Update A Group

Update group details such as name, icon, description, and metadata using the CometChat React Native SDK.

Quick Reference - Update a group:

const group = new CometChat.Group("GUID", "Updated Name", CometChat.GROUP_TYPE.PUBLIC);
await CometChat.updateGroup(group);

Available via: SDK | REST API

Update Group

In other words, as a group owner, how can I update the group details?

You can update the existing details of the group using the updateGroup() method.

JavaScript

var GUID = "GUID";
var groupName = "Hello Group";
var groupType = CometChat.GROUP_TYPE.PUBLIC;
var group = new CometChat.Group(GUID, groupName, groupType);

CometChat.updateGroup(group).then(
group => {
  console.log("Groups details updated successfully:", group);
}, error => {
  console.log("Group details update failed with exception:", error);
}
);

TypeScript

var GUID: string = "GUID";
var groupName: string = "Hello Group!";
var groupType: string = CometChat.GROUP_TYPE.PUBLIC;

var group: CometChat.Group = new CometChat.Group(GUID, groupName, groupType);

CometChat.updateGroup(group).then(
  (group: CometChat.Group) => {
      console.log("Group details updated successfully:", group);
  }, (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
      console.log("Group details update failed with exception:", error);
  }
);

This method takes an instance of the Group class as a parameter which should contain the data that you wish to update.

Parameter	Description
group	an instance of class Group

After a successful update of the group, you will receive an instance of Group class containing update information of the group.

Response

On Success — updateGroup() returns the updated Group object:

Parameter	Type	Description	Sample Value
hasJoined	boolean	Whether the logged-in user has joined the group	true
membersCount	number	Total number of members in the group	2
isBanned	boolean	Whether the logged-in user is banned from the group	false
guid	string	Unique identifier of the group	"group_1772427551785"
name	string	Updated name of the group	"Comet Group Updated"
type	string	Type of the group (public, private, password)	"public"
scope	string	Scope of the logged-in user in the group	"admin"
joinedAt	number	Unix timestamp when the user joined	1772427556
conversationId	string	Conversation ID for the group	"group_group_1772427551785"
createdAt	number	Unix timestamp when the group was created	1772427556
owner	string	UID of the group owner	"cometchat-uid-6"
updatedAt	number	Unix timestamp when the group was last updated	1772427918
updatedBy	string	UID of the user who updated the group	"cometchat-uid-6"
onlineMembersCount	number	Number of online members in the group	2

For more information on the Group class, please check here

Best Practices

Set the GUID on the Group object

The Group object passed to updateGroup() must have the correct GUID set. Only the fields you set on the object will be updated — unset fields remain unchanged.

Only owners and admins can update groups

The updateGroup() method requires the logged-in user to be the owner or an admin of the group. Participants and moderators cannot update group details.

Troubleshooting

Update fails with permission error

Verify the logged-in user is the owner or an admin of the group. Use getGroup() to check the user’s scope in the group.

Group type not changing after update

The type field of a group is not editable after creation. To change a group’s type, you would need to create a new group with the desired type.

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Next Steps

Retrieve Groups

Fetch group lists, search groups, and get group details

Group Members

Manage members, roles, and permissions within groups

Delete a Group

Delete groups and handle related cleanup

Create a Group

Create public, private, or password-protected groups