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Version: v4

Authentication

Create User​

Before you log in a user, you must add the user to CometChat.

  1. For proof of concept/MVPs: Create the user using the CometChat Dashboard.
  2. For production apps: Use the CometChat Create User API to create the user when your user signs up in your app.
Sample Users

We have setup 5 users for testing having UIDs: cometchat-uid-1, cometchat-uid-2, cometchat-uid-3, cometchat-uid-4 and cometchat-uid-5.

Once initialization is successful, you will need to log the user into CometChat using the login() method.

We recommend you call the CometChat login() method once your user logs into your app. The login() method needs to be called only once.

Important

The CometChat SDK maintains the session of the logged-in user within the SDK. Thus you do not need to call the login method for every session. You can use the CometChat.getLoggedInUser() method to check if there is any existing session in the SDK. This method should return the details of the logged-in user. If this method returns null, it implies there is no session present within the SDK and you need to log the user into ComeChat.

Login using Auth Key​

This straightforward authentication method is ideal for proof-of-concept (POC) development or during the early stages of application development. For production environments, however, we strongly recommend using an AuthToken instead of an Auth Key to ensure enhanced security.

private String UID = "cometchat-uid-1";
private String authKey = "AUTH_KEY";

if (CometChat.getLoggedInUser() == null) {
    CometChat.login(UID, authKey, new CometChat.CallbackListener<User>() {
        @Override
        public void onSuccess(User user) {

        }

        @Override
        public void onError(CometChatException e) {

        }
    });
} else {
    // user already logged-in perform your action
}

ParameterDescription
UIDThe UID of the user that you would like to login
authKeyCometChat App Auth Key

After the user logs in, their information is returned in the User object.

Login using Auth Token​

This advanced authentication procedure does not use the Auth Key directly in your client code thus ensuring safety.

  1. Create a User via the CometChat API when the user signs up in your app.
  2. Create an Auth Token via the CometChat API for the new user every time the user logs in to your app.
  3. Pass the Auth Token to your client and use it in the login() method.
private String authToken = "AUTH_TOKEN";

CometChat.login(authToken, new CometChat.CallbackListener<User>()
  @Override
  public void onSuccess(User user) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Login Successful : " + user.toString());
  }

  @Override
  public void onError(CometChatException e) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Login failed with exception: " + e.getMessage());
  }
});
ParameterDescription
authTokenAuth Token of the user you would like to login

After the user logs in, their information is returned in the User object.

Logout​

You can use the logout() method to log out the user from CometChat. We suggest you call this method once your user has been successfully logged out from your app.

CometChat.logout(new CometChat.CallbackListener<String>() {
  @Override
  public void onSuccess(String successMessage) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Logout completed successfully");
  }

  @Override
  public void onError(CometChatException e) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Logout failed with exception: " + e.getMessage());
  }
});