QuickBlox Docs

QuickBlox Documentation

QuickBlox provides powerful Chat API and SDK to add real-time messaging and video calls to your web and mobile apps. Learn how to integrate QuickBlox across multiple platforms.

Setup

Learn how to add and configure QuickBlox SDK for your app.

Suggest Edits

Follow the instructions below to ensure that QuickBlox Android SDK runs smoothly with your app.

Visit our Key Concepts page to get an overall understanding of the most important QuickBlox concepts.

Get application credentials

QuickBlox application includes everything that brings messaging right into your application - chat, video calling, users, push notifications, etc. To create a QuickBlox application, follow the steps below:

  1. Register a new account following this link. Type in your email and password to sign in. You can also sign in with your Google or Github accounts.
  2. Create the app by clicking the New app button.
  3. Configure the app. Type in the information about your organization into corresponding fields and click the Add button.
  4. Go to the Dashboard => YOUR_APP => Overview section and copy your Application ID, Authorization Key, Authorization Secret, and Account Key .

Requirements

The minimum requirements for QuickBlox Android SDK are:

  • Android 5.0 (API 21)
  • Android Studio
  • Gradle 4.6
  • Gradle plugin 2.5.1

Install QuickBlox SDK into your app

To connect QuickBlox SDK to your app, import QuickBlox SDK dependencies via build.gradle file.
Include reference to SDK repository in your project-level build.gradle file at the root directory. Specify the URL of QuickBlox repository where the files are stored. Following this URL, gradle finds SDK artifacts.

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
        maven {
            url "https://github.com/QuickBlox/quickblox-android-sdk-releases/raw/master/"
        }
    }
}

When the artifacts are found in QuickBlox repository, they get imported to particular SDK modules in build.gradle project file. Add the following code lines to app-level build.gradle file.

dependencies {
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-messages:3.9.2"
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-chat:3.9.2"
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-content:3.9.2"
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-videochat-webrtc:3.9.2"
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-conference:3.9.2"
    implementation "com.quickblox:quickblox-android-sdk-customobjects:3.9.2"
}

Parameters

Description

messages

Push Notifications module enables working with push notifications and alerts to users.

chat

Chat module allows creating dialogs and sending messages into these dialogs.

content

Content module enables file storage and creating chat attachments for your app.

webrtc

Video Calling module adds video and audio calling features to your app.

conference

Video Conference allows setting up a video conference between 10-12 people in your app.

customobjects

Custom Objects module provides flexibility to define any data structure you need for your app.

Add permissions

To use the QuickBlox SDK, you need to add the following permissions to your app manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

To use video calling in your app, make sure to add the following minimum required permissions to your app manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />

To use chat functionality in your app and be able to send/receive files in the messages, make sure to add the following minimum required permissions to your app manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

If you need to add any other functionality to your app, you can add the relevant permissions to your app manifest. See this section to learn how to declare permissions. See this section to learn how to request permissions.

📘

Note that mentioning the camera and microphone permissions in the manifest isn't always enough. You need to request camera and microphone permissions additionally at runtime.

Initialize QuickBlox SDK

Initialize the framework with your application credentials. Pass Application ID, Authorization Key, Authorization Secret, and Account Key to the init() method.

🚧

You must initialize SDK before calling any methods through the SDK, except for the init() method. If you attempt to call a method without connecting, the error is returned.

static final String APPLICATION_ID = "41";
static final String AUTH_KEY = "lkjdueksu7392kj";
static final String AUTH_SECRET = "iiohfdija792hj";
static final String ACCOUNT_KEY = "sdjfnksnlk2bk1k34kb";

QBSettings.getInstance().init(getApplicationContext(), APPLICATION_ID, AUTH_KEY, AUTH_SECRET);
QBSettings.getInstance().setAccountKey(ACCOUNT_KEY);

private const val APPLICATION_ID = "41"
private const val AUTH_KEY = "lkjdueksu7392kj"
private const val AUTH_SECRET = "iiohfdija792hj"
private const val ACCOUNT_KEY = "sdjfnksnlk2bk1k34kb"

QBSettings.getInstance().init(applicationContext, APPLICATION_ID, AUTH_KEY, AUTH_SECRET)
QBSettings.getInstance().accountKey = ACCOUNT_KEY

Argument

Required

Description

APPLICATION_ID

yes

Application identifier.

AUTH_KEY

yes

Authorization key.

AUTH_SECRET

yes

Authorization secret.

ACCOUNT_KEY

yes

Account key. Required to get actual Chat and API endpoints for the right server.

