Standalone Calling - CometChat Docs

Quick Reference - Generate token and start a standalone call session:

// Generate call token (auth token from REST API, not Chat SDK)
const callToken = await CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken);

// Configure and render
const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
  .enableDefaultLayout(true)
  .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
  .build();

// <CometChatCalls.Component callSettings={callSettings} callToken={callToken} />

Available via: SDK | UI Kits

Overview

This section demonstrates how to implement calling functionality using only the CometChat Calls SDK, without requiring the Chat SDK. This is ideal for applications that need video/audio calling capabilities without the full chat infrastructure.

Before you begin, ensure you have completed the Calls SDK setup.

User Authentication

To start a call session, you need a user auth token. Since this implementation doesn’t use the Chat SDK, you’ll need to obtain the auth token via the CometChat REST API.

To understand user authentication in CometChat, see the User Auth documentation.

You can obtain the auth token using one of these REST API endpoints:

Create Auth Token — Creates a new auth token for a user
Get Auth Token — Retrieves an existing auth token

Auth tokens grant access to call sessions on behalf of a user. Never expose auth tokens in client-side code in production. Use a secure backend to generate and deliver tokens to your app.

For testing or POC purposes, you can create an auth token directly from the CometChat Dashboard. Navigate to Users & Groups → Users, select a user, and click + Create Auth Token.

Store the auth token securely in your application for use when generating call tokens.

Generate Call Token

A call token is required for secure access to a call session. Each token is unique to a specific session and user combination, ensuring that only authorized users can join the call. You can generate the token just before starting the call, or generate and store it ahead of time based on your use case. Use the generateToken() method to create a call token:

JavaScript
TypeScript

const sessionId = "UNIQUE_SESSION_ID"; // Generate a unique session ID
const userAuthToken = "USER_AUTH_TOKEN"; // Obtained from REST API

CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken).then(
  (callToken) => {
    console.log("Call token generated:", callToken.token);
    // Use callToken to start the session
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Token generation failed:", error);
  }
);

const sessionId: string = "UNIQUE_SESSION_ID"; // Generate a unique session ID
const userAuthToken: string = "USER_AUTH_TOKEN"; // Obtained from REST API

CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken).then(
  (callToken: GenerateToken) => {
    console.log("Call token generated:", callToken.token);
    // Use callToken to start the session
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Token generation failed:", error);
  }
);

Parameter	Description
`sessionId`	A unique session ID for the call. Generate this yourself or use a shared ID for participants to join the same call.
`userAuthToken`	The user auth token obtained from the CometChat REST API.

Start Call Session

Use the CometChatCalls.Component to render the call UI. This component requires a call token (generated in the previous step) and a CallSettings object that configures the call UI and behavior.

JavaScript
TypeScript

const callListener = new CometChatCalls.OngoingCallListener({
  onUserJoined: (user) => {
    console.log("User joined:", user);
  },
  onUserLeft: (user) => {
    console.log("User left:", user);
  },
  onUserListUpdated: (userList) => {
    console.log("User list updated:", userList);
  },
  onCallEnded: () => {
    console.log("Call ended");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
    console.log("End call button pressed");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onError: (error) => {
    console.log("Call error:", error);
  },
  onAudioModesUpdated: (audioModes) => {
    console.log("Audio modes updated:", audioModes);
  },
  onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event) => {
    console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
  },
  onUserMuted: (event) => {
    console.log("User muted:", event);
  },
  onSessionTimeout: () => {
    console.log("Session timed out");
  }
});

const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
  .enableDefaultLayout(true)
  .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
  .setCallEventListener(callListener)
  .build();

// In your render method
return (
  <View style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%', position: 'relative' }}>
    <CometChatCalls.Component callSettings={callSettings} callToken={callToken} />
  </View>
);

const callListener = new CometChatCalls.OngoingCallListener({
  onUserJoined: (user: CometChat.User) => {
    console.log("User joined:", user);
  },
  onUserLeft: (user: CometChat.User) => {
    console.log("User left:", user);
  },
  onUserListUpdated: (userList: CometChat.User[]) => {
    console.log("User list updated:", userList);
  },
  onCallEnded: () => {
    console.log("Call ended");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
    console.log("End call button pressed");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onError: (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Call error:", error);
  },
  onAudioModesUpdated: (audioModes: string[]) => {
    console.log("Audio modes updated:", audioModes);
  },
  onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event: any) => {
    console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
  },
  onUserMuted: (event: any) => {
    console.log("User muted:", event);
  },
  onSessionTimeout: () => {
    console.log("Session timed out");
  }
});

const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
  .enableDefaultLayout(true)
  .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
  .setCallEventListener(callListener)
  .build();

