the last message of the conversation when a custom message is sent, please use shouldUpdateConversation(value: boolean) method of the Custom Message.

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

customMessage.shouldUpdateConversation(false);
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

customMessage.shouldUpdateConversation(false);
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

customMessage.shouldUpdateConversation(false);
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

customMessage.shouldUpdateConversation(false);
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

Custom Notification Body

How can I customize the notification body of a custom message?

To add a custom notification body for Push, Email & SMS notification of a custom message you can use the setConversationText(text: string) method of the CustomMessage class.

To User

let receiverID = "UID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

customMessage.setConversationText("Custom notification body");
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

To Group

let receiverID = "GUID";
let customData = {
  latitude: "50.6192171633316",
  longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
};
let customType = "location";
let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
  receiverID,
  receiverType,
  customType,
  customData
);

customMessage.setConversationText("Custom notification body");
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (User)

let receiverID: string = "UID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

customMessage.setConversationText("Custom notification body");
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

TypeScript (Group)

let receiverID: string = "GUID",
  customData: Object = {
    latitude: "50.6192171633316",
    longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
  },
  customType: string = "location",
  receiverType: string = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP,
  customMessage: CometChat.CustomMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
    receiverID,
    receiverType,
    customType,
    customData
  );

customMessage.setConversationText("Custom notification body");
CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
  (message: CometChat.CustomMessage) => {
    console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
  }
);

It is also possible to send interactive messages from CometChat. To learn more, see Interactive Messages.

Best Practices

• Use appropriate message types (TEXT, IMAGE, VIDEO, AUDIO, FILE) for media messages
• Add metadata to messages when you need to pass additional context (e.g., location, user preferences)
• Use tags to categorize messages for easier filtering and retrieval
• Set shouldUpdateConversation(false) for background or system-level custom messages that shouldn’t appear in conversation lists
• Use setConversationText() to provide meaningful notification text for custom messages

Troubleshooting

• Message not sending: Ensure the user is logged in and CometChat is initialized
• Media upload fails: Check file size limits and ensure the file object has correct name, type, and uri properties
• Custom message not appearing: Verify the receiver UID/GUID is correct and the receiver type matches
• Notifications not showing custom text: Make sure setConversationText() is called before sending the message

Next Steps

Receive Messages

Listen for real-time messages and fetch missed messages

Edit a Message

Edit previously sent messages

Interactive Messages

Send forms, cards, and custom interactive messages

Typing Indicators

Show real-time typing status in conversations