Point SDK to enterprise server

To point QuickBlox SDK to the QuickBlox enterprise server, you should pass API_ENDPOINT and CHAT_ENDPOINT to the setEndpoints() method.

private static final String API_ENDPOINT  = "https://apicustomdomain.quickblox.com";
private static final String CHAT_ENDPOINT = "chatcustomdomain.quickblox.com";
 
// use this method only if you need to set custom endpoints
QBSettings.getInstance().setEndpoints(API_ENDPOINT, CHAT_ENDPOINT), ServiceZone.PRODUCTION);
QBSettings.getInstance().setZone(ServiceZone.PRODUCTION);

private const val API_ENDPOINT = "https://apicustomdomain.quickblox.com"
private const val CHAT_ENDPOINT = "chatcustomdomain.quickblox.com"

// use the this method only if you need to set custom endpoints
QBSettings.getInstance().setEndpoints(API_ENDPOINT, CHAT_ENDPOINT, ServiceZone.PRODUCTION)
QBSettings.getInstance().zone = ServiceZone.PRODUCTION

Argument

Required

Description

API_ENDPOINT

yes

API endpoint.

CHAT_ENDPOINT

yes

Chat endpoint.

ServiceZone.PRODUCTION

yes

Connection service zone. The area where push notifications and messages can work.

📘

For Basic, Startup, and Growth plan users

Don't use setEndpoints() method to provide smooth migration between servers.

📘

For Enterprise plan users

- Contact our sales team to get API endpoint and chat endpoint.
- Set API_ENDPOINT and CHAT_ENDPOINT after initialization. If you have your own API and Chat servers you should set these endpoints manually.

Enable logging

Logging functionality allows you to keep track of all events and activities while running your app. As a result, you can monitor the operation of the SDK and improve the debug efficiency. There are 3 logging use cases:

  • REST API logging is used to monitor REST API calls.
  • Chat logging is used to monitor chat issues.
  • WebRTC logging is used to gather issues with video.

REST API logging

Enable REST API calls debug console output using the code snippet below.

QBSettings.getInstance().setLogLevel(LogLevel.DEBUG);

QBSettings.getInstance().logLevel = LogLevel.DEBUG

Parameters

Description

LogLevel.NOTHING

Write nothing. Turn off logs.

LogLevel.DEBUG

Enable logs (default value).

Chat logging

Use the method below to enable a detailed XMPP logging in the console output. true is enabled, false is disabled. Default: false.

QBChatService.setDebugEnabled(true);

QBChatService.setDebugEnabled(true)

WebRTC logging

To enable WebRTC logging, use the setDebugEnabled() method. true is enabled, false is disabled. Default: true.

QBRTCConfig.setDebugEnabled(true);

QBRTCConfig.setDebugEnabled(true)

Enable auto-reconnect to Chat

QuickBlox Chat runs over XMPP protocol. To receive messages in a real-time mode, the application should be connected to the Chat over XMPP protocol. To enable auto-reconnect to Chat, call the setReconnectionAllowed() method and pass true.

QBChatService.getInstance().setReconnectionAllowed(true)

QBChatService.getInstance().isReconnectionAllowed = true

📘

By default, autoreconnection functionality is enabled. Set autoreconnection before calling the QBChatService.getInstance().login() method so it could be applied in a current chat.

Message carbons

Message carbons functionality allows for multi-device support. Thus, all user messages get copied to all their devices so they could keep up with the current state of the conversation. For example, a User A has phone running conversations and desktop running conversations. User B has desktop running conversations. When User B sends a message to User A, the message shows on both the desktop and phone of User A.

Enable message carbons

try {
   QBChatService.getInstance().enableCarbons();
} catch (XMPPException e) {
   e.printStackTrace();
} catch (SmackException e) {
   e.printStackTrace();
}

try {
   QBChatService.getInstance().enableCarbons()
} catch (e: XMPPException) {
   e.printStackTrace()
} catch (e: SmackException) {
   e.printStackTrace()
}

Disable message carbons

try {
   QBChatService.getInstance().disableCarbons();
} catch (XMPPException e) {
   e.printStackTrace();
} catch (SmackException e) {
   e.printStackTrace();
}

try {
   QBChatService.getInstance().disableCarbons()
} catch (e: XMPPException) {
   e.printStackTrace()
} catch (e: SmackException) {
   e.printStackTrace()
}

📘

By default, message carbons functionality is disabled.

📘

Since message carbons functionality works over XMPP connection, make sure to enable it after the QBChatService.getInstance().login() method is called.

Stream management

Stream management has two important features Stanza Acknowledgements and Stream Resumption:

  • Stanza Acknowledgements is the ability to know if a stanza or series of stanzas has been received by one's peer. In other words, a reply is requested on every sent message. If the reply is received, the message is considered as delivered.
  • Stream Resumption is the ability to quickly resume a stream that has been terminated. So once a connection is re-established, Stream Resumption is executed. By matching the sequence numbers assigned to each Stanza Acknowledgement a server and client can verify which messages are missing and request to resend missing messages. 
QBChatService.getInstance().setUseStreamManagement(true);

QBChatService.getInstance().setUseStreamManagement(true)

📘

By default, stream management functionality is disabled.

