In this article, we talk about the need to keep updated with the latest SDKs, mainly to utilize the best version of the service. However, many individuals are not aware which SDK version they are using, which means that often they weren’t sure which CometChat Pro features were available to them — that is, until now.
CometChat is constantly working on improving and including new updates, with minor releases rolling out regularly every few days, plus major updates every few months to provide the best chat experience.
The majority of the time, these updates are minor — bug fixes, discontinuation of old API endpoints, performance improvements, and some new features. However, sometimes, they can be for the greater good.
CometChat’s updates are majorly about two things:
Fixing bugs or issues
Improving features and experience
Or both!
Recent SDK updates include ‘Deleting Conversations’ ‘Hiding deleted messages from conversation’, and improving ‘Screen share on video calls’. Other updates include bug fixes for Push notification token deletion through enabling/disabling the Push Notification Extension.
However, some updates can have a far greater impact — usually when there’s a significant version bump. In these cases, your apps might need much more comprehensive testing and some additional development to ensure the SDK update is successful.
If your app isn’t being updated regularly with new features, including Chat SDK updates, it’s easy for it to get out-of-sync with the newest versions. This is why, as part of any app development, it is important to maintain and update the app, even if it’s just for iOS, Android, or Chat SDK updates.
Keeping updated with the latest point releases of Chat SDKs and then jumping to the next major release when it happens reduces the time and effort to keep apps updated to a few hours or days a year.
Update Confidently By Creating Backups
If at all you’re skeptical about jumping to a new SDK update, there are a few measures you can take to give yourself some additional security and peace of mind. Most updates will tell you what improvements or changes will be there.
If you see an update you aren’t sure about, you can always take a backup of your files and programs. In case of an app you have to log onto, you can save your credentials so that you can log back in if it resets.
Remember: IF YOU AREN’T UPDATING, YOU’RE MISSING OUT!
You may be comfortable with old SDK updates because, after all, you know where all the settings or buttons are. However, your users may be missing out on the latest chat experience and if that’s an important factor to them, it can have a negative impact on your business.
At CometChat, we aim to keep evolving chat for you and your users. This means that as our SDKs and APIs keep updating design and functionality, you may not be able to ream all its benefits without adding these updates to your apps. Moreover, it also helps to safeguard data and users from viruses or malware from exploiting vulnerabilities in your application. It’s much easier for hackers and cybercriminals to find vulnerabilities in older versions of the software that lack the latest defenses.
Technology and software advance rapidly, and while the latest version may seem a lot to keep up with(it really isn’t!), it is extremely important to do so as these fast-moving changes impact work. This means that if you master it on one application, those skills will translate into other applications.
Where Can You Get the Updates?
You can integrate the latest UI Kits depending on your app version (V2/V3-beta) with the reference provided in CometChat Documentation.
Sign in to your CometChat dashboard to check out any new updates and more. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep in the loop to see if there are any chat updates or changes that could impact specific apps you’re working with.
Do let us know your thoughts on these updates and what more you need!
The Bottom Line
Over the past few months, developers have been jumping to CometChat’s Chat SDKs to build seamlessly scalable chat experiences to keep updated with the market uptake of in-app chat as it became an irrefutable aspect of peer-to-peer communications.
As the need for in-app messaging functionalities increase, CometChat’s latest SDKs are here to help you increase user retention and engagement within your app.
About the Author
Swahani is a content marketer at CometChat and loves all things tech. She completed her engineering degree from Mumbai and has since been dedicated to writing about technology - blockchain, data science, analytics and development in general.
Swahani Roy
CometChat