// In your render method
return (
  <View style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%', position: 'relative' }}>
    <CometChatCalls.Component callSettings={callSettings} callToken={callToken} />
  </View>
);

Parameter	Description
`callToken`	The `GenerateToken` object received from `generateToken()` onSuccess
`callSettings`	Object of `CallSettings` class configured via `CallSettingsBuilder`

Call Settings

Configure the call experience using the following CallSettingsBuilder methods:

Method	Description
`enableDefaultLayout(boolean)`	Enables or disables the default call UI layout with built-in controls. `true` shows the default layout with end call, mute, video toggle buttons. `false` hides the button layout. Default: `true`
`setIsAudioOnlyCall(boolean)`	Sets whether the call is audio-only or audio-video. `true` for audio-only, `false` for audio-video. Default: `false`
`setCallEventListener(OngoingCallListener)`	Sets the listener to receive call events. See Call Listeners for available callbacks.
`setMode(string)`	Sets the call UI layout mode. Available: `CometChat.CALL_MODE.DEFAULT` (grid), `CometChat.CALL_MODE.SPOTLIGHT` (active speaker), `CometChat.CALL_MODE.SINGLE` (one participant). Default: `DEFAULT`
`setAvatarMode(string)`	Sets how avatars are displayed when video is off. Available: `circle`, `square`, `fullscreen`. Default: `circle`
`setDefaultAudioMode(string)`	Sets the initial audio output device. Available: `SPEAKER`, `EARPIECE`, `BLUETOOTH`, `HEADPHONES`
`startWithAudioMuted(boolean)`	Starts the call with the microphone muted. Default: `false`
`startWithVideoMuted(boolean)`	Starts the call with the camera turned off. Default: `false`
`showEndCallButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the end call button in the default layout. Default: `true`
`showSwitchCameraButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the switch camera button (front/back). Default: `true`
`showMuteAudioButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the mute audio button. Default: `true`
`showPauseVideoButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the pause video button. Default: `true`
`showAudioModeButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the audio mode selection button. Default: `true`
`showSwitchToVideoCallButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the button to upgrade an audio call to video. Default: `true`
`setMainVideoContainerSetting(MainVideoContainerSetting)`	Customizes the main video container. See Video View Customization.
`enableVideoTileClick(boolean)`	Enables or disables click interactions on video tiles in Spotlight mode. Default: `true`
`enableVideoTileDrag(boolean)`	Enables or disables drag functionality for video tiles in Spotlight mode. Default: `true`
`setIdleTimeoutPeriod(number)`	Sets idle timeout in seconds. Warning appears 60 seconds before auto-termination. Default: `180` seconds. v4.2.0+

Call Listeners

The OngoingCallListener provides real-time callbacks for call session events, including participant changes, call state updates, and error conditions. You can register listeners in two ways:

Via CallSettingsBuilder: Use .setCallEventListener(listener) when building call settings
Via addCallEventListener: Use CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, listener) to add multiple listeners

Each listener requires a unique listenerId string. This ID is used to:

Prevent duplicate registrations — Re-registering with the same ID replaces the existing listener
Enable targeted removal — Remove specific listeners without affecting others

JavaScript
TypeScript

useEffect(() => {
  const listenerId = "UNIQUE_LISTENER_ID";
  
  CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, {
    onUserJoined: (user) => {
      console.log("User joined:", user);
    },
    onUserLeft: (user) => {
      console.log("User left:", user);
    },
    onUserListUpdated: (userList) => {
      console.log("User list updated:", userList);
    },
    onCallEnded: () => {
      console.log("Call ended");
      CometChatCalls.endSession();
      // Close calling screen
    },
    onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
      console.log("End call button pressed");
      CometChatCalls.endSession();
      // Close calling screen
    },
    onError: (error) => {
      console.log("Call error:", error);
    },
    onAudioModesUpdated: (audioModes) => {
      console.log("Audio modes updated:", audioModes);
    },
    onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event) => {
      console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
    },
    onUserMuted: (event) => {
      console.log("User muted:", event);
    },
    onSessionTimeout: () => {
      console.log("Session timed out");
    }
  });

