CometChat Flutter UIKit v6 — Features

How to enable, configure, and disable features in cometchat_chat_uikit.

1. Feature Categories

Every feature falls into one of three categories:

Category	What it means	Example features	How to enable
Auto-enabled	Works out of the box when you render the standard components	Text/media messages, typing indicators, read receipts, reactions, message editing/deletion, threaded replies, @mentions	Just render CometChatMessageHeader + CometChatMessageList + CometChatMessageComposer
UIKitSettings flag	Set a property on UIKitSettingsBuilder before CometChatUIKit.init()	Voice/video calls (enableCalls: true), presence/typing (subscriptionType)	Set the flag → init
Extension	Backend extension, pure boolean toggle. CLI flips via the dashboard API.	Polls, stickers, message translation, link preview, collaborative document, collaborative whiteboard, image moderation, thumbnail generation	cometchat apply-feature <id> --app-id <X> → restart app
AI feature	Backend AI feature requiring an OpenAI API key on the app's AI settings	Smart replies, conversation starters, conversation summary	cometchat apply-feature <id> --app-id <X> --openai-key sk-... → restart app
Dashboard-only	Third-party API key / multi-field config the user must enter themselves	Giphy, Stipop, Tenor, Chatwoot, Intercom, Disappearing Messages, Message Shortcuts	Open https://app.cometchat.com → Extensions → enter config → enable

2. Auto-Enabled Features

These work immediately when you render the standard message components:

Feature	Component	Notes
Text messages	CometChatMessageList + CometChatMessageComposer	Default message type
Image/video/audio/file messages	CometChatMessageComposer attachment options	Media picker built in
Read receipts	CometChatMessageList	Blue double-check. Disable with disableReceipts: true
Typing indicators	CometChatMessageHeader subtitle	Requires subscriptionType set in UIKitSettings
Reactions	CometChatMessageList	Long-press any message. Disable with disableReactions: true
Message editing/deletion	CometChatMessageList long-press menu	Own messages only
Threaded replies	CometChatMessageList	Controlled by hideReplyInThreadOption
Reply (quote)	CometChatMessageList	Swipe-to-reply via enableSwipeToReply: true (default)
@Mentions	CometChatMessageComposer	Type @ to trigger. Uses CometChatMentionsFormatter
Rich text (markdown)	CometChatMessageComposer	Bold, italic, strikethrough, code, lists, blockquote, links via WYSIWYG toolbar
Group action messages	CometChatMessageList	Member joined/left/kicked. Hide with hideGroupActionMessages: true

3. UIKitSettings Features

Set these on UIKitSettingsBuilder before calling CometChatUIKit.init():

Calls

final settings = (UIKitSettingsBuilder()
      ..appId = 'YOUR_APP_ID'
      ..region = 'us'
      ..authKey = 'YOUR_AUTH_KEY'
      ..subscriptionType = CometChatSubscriptionType.allUsers
      ..enableCalls = true  // ← enables voice & video calls
      ..callingConfiguration = CallingConfiguration(
           outgoingCallConfiguration: CometChatOutgoingCallConfiguration(...),
           incomingCallConfiguration: CometChatIncomingCallConfiguration(...),
           callButtonsConfiguration: CallButtonsConfiguration(...),
           groupSessionSettingsBuilder: sessionSettingsBuilder,
         ))
    .build();

When enableCalls is true, the UIKit:

1. Initializes CometChatUIKitCalls after chat SDK init
2. Registers call message templates (call bubbles in message list)
3. Shows voice/video call buttons in CometChatMessageHeader

For detailed call implementation, see the cometchat-flutter-v6-calls skill.

Presence & Typing

..subscriptionType = CometChatSubscriptionType.allUsers

Options: allUsers, roles, friends. Controls which users' presence and typing events you receive.

Date/Time Formatting

..dateTimeFormatterCallback = (DateTime dateTime) => 'custom format'

4. Backend Toggle Features (CLI)

These are backend extensions / AI features. Flutter projects don't write .cometchat/state.json, so call the CLI in stateless mode:

# Pure boolean extensions:
cometchat apply-feature polls --app-id <your-app-id>
cometchat apply-feature link-preview --app-id <your-app-id>

# AI features (require OpenAI key first time):
cometchat apply-feature smart-replies --app-id <your-app-id> --openai-key sk-...

Requires cometchat auth login once per machine. Once enabled, the UIKit auto-wires the UI.

For dashboard-only extensions (Giphy, Stipop, Tenor, Chatwoot, Intercom — they need third-party API keys / webhooks), use https://app.cometchat.com → Extensions.

