Manual WebSocket Management

Take control of WebSocket connections for advanced use cases

Quick Reference for AI Agents & Developers

// Disable auto-connect during init
const appSettings = new CometChat.AppSettingsBuilder()
  .setRegion("REGION")
  .autoEstablishSocketConnection(false)  // Manual mode
  .build();

// Manual connect/disconnect
CometChat.connect();     // Connect WebSocket
CometChat.disconnect();  // Disconnect WebSocket

By default, CometChat SDK manages WebSocket connections automatically. For advanced use cases, you can take manual control of the connection.

Default Behavior: The SDK automatically connects to WebSocket servers on login and reconnects when the app reopens.

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Default vs Manual Mode

Aspect	Default (Auto)	Manual
Connection on login	Automatic	You control
Reconnection	Automatic	You control
Use case	Most apps	Battery optimization, background control

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Enable Manual Mode

Disable automatic WebSocket management during initialization:

JavaScript

const appID = "APP_ID";
const region = "APP_REGION";

const appSettings = new CometChat.AppSettingsBuilder()
  .subscribePresenceForAllUsers()
  .setRegion(region)
  .autoEstablishSocketConnection(false)  // Disable auto-connect
  .build();

CometChat.init(appID, appSettings).then(
  () => console.log("Initialized (manual WebSocket mode)"),
  (error) => console.log("Init failed:", error)
);

TypeScript

const appID: string = "APP_ID";
const region: string = "APP_REGION";

const appSettings: CometChat.AppSettings = new CometChat.AppSettingsBuilder()
  .subscribePresenceForAllUsers()
  .setRegion(region)
  .autoEstablishSocketConnection(false)
  .build();

CometChat.init(appID, appSettings).then(
  () => console.log("Initialized (manual WebSocket mode)"),
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => console.log("Init failed:", error)
);

Async/Await

async function initializeManualMode() {
  const appID = "APP_ID";
  const region = "APP_REGION";

  const appSettings = new CometChat.AppSettingsBuilder()
    .subscribePresenceForAllUsers()
    .setRegion(region)
    .autoEstablishSocketConnection(false)
    .build();

  try {
    await CometChat.init(appID, appSettings);
    console.log("Initialized (manual WebSocket mode)");
    return true;
  } catch (error) {
    console.log("Init failed:", error);
    return false;
  }
}

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Connect to WebSocket

Manually establish the WebSocket connection:

// Ensure user is logged in first
const user = await CometChat.getLoggedinUser();

if (user) {
  CometChat.connect();
  console.log("WebSocket connection initiated");
}

Only call connect() after the user is logged in. Use CometChat.getLoggedinUser() to verify.

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Disconnect from WebSocket

Manually close the WebSocket connection:

CometChat.disconnect();
console.log("WebSocket disconnected");

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Use Cases

Battery Optimization

Disconnect when the app goes to background to save battery, reconnect when foregrounded.

Conditional Real-Time

Only connect to real-time when user opens chat, disconnect when they leave.

Network Management

Control connections based on network type (WiFi vs cellular).

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Implementation Example

class WebSocketManager {
  constructor() {
    this.isConnected = false;
  }

  async connect() {
    const user = await CometChat.getLoggedinUser();
    if (!user) {
      console.log("User not logged in");
      return false;
    }

    CometChat.connect();
    this.isConnected = true;
    console.log("WebSocket connected");
    return true;
  }

  disconnect() {
    CometChat.disconnect();
    this.isConnected = false;
    console.log("WebSocket disconnected");
  }

  // Call when app goes to background
  onAppBackground() {
    if (this.isConnected) {
      this.disconnect();
    }
  }

  // Call when app comes to foreground
  async onAppForeground() {
    if (!this.isConnected) {
      await this.connect();
    }
  }
}

// Usage
const wsManager = new WebSocketManager();

// When user opens chat
await wsManager.connect();

// When app goes to background
document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", () => {
  if (document.hidden) {
    wsManager.onAppBackground();
  } else {
    wsManager.onAppForeground();
  }
});

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Next Steps

Connection Status

Monitor connection state

Setup SDK

SDK configuration options