  // Cleanup on unmount
  return () => CometChatCalls.removeCallEventListener(listenerId);
}, []);

useEffect(() => {
  const listenerId: string = "UNIQUE_LISTENER_ID";
  
  CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, {
    onUserJoined: (user: CometChat.User) => {
      console.log("User joined:", user);
    },
    onUserLeft: (user: CometChat.User) => {
      console.log("User left:", user);
    },
    onUserListUpdated: (userList: CometChat.User[]) => {
      console.log("User list updated:", userList);
    },
    onCallEnded: () => {
      console.log("Call ended");
      CometChatCalls.endSession();
      // Close calling screen
    },
    onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
      console.log("End call button pressed");
      CometChatCalls.endSession();
      // Close calling screen
    },
    onError: (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
      console.log("Call error:", error);
    },
    onAudioModesUpdated: (audioModes: string[]) => {
      console.log("Audio modes updated:", audioModes);
    },
    onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event: any) => {
      console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
    },
    onUserMuted: (event: any) => {
      console.log("User muted:", event);
    },
    onSessionTimeout: () => {
      console.log("Session timed out");
    }
  });

  // Cleanup on unmount
  return () => CometChatCalls.removeCallEventListener(listenerId);
}, []);

Always remove call event listeners when the component unmounts using CometChatCalls.removeCallEventListener(listenerId). Failing to remove listeners can cause memory leaks and duplicate event handling.

Events

Event	Description
`onCallEnded()`	Invoked when the call session terminates for a 1:1 call. Both participants receive this callback. Only fires for calls with exactly 2 participants.
`onSessionTimeout()`	Invoked when the call is auto-terminated due to inactivity (default: 180 seconds). Warning appears 60 seconds before. v4.2.0+
`onCallEndButtonPressed()`	Invoked when the local user taps the end call button. Call `CometChatCalls.endSession()` to leave the session.
`onUserJoined(user)`	Invoked when a remote participant joins. The `user` contains UID, name, and avatar.
`onUserLeft(user)`	Invoked when a remote participant leaves the call session.
`onUserListUpdated(userList)`	Invoked whenever the participant list changes (join or leave events).
`onAudioModesUpdated(audioModes)`	Invoked when available audio devices change (e.g., Bluetooth connected).
`onCallSwitchedToVideo(event)`	Invoked when an audio call is upgraded to a video call.
`onUserMuted(event)`	Invoked when a participant’s mute state changes.
`onScreenShareStarted()`	Invoked when the local user starts sharing a screen.
`onScreenShareStopped()`	Invoked when the local user stops sharing a screen.
`onError(error)`	Invoked when an error occurs during the call session.

End Call Session

To end the call session and release all media resources (camera, microphone, network connections), call CometChatCalls.endSession() in the onCallEndButtonPressed() callback.

JavaScript
TypeScript

onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
  CometChatCalls.endSession();
  // Close the calling screen
}

onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
  CometChatCalls.endSession();
  // Close the calling screen
}

Methods

These methods are available for performing custom actions during an active call session. Use them to build custom UI controls or implement specific behaviors based on your use case.

These methods can only be called when a call session is active.

Switch Camera

Toggles between the front and rear camera during a video call. Useful for allowing users to switch their camera view without leaving the call.

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.switchCamera();

CometChatCalls.switchCamera();

Mute Audio

Controls the local audio stream transmission. When muted, other participants cannot hear the local user.

true — Mutes the microphone, stops transmitting audio
false — Unmutes the microphone, resumes audio transmission

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.muteAudio(true);

CometChatCalls.muteAudio(true);

Pause Video

Controls the local video stream transmission. When paused, other participants see a frozen frame or avatar instead of live video.

true — Pauses the camera, stops transmitting video
false — Resumes the camera, continues video transmission

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.pauseVideo(true);

CometChatCalls.pauseVideo(true);

Set Audio Mode

Routes the audio output to a specific device. Use this to let users choose between speaker, earpiece, or connected audio devices. Available modes:

CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.SPEAKER — Device speaker (loudspeaker)
CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.EARPIECE — Phone earpiece
CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.BLUETOOTH — Connected Bluetooth device
CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.HEADPHONES — Wired headphones

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.setAudioMode(CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.EARPIECE);

CometChatCalls.setAudioMode(CometChat.AUDIO_MODE.EARPIECE);

Switch To Video Call

Upgrades an ongoing audio call to a video call. This enables the camera and starts transmitting video to other participants. The remote participant receives the onCallSwitchedToVideo() callback.

