Setup

Install and configure the CometChat Calls SDK for React Native, including dependencies, platform permissions, and initialization.

Quick Reference - Install and initialize the Calls SDK:

npm install @cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native

// Initialize on app startup
import { CometChatCalls } from "@cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native";
const callAppSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallAppSettingsBuilder()
  .setAppId("APP_ID")
  .setRegion("REGION")
  .build();
await CometChatCalls.init(callAppSettings);

Get your Application Keys

Signup for CometChat and then:

1. Create a new app
2. Head over to the API & Auth Keys section and note the Auth Key, App ID & Region

Add the CometChatCalls Dependency

Install the package as NPM module:

npm

npm install @cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native

yarn

yarn add @cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native

The CometChat Calls SDK also requires the below dependencies to be installed.

package.json

{
  "@cometchat/chat-sdk-react-native": "^4.0.18",
  "@react-native-async-storage/async-storage": "^1.23.1",
  "@react-native-community/netinfo": "^11.3.1", // for react-native 0.63 & above.
  "@react-native-community/netinfo": "6.1.0", // for react-native below 0.63
  "react-native-background-timer": "^2.4.1",
  "react-native-callstats": "^3.73.7",
  "react-native-webrtc": "^1.106.1"
}

Permissions

If you’re using Expo, please refer to the Expo Integration Guide for setting up permissions.

Android

You need to add the below in your App’s AndroidManifest.xml file.

AndroidManifest.xml

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

Also in the same file in buildscript section in ext block make sure you have set minSdkVersion to 24.

build.gradle

buildscript {
  ext {
      buildToolsVersion = "29.0.2"
      minSdkVersion = 24
      compileSdkVersion = 29
      targetSdkVersion = 29
  }
}

iOS

You need to add the below in your App’s Info.plist file.

Info.plist

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>This is for Camera permission</string>
<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>This is for Mic permission</string>

Also, update the minimum target version in the Podfile. Goto ./ios folder and open the Podfile. In the Podfile update the platform version to 12.0.

Podfile

platform :ios, '12.0'

Open the ios/App folder and run pod install this will create an App.xcworkspace open this and run the app.

Initialize CometChatCalls

The init() method initialises the settings required for CometChatCalls. The init() method takes a single paramater, that is the instance of CallAppSettingsBuilder class.

The CallAppSettings class allows you to configure three settings:

• App ID: CometChat app ID.
• Region: The region where you app was created.
• Host(host: string): This method takes the client URL as input and uses this client URL instead of the default client URL. This can be used in case of dedicated deployment of CometChat.

You need to call init() before calling any other method from CometChatCalls. We suggest you call the init() method on app startup, preferably in the App.tsx file.

JavaScript

import { CometChatCalls } from "@cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native";

let appID = "APP_ID";
let region = "REGION";

const callAppSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallAppSettingsBuilder()
  .setAppId(appID)
  .setRegion(region)
  .build();

CometChatCalls.init(callAppSettings).then(
  () => {
    console.log("CometChatCalls initialization completed successfully");
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("CometChatCalls initialization failed with error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript

import { CometChatCalls } from "@cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native";

let appID = "APP_ID";
let region = "REGION";

const callAppSetting = new CometChatCalls.CallAppSettingsBuilder()
  .setAppId(appID)
  .setRegion(region)
  .build();

CometChatCalls.init(callAppSetting).then(
  () => {
    console.log("CometChatCalls initialization completed successfully");
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("CometChatCalls initialization failed with error:", error);
  }
);

Make sure you replace the APP_ID with your CometChat AppID and REGION with your App Region in the above code.

Parameter	Description
callAppSettings	An object of the CallAppSettings class

Best Practices

• Initialize CometChatCalls right after CometChat.init() on app startup
• Always call CometChatCalls.init() before using any calling methods
• Request camera and microphone permissions at runtime before initiating calls
• Use the correct netinfo version based on your React Native version (0.63+ vs below)
• Run pod install after adding dependencies to ensure iOS native modules are linked

Troubleshooting

• Initialization fails: Verify your App ID and Region match the values in your CometChat Dashboard
• Android build fails: Ensure minSdkVersion is set to 24 or higher in build.gradle
• iOS build fails: Run pod install in the ios directory and open the .xcworkspace file (not .xcodeproj)
• Permission denied errors: Confirm camera and microphone permissions are declared in AndroidManifest.xml and Info.plist
• Module not found: Make sure all required peer dependencies are installed — check the dependency list above

Next Steps

Calling Overview

Choose the right calling implementation for your use case.

Ringing Flow

Implement the complete incoming/outgoing call experience.

Call Session

Manage call sessions with custom initiation logic.

Recording

Record audio and video calls for playback or compliance.