Setup

Faster Integration with UI KitsIf you’re using CometChat UI Kits, voice and video calling can be quickly integrated:

Incoming & outgoing call screens
Call buttons with one-tap calling
Call logs with history

👉 iOS UI Kit Calling IntegrationUse this Calls SDK directly only if you need custom call UI or advanced control.

This guide walks you through installing the CometChat Calls SDK and initializing it in your iOS application.

Add the CometChat Dependency

The Calls SDK 5.1 is distributed with Swift Package Manager. It needs iOS 15.1 or later.

In Xcode, go to File > Add Package Dependencies
Enter the repository URL: https://github.com/cometchat/calls-sdk-ios
Select Up to Next Major Version from 5.1.0 and add the CometChatCallsSDK product to your target

The Calls SDK’s API is Swift only: it doesn’t ship an Objective-C interface. An Objective-C app calls it from Swift code in the same target. The Push Notifications SDK, which rings calls, supports Objective-C.

Ringing users? Incoming calls ring through the Push Notifications SDK 2.0: add its Core and Calls products (CometChatPushNotificationsSwift and CometChatPushNotificationsCalls) as well, and follow Push Ringing. The Calls SDK alone can start, join and end calls, but it cannot ring a device that is not running your app.

Add Permissions

Add the required permissions to your Info.plist:

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Camera access is required for video calls</string>
<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>Microphone access is required for voice and video calls</string>

iOS requires you to provide a description for why your app needs camera and microphone access. These descriptions are shown to users when requesting permissions. Add both strings even if your app only makes audio calls: the Calls SDK links the camera.

Request camera and microphone access before starting or joining a call. When a call is answered from the Push SDK’s CallKit ring, the Push SDK asks for them after Answer (on a locked phone, once the user unlocks); a denied microphone joins muted.

Enable Background Modes

For calls to continue when the app is in the background, enable the following background modes in your project’s Signing & Capabilities:

Select your target in Xcode
Go to Signing & Capabilities
Click + Capability and add Background Modes
Enable:
- Audio, AirPlay, and Picture in Picture
- Voice over IP (required for ringing: without it PushKit delivers no VoIP push)

Ringing also needs the Push Notifications capability. PushKit and CallKit only work on a physical device.

Declare a Window on Your AppDelegate

The Calls SDK reads window from your app delegate when the device orientation changes. Xcode’s default scene-based template puts window only on the SceneDelegate, so without it the app crashes with -[AppDelegate window]: unrecognized selector sent to instance when a call starts, typically right after the camera permission prompt. Declare the property on your AppDelegate, even if you set the window up in your SceneDelegate:

import UIKit

@main
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {

    var window: UIWindow?

    // ...
}

The property can stay nil. The SDK only needs your AppDelegate to respond to window.

Initialize CometChat Calls

The init() method initializes the SDK with your app credentials. Call this method once when your application starts, typically in your AppDelegate or app entry point.

CallAppSettings

The CallAppSettings class configures the SDK initialization:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`appId`	String	Yes	Your CometChat App ID
`region`	String	Yes	Your app region — `us`, `eu` or `in`

import CometChatCallsSDK

let appId = "APP_ID" // Replace with your App ID
let region = "REGION" // Replace with your Region ("us", "eu" or "in")

let callAppSettings = CallAppSettingsBuilder()
    .set(appID: appId)
    .set(region: region)
    .build()

CometChatCalls(callsAppSettings: callAppSettings, onSuccess: { message in
    print("CometChat Calls SDK initialized successfully")
}, onError: { error in
    print("CometChat Calls SDK initialization failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "")")
})

Parameter	Description
`callsAppSettings`	Configuration object with App ID and Region
`onSuccess`	Closure called on successful initialization
`onError`	Closure called if initialization fails

Initialize once, at launch. A later initialization replaces the app ID and region but does not log the user out: the stored user and auth token stay, and belong to the first app. To switch to another app ID, call CometChatCalls.logout first, then initialize with the new app ID and log in again. When a VoIP push starts your app, the Push SDK may initialize the Calls SDK with the appId and region from its own configuration before your code runs; your own initialization with the same values is harmless.

Overview

Getting Started

Call Session

Features

Advanced

Migration Guide

Resources

Add the CometChat Dependency

Add Permissions

Enable Background Modes

Declare a Window on Your AppDelegate

Initialize CometChat Calls

CallAppSettings

​Add the CometChat Dependency

​Add Permissions

​Enable Background Modes

​Declare a Window on Your AppDelegate

​Initialize CometChat Calls

​CallAppSettings

Add the CometChat Dependency

Add Permissions

Enable Background Modes

Declare a Window on Your AppDelegate

Initialize CometChat Calls

CallAppSettings