📘

You should enable Stream Management before you do the login() because the Stream Management is initialized while Chat login is performed.

The Stream Management defines an extension for active management of a stream between a client and server, including features for stanza acknowledgments.

Configure media settings

You can use a QBRTCMediaConfig class instance to configure a various list of media settings like video/audio codecs, bitrate, fps, etc.

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.AudioCodec.ISAC);
QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.AudioCodec.OPUS);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.H264);
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.VP8);
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.VP9);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioStartBitrate(audioStartBitrate);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoStartBitrate(videoStartBitrate);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoWidth(videoWidth);
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoHeight(videoHeight);

// Enable Hardware Acceleration if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoHWAcceleration(true);

// Set frames-per-second in transmitting video stream
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoFps(videoFPS);

// Enable built-in AEC if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setUseBuildInAEC(true);

// Enable OpenSL ES audio if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setUseOpenSLES(true);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioProcessingEnabled(true);

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.AudioCodec.ISAC)
QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.AudioCodec.OPUS)

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.H264)
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.VP8)
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoCodec(QBRTCMediaConfig.VideoCodec.VP9)

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioStartBitrate(audioStartBitrate)

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoStartBitrate(videoStartBitrate)

QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoWidth(videoWidth)
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoHeight(videoHeight)

// Enable Hardware Acceleration if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoHWAcceleration(true)

// Set frames-per-second in transmitting video stream
QBRTCMediaConfig.setVideoFps(videoFPS)

// Enable built-in AEC if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setUseBuildInAEC(true)

// Enable OpenSL ES audio if device supports it
QBRTCMediaConfig.setUseOpenSLES(true)

QBRTCMediaConfig.setAudioProcessingEnabled(true)

📘

Make sure to setup media settings before initiating a call.

Synchronous and Asynchronous performers

You can use different performers perform() or performAsync(). Please note that the QBUsers.getUser() method is used there as an example. You can use these performers in all cases where performers are available. In a synchronous way, you should handle QBResponseException.

try {
    QBUsers.getUser(qbUser.getId()).perform();
} catch (QBResponseException e) {
      // handling exception
}

try {
    QBUsers.getUser(qbUser.id).perform()
} catch (e: QBResponseException) {
      // handling exception
}

In an asynchronous way, you can make further logic according to the server response.

QBUsers.getUser(qbUser.getId()).performAsync(new QBEntityCallback<QBUser>() {
    @Override
    public void onSuccess(QBUser qbUser, Bundle bundle) {

    }

    @Override
    public void onError(QBResponseException e) {

    }
});

QBUsers.getUser(qbUser.id).performAsync(object : QBEntityCallback<QBUser> {
    override fun onSuccess(qbUser: QBUser?, bundle: Bundle?) {

    }

    override fun onError(e: QBResponseException?) {

    }
})

Custom ICE servers

You can customize a list of ICE servers. By default, WebRTC module will use internal ICE servers that are usually enough, but you can always set your own. WebRTC engine will choose the TURN relay with the lowest round-trip time. Thus, setting multiple TURN servers allows your application to scale-up in terms of bandwidth and number of users.

// Set custom ICE servers up. Use it in case you want set YOUR OWN servers instead of defaults

List<PeerConnection.IceServer> iceServerList = new LinkedList<>();

iceServerList.add(new PeerConnection.IceServer("stun:stun.randomserver.example","", ""));
iceServerList.add(new PeerConnection.IceServer("stun:stun.randomserver.example","stun_login", "hdccn97ba2d56d72i426eb9875bya7yte8"));
iceServerList.add(new PeerConnection.IceServer("turn:turn.randomserver.example:6789?transport=udp","turn_login", "78kkb67m2f45h1e27ub9886gt70109"));
iceServerList.add(new PeerConnection.IceServer("turn:turn.randomserver.example:6789?transport=tcp","turn_login", "78kkb67m2f45h1e27ub9886gt70109"))
        
QBRTCConfig.setIceServerList(iceServerList);

// Set custom ICE servers up. Use it in case you want set YOUR OWN servers instead of defaults

val iceServerList = LinkedList<PeerConnection.IceServer>()

iceServerList.add(PeerConnection.IceServer("stun:stun.randomserver.example", "", ""))
iceServerList.add(PeerConnection.IceServer("stun:turn.randomserver.example", "stun_login", "hdccn97ba2d56d72i426eb9875bya7yte8"))
iceServerList.add(PeerConnection.IceServer("turn:turn.randomserver.example:6789?transport=udp", "turn_login", "78kkb67m2f45h1e27ub9886gt70109"))
iceServerList.add(PeerConnection.IceServer("turn:turn.randomserver.example:6789?transport=tcp", "turn_login", "78kkb67m2f45h1e27ub9886gt70109"))

QBRTCConfig.setIceServerList(iceServerList)

Updated about a month ago

What's Next

Authentication

Setup

Learn how to add and configure QuickBlox SDK for your app.

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