Insights

React Native Chat Integration: A Developer’s Guide

Building chat in React Native? Learn how to integrate real-time messaging without starting from scratch using CometChat’s UI Kit or SDK.

Haris Kumar

Real-time messaging is one of the most requested features in modern mobile apps - whether you’re building a social platform, a marketplace, or an internal collaboration tool. But building React Native chat from scratch means wrangling WebSockets, managing sync logic, ensuring scale, handling offline states, and designing a clean, performant UI.

That’s a lot of work, even for experienced teams.

Thankfully, you don’t have to build chat from the ground up anymore.

CometChat transforms this process into something far more manageable. Instead of reinventing the messaging wheel, you can integrate a reliable, production-ready chat solution using CometChat’s infrastructure. Complete with the features users expect: media sharing, indicators, push notifications, chat moderation, message threading, reactions, and more.

With CometChat, you get two powerful ways to integrate chat into your React Native application:

  1. 01.

    React Native Chat UI Kit: for fast, component-based setup

  2. 02.

    React Native Chat SDK: for full control and custom workflows

React Native Chat in Minutes: The UI Kit Approach

The React Native Chat UI Kit is a collection of pre-built, production-ready chat components that can be directly integrated into your app with minimal development setup. Think of it as a complete chat interface in a box with conversation lists, message bubbles, composers, and more - all following React Native best practices and platform-specific design patterns.

Why Use the React Native Chat UI Kit

  • Native-first components: Built specifically for React Native

  • Cross-platform compatible: Single codebase that adapts intelligently to iOS and Android design guidelines

  • Modular architecture: Import only the components you need and configure them to fit your app's layout and brand style.

  • Built-in state management: All real-time logic, WebSocket connections, and state synchronization handled automatically.

  • Instant customization: Override themes, colors, fonts, and behaviors through simple configuration objects

  • Optimized for high performance: Virtualized lists, lazy loading, and intelligent re-renders keep your app responsive even with thousands of messages.

Who the UI Kit is Ideal For

Use the React Native Chat UI Kit if:

  1. 01.

    You want to move fast and get chat functionality up and running in weeks, not months.

  2. 02.

    You prefer to focus on experience and product logic rather than chat infrastructure.

  3. 03.

    Your app doesn’t require highly customized chat UIs or app specific workflows (yet).

  4. 04.

    You plan to iterate fast, possibly starting with stock components and styling later.

How to Get Started - React Native Chat UI Kit

Step 1: Set up your CometChat account

Create a free developer account on CometChat, create an app, and grab your App ID, Region, and Auth Key.

Step 2: Install the UI Kit dependencies

Follow the installation guide to add the React Native Chat UI Kit and required peer dependencies to your project.

Step 3: Initialize CometChat in your app

Set up the SDK initialization in your app entry file, using the credentials from your CometChat dashboard.

Step 4: Use UI components in your app

Import and render components like:

  • CometChatConversationsWithMessages

  • CometChatMessages

  • CometChatUserList

These come pre-wired with all real-time chat logic and UI behavior.

Step 5: Customize styles and layout

Override themes, adjust component props, and slot the UI Kit components into your app’s layout. Tailor it to your design system as needed.

Step 6: Go live or extend as you grow

Once live, you can continue to extend or even mix in SDK-based customizations for deeper flexibility down the line.

Build Fully Custom React Native chat: The SDK Approach

The React Native Chat SDK is the lower-level building block that gives you full programmatic access to every messaging capability CometChat offers. You bring your own UI, your own logic, your own architecture, and integrate CometChat as the real-time backbone. It's a powerful toolkit that handles all the complex backend operations while leaving the UI entirely in your hands.

Why Use the React Native Chat SDK

  • Granular API access: Control users, messages, groups, presence, calls, roles, and permissions through well-documented SDK methods.

  • Framework agnostic: Use the SDK within any React Native architecture - Expo, bare RN, or custom setups.

  • Unlimited UI flexibility: Build chat interfaces that break conventions. Style every part of the chat experience to your spec.

  • Integrate with any workflow: Perfect for apps that need to blend chat with complex business logic or domain-specific flows.

  • Enterprise-Grade: Built-in support for webhooks, server-side events, custom notification channels, and compliance requirements

Who the SDK is Ideal For

Use the React Native Chat SDK if:

  1. 01.

    You’re building a chat-first product and need full control over every interaction.

  2. 02.

    You want complete control over the UI and need to break design conventions.

  3. 03.

    Your app has a unique design language and the chat needs to feel fully integrated.

  4. 04.

    You need to deeply integrate chat with your app’s core logic or backend systems.

  5. 05.

    You’re operating in highly regulated industries with strict security or data requirements.

  6. 06.

    You’re optimizing for performance, bundle size, or platform-specific behavior.

  7. 07.

    You're building a performance-critical application where every action counts.

How to Get Started - React Native Chat SDK

Step 1: Set up your CometChat account

Create a free account and app on CometChat. Note down your App ID, Region, and Auth Key from the dashboard.

Step 2: Install the React Native Chat SDK

Add the SDK to your React Native app, including any required peer libraries for native support.

Step 3: Initialize the SDK in your app

Configure the CometChat SDK at app startup using the credentials from your dashboard.

Step 4: Authenticate and create users

Use SDK methods to create users, authenticate sessions, and manage logins.

Step 5: Build the UI and logic for chat

Implement custom UIs for conversation lists, message threads, and input components. Use the SDK to handle:

  • Sending and receiving messages

  • Managing group chats

  • Listening for real-time events

  • Updating presence and typing indicators

Step 6: Integrate additional features

Add support for features like:

  • Media attachments

  • Read receipts

  • Push notifications

  • AI moderation

  • Webhooks and custom actions

Step 7: Test, deploy, and scale

Once your implementation is stable, deploy to production. The SDK is optimized to support thousands of concurrent users and complex use cases.

Start Building React Native Chat Today

Start with plug-and-play components and grow into full control as your needs evolve with CometChat.

  • Begin with the UI Kit to launch quickly and iterate fast.

  • Use the SDK to build deeply integrated, highly custom chat experiences.

Whichever path you choose, you’re building on a foundation that’s production-ready from day one.

Sign up for free and start building your chat today.

Haris Kumar

Lead Content Strategist , CometChat

Haris brings nearly half a decade of expertise in B2B SaaS content marketing, where he excels at developing strategic content that drives engagement and supports business growth. His deep understanding of the SaaS landscape allows him to craft compelling narratives that resonate with target audiences. Outside of his professional pursuits, Haris enjoys reading, trying out new dishes and watching new movies!