Extension	UI surface when enabled	Extension directory
Polls	"Create Poll" option in composer attachment menu	extensions/polls/
Stickers	Sticker picker button next to composer	extensions/stickers/
Smart Replies	Chip suggestions above composer after incoming message	AI view: views/ai_smart_replies/
Conversation Starters	Suggested messages when chat is empty	AI view: views/ai_conversation_starter/
Conversation Summary	Summary panel above composer	AI view: views/ai_conversation_summary/
Message Translation	"Translate" option in message long-press menu	extensions/message_translation/
Link Preview	Rich preview card for URLs in messages	extensions/link_preview/
Collaborative Document	"Document" option in composer attachment menu	extensions/collaborative_document/
Collaborative Whiteboard	"Whiteboard" option in composer attachment menu	extensions/collaborative_whiteboard/
Image Moderation	Blurs inappropriate images automatically	extensions/image_moderation/
Thumbnail Generation	Auto-generates thumbnails for images/videos	extensions/thumbnail_generation/

5. Calls

Voice and video calling for 1:1 and group conversations. Built into cometchat_chat_uikit — no separate package.

// Enable in UIKitSettings
..enableCalls = true

// Call buttons appear automatically in CometChatMessageHeader
CometChatMessageHeader(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  hideVoiceCallButton: false,  // default
  hideVideoCallButton: false,  // default
)

CallingConfiguration bundles all call component configs:

CallingConfiguration(
  outgoingCallConfiguration: CometChatOutgoingCallConfiguration(...),
  incomingCallConfiguration: CometChatIncomingCallConfiguration(...),
  callButtonsConfiguration: CallButtonsConfiguration(...),
  groupSessionSettingsBuilder: sessionSettingsBuilder,
)

For the full call flow, init sequence, and gotchas, see the cometchat-flutter-v6-calls skill.

6. AI Features

AI features require enabling the corresponding extension in the CometChat dashboard. The UIKit provides built-in views for each.

Smart Replies

Suggested reply chips shown above the composer after receiving a message.

CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  enableSmartReplies: true,
  smartRepliesDelayDuration: 10000,  // ms before showing suggestions
  smartRepliesKeywords: ['what', 'when', 'why', 'who', 'where', 'how', '?'],
)

Conversation Starters

Suggested messages shown when the chat is empty to help start a conversation.

CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  enableConversationStarters: true,
)

Conversation Summary

A summary of the conversation shown in a panel. Available via the AI option sheet in the message header.

AI Assistant

Full AI chat assistant with chat history. Uses Clean Architecture + BLoC at chat_ui/src/ai_assistant_chat_history/. The chat history button appears in CometChatMessageHeader for AI-type users.

Related props on CometChatMessageHeader:

• hideChatHistoryButton — hide the AI chat history button
• hideNewChatButton — hide the new AI chat button
• chatHistoryButtonClick — custom callback for chat history tap
• newChatButtonClick — custom callback for new chat tap

7. Rich Text & Formatters

The composer supports rich text formatting via the WYSIWYG toolbar (bold, italic, strikethrough, inline code, ordered/bullet lists, blockquote, links, code blocks).

Text Formatters

Pass textFormatters to both CometChatMessageList and CometChatMessageComposer for consistent rendering:

// Available formatters (in shared_ui/src/formatter/)
// - CometChatMentionsFormatter  — @mention users
// - CometChatUrlFormatter       — auto-link URLs
// - CometChatPhoneNumberFormatter — auto-link phone numbers
// - CometChatEmailFormatter     — auto-link emails
// - MarkdownTextFormatter       — render markdown in bubbles

CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  textFormatters: [
    CometChatMentionsFormatter(),
    CometChatUrlFormatter(),
  ],
)

CometChatMessageComposer(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  textFormatters: [
    CometChatMentionsFormatter(),
  ],
)

Mentions

CometChatMentionsFormatter is the primary formatter for @mentions. Type @ in the composer to trigger the user suggestion list.

Related props:

• disableMentions — disable @mention suggestions on both list and composer
• disableMentionAll — disable the @all mention option (composer)
• mentionAllLabel / mentionAllLabelId — customize the @all label

Rich Text Toolbar

The composer's WYSIWYG toolbar is the active formatting system. Configure via:

CometChatMessageComposer(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  richTextConfiguration: RichTextConfiguration(...),
  richTextToolbarView: (context) => CustomToolbar(),
  onRichTextFormatApplied: (formatType) { },
)

8. Reactions

Reactions are auto-enabled. Users long-press a message to add emoji reactions.

Disabling Reactions

CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  disableReactions: true,  // hides reaction UI entirely
)

Customizing Reactions

CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  favoriteReactions: ['👍', '❤️', '😂', '😮', '😢', '🙏'],
  addReactionIcon: Icon(Icons.add_reaction),
  onReactionClick: (reaction) { },
  onReactionLongPress: (reaction) { },
  onReactionListItemClick: (reaction) { },
  reactionsRequestBuilder: ReactionsRequestBuilder()..limit = 10,
  hideReactionOption: true,  // hide "React" from long-press menu
)

9. Disabling Features

Most features can be hidden or disabled via component props.