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.switchToVideoCall();

CometChatCalls.switchToVideoCall();

Get Audio Output Modes

Returns the list of available audio output devices. Use this to display audio options to the user and then set the selected mode using setAudioMode().

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.getAudioOutputModes().then(
  (modes) => {
    console.log("Available audio modes:", modes);
    // Each mode has: mode (string) and isSelected (boolean)
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Failed to get audio modes:", error);
  }
);

CometChatCalls.getAudioOutputModes().then(
  (modes: CometChat.AudioMode[]) => {
    console.log("Available audio modes:", modes);
    // Each mode has: mode (string) and isSelected (boolean)
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Failed to get audio modes:", error);
  }
);

End Call

Terminates the current call session and releases all media resources (camera, microphone, network connections). After calling this method, the call view should be closed.

JavaScript
TypeScript

CometChatCalls.endSession();

CometChatCalls.endSession();

Best Practices

Generate call tokens just before use

Call tokens are session-specific and time-limited. Generate them right before starting the call session rather than caching them for extended periods. This ensures the token is fresh and reduces the chance of token expiry errors.

Use a shared session ID for participants

All participants who need to join the same call must use the same sessionId when generating their call tokens. Share this ID through your backend or signaling mechanism so both parties can join the same session.

Secure your auth tokens

Since standalone calling uses REST API auth tokens instead of the Chat SDK login flow, ensure tokens are generated server-side and delivered securely to the client. Never hardcode auth tokens in your app bundle.

Clean up listeners on component unmount

Always remove call event listeners in your component’s cleanup function (e.g., the return function of useEffect). Orphaned listeners can cause memory leaks, duplicate event handling, and unexpected behavior when navigating between screens.

Wrap the call component in a full-screen container

The CometChatCalls.Component should be rendered inside a View with height: '100%', width: '100%', and position: 'relative'. This ensures the call UI fills the screen correctly and overlays render in the right position.

Troubleshooting

Call token generation fails

Verify the auth token is valid and hasn’t expired. Auth tokens obtained from the REST API or Dashboard have an expiry — generate a fresh one if needed. Also confirm the sessionId is a non-empty string.

Call UI does not render

Ensure the CometChatCalls.Component is wrapped in a View with explicit dimensions (height: '100%', width: '100%'). Also confirm that both callSettings and callToken props are provided and not null or undefined.

Participants can't join the same call

Both participants must use the exact same sessionId when generating their call tokens. Double-check that the session ID is being shared correctly between devices.

Listeners not firing

Check that the listener is registered before the call session starts. If using addCallEventListener, ensure the listenerId is unique and hasn’t been overwritten by another registration. Also verify that the Calls SDK has been initialized via CometChatCalls.init().

Audio or video not working after call starts

Check device permissions for camera and microphone. On React Native, request CAMERA and RECORD_AUDIO permissions on Android, and add NSCameraUsageDescription and NSMicrophoneUsageDescription to Info.plist on iOS.

Next Steps

Calls SDK Setup

Install dependencies, configure permissions, and initialize the Calls SDK

Recording

Record call sessions for playback and compliance

Video View Customisation

Customize the main video container and participant tiles

Call Session

Full call session management with the Chat SDK integration

​Overview

​User Authentication

​Generate Call Token

​Start Call Session

​Call Settings

​Call Listeners

​Events

​End Call Session

​Methods

​Switch Camera

​Mute Audio

​Pause Video

​Set Audio Mode

​Switch To Video Call

​Get Audio Output Modes

​End Call

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Calls SDK Setup

Recording

Video View Customisation

Call Session

Overview

User Authentication

Generate Call Token

Start Call Session

Call Settings

Call Listeners

Events

End Call Session

Methods

Switch Camera

Mute Audio

Pause Video

Set Audio Mode

Switch To Video Call

Get Audio Output Modes

End Call

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Next Steps