CometChatMessageHeader

Prop	Type	Effect
hideVoiceCallButton	bool?	Hide voice call button
hideVideoCallButton	bool?	Hide video call button
hideChatHistoryButton	bool?	Hide AI chat history button
hideNewChatButton	bool?	Hide new AI chat button
usersStatusVisibility	bool?	Show/hide online status indicator

CometChatMessageList

Prop	Type	Default	Effect
disableReactions	bool	false	Disable all reaction UI
disableReceipts	bool	false	Hide read/delivered receipts
disableSoundForMessages	bool	false	Mute message sounds
hideDeletedMessages	bool	false	Hide deleted message placeholders
hideReplies	bool	true	Hide reply count on messages
hideThreadView	bool?	—	Hide thread reply indicator
hideDateSeparator	bool	false	Hide date separators
hideStickyDate	bool	false	Hide sticky date header
hideGroupActionMessages	bool	false	Hide "X joined" / "X left" messages
hideReplyInThreadOption	bool	false	Remove "Reply in Thread" from long-press menu
hideReplyOption	bool	false	Remove "Reply" from long-press menu
hideCopyMessageOption	bool	false	Remove "Copy" from long-press menu
hideDeleteMessageOption	bool	false	Remove "Delete" from long-press menu
hideEditMessageOption	bool	false	Remove "Edit" from long-press menu
hideMessageInfoOption	bool	false	Remove "Message Info" from long-press menu
hideMessagePrivatelyOption	bool	false	Remove "Message Privately" from long-press menu
hideReactionOption	bool	false	Remove "React" from long-press menu
hideTranslateMessageOption	bool	false	Remove "Translate" from long-press menu
hideShareMessageOption	bool	false	Remove "Share" from long-press menu
hideSuggestedMessages	bool	false	Hide AI suggested messages
enableSmartReplies	bool	false	Enable smart reply suggestions
enableConversationStarters	bool	false	Enable conversation starter suggestions
enableSwipeToReply	bool	true	Enable swipe-to-reply gesture

CometChatMessageComposer

Prop	Type	Effect
hideVoiceRecordingButton	bool?	Hide voice recording button
hideSendButton	bool?	Hide send button
hideAttachmentButton	bool?	Hide attachment (paperclip) button
hideStickersButton	bool?	Hide stickers button
hidePollsOption	bool?	Hide "Create Poll" from attachment menu
hideCollaborativeDocumentOption	bool?	Hide "Document" from attachment menu
hideCollaborativeWhiteboardOption	bool?	Hide "Whiteboard" from attachment menu
hideAudioAttachmentOption	bool?	Hide audio from attachment menu
hideFileAttachmentOption	bool?	Hide file from attachment menu
hideImageAttachmentOption	bool?	Hide image from attachment menu
hideVideoAttachmentOption	bool?	Hide video from attachment menu
hideTakePhotoOption	bool?	Hide "Take Photo" from attachment menu
disableTypingEvents	bool	Stop sending typing indicators
disableSoundForMessages	bool	Mute send message sound
disableMentions	bool?	Disable @mention suggestions
disableMentionAll	bool	Disable @all mention

Extensions Directory

All extension implementations live under chat_ui/src/extensions/:

extensions/
├── collaborative/                  # Shared collaborative bubble
├── collaborative_document/         # Document extension
├── collaborative_whiteboard/       # Whiteboard extension
├── image_moderation/               # Image moderation filter
├── link_preview/                   # Link preview bubble
├── message_translation/            # Translation bubble + option
├── polls/                          # Poll creation + bubble
├── stickers/                       # Sticker keyboard + bubble
├── thumbnail_generation/           # Thumbnail config
├── extension_constants.dart        # Extension ID constants
├── extension_moderator.dart        # Extension moderator
└── extension.dart                  # Base extension class

Quick Reference — Enabling Everything

final settings = (UIKitSettingsBuilder()
      ..appId = 'YOUR_APP_ID'
      ..region = 'us'
      ..authKey = 'YOUR_AUTH_KEY'
      ..subscriptionType = CometChatSubscriptionType.allUsers
      ..enableCalls = true)
    .build();

await CometChatUIKit.init(uiKitSettings: settings);

// Then in your messages screen:
CometChatMessageList(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  enableSmartReplies: true,
  enableConversationStarters: true,
  enableSwipeToReply: true,
  textFormatters: [CometChatMentionsFormatter()],
)

CometChatMessageComposer(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  textFormatters: [CometChatMentionsFormatter()],
)

CometChatMessageHeader(
  user: user,
  group: group,
  // Call buttons shown automatically when enableCalls = true
)

Dashboard extensions (polls, stickers, translation, link preview, collaborative doc/whiteboard) are auto-wired once enabled in the CometChat dashboard — no code changes needed.