Features Overview
Supported platforms
The following platforms can communicate with each other and provide services across devices and platforms.
Platform | SDK and Compatibility | Demo | Source Code | UI Component |
Android | Compatible with JDK 1.6 and Android SDK version 14 and later | Supported | - | Supported |
iOS | Compatible with iOS 8.0 and later | Supported | - | Supported |
Mac | Compatible with OS X 10.10 and later | Supported | - | - |
Windows | C and C++ are included. Compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. Both 32-bit and 64-bit programs can be connected. | - | - | - |
Web | Supports Internet Explorer 11+, Chrome 7+, Firefox 3.6+, Opera 12+ and Safari 6+ | Supported | - | Supported |
H5 | Supported | Supported | - | Supported |
uni-app | Supported | Supported | - | Supported |
Unity | Supports 2020.2.7f1c1 or later | Supported | - | - |
Flutter | Flutter 2 and Dart 2.12 or later support Android/iOS/web/macOS/Windows | Supported | Supported | |
Electron | Supported | Supported | - | - |
Unreal Engine | Supported | Supported | - | - |
React Native | Supported | Supported | - | - |
Global access
Feature Type | Description |
Global access overview | Chat provides highly reliable, secure, and high-connectivity network connections with global coverage. With its proprietary multi-level optimal addressing algorithm, Chat can perform scheduling across the entire network. When terminals log in from outside the Chinese mainland, Chat SDK connects to the nearest access nodes or acceleration points. |
China | South China, North China, East China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan |
Global | Asia: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, UAE, Indonesia Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Netherlands North America: United States, Canada, Mexico South America: Brazil Oceania: Australia Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, etc. |
Account features
Feature Type | Feature Description |
Importing accounts | Imports accounts in batches. |
Deactivating accounts | Invalidates UserSigs. |
Deleting accounts | Deletes accounts in batches. |
User online status | Manage the online and offline statuses after users log in. |
Query accounts | Batch query whether accounts are imported. |
Multi-client login
Feature Type | Description |
Single-platform | A user can be online on only one of the following platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac, and web. |
Dual-platform (default) | A user can be concurrently online on the web platform and one of the following platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Mac. |
Triple-platform | A user can be concurrently online on three platforms: web + Android/iPhone/iPad + Windows/Mac. |
Multi-platform | A user can be concurrently online on all platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac, and web. |
Note：
You can configure multi-device login by logging in to the Chat console and clicking App Configuration for the target app to open the Feature Configuration page.
Message types
Feature Type | Description |
Text | The message content is plain text. |
Image | The message content includes the URL, dimensions, and size of the image. |
Emoji | Emoji messages are customized by developers. |
Audio | Audio data must include the duration in seconds. |
Location | The message content contains the caption, longitude, and latitude of the location. |
File | The message content includes the URL, size, and format of the file. There are no file format restrictions, and the maximum supported file size is 100 MB. |
Short video | The message content includes the URL, duration, size, and format of the video file. The maximum supported file size is 100 MB. |
Custom | Message types that are customized by developers, such as red packet and rock-paper-scissor. |
System notification | This type of message is divided into built-in system notification messages and system notification messages customized by developers. |
Group tips | System messages pushed when a member joins or leaves a group, group description is modified, group member profile changes, etc. |
Combined messages | Up to 300 messages can be combined. |
Message @features
Feature Type | Description |
Message download | The app admin can obtain all one-to-one or group messages for a specified hour of a specified day in the past 7 days through this API. |
Offline messages | Chat supports offline push when a user logs in, the app switches to work in the background, and other users send messages. |
Roaming messages | When a user logs in on a new device, the historical message storage recorded (on the cloud) by the server is synchronized to the new device. Roaming messages are stored for 7 days by default. You can pay to increase the roaming message storage period. |
Multi-client Sync | Messages can be synced across multiple devices so that they can be received at the same time. |
Historical messages | Both local and cloud historical messages are supported. |
Message Recall | Recall a message that has been delivered successfully. By default, messages that were delivered more than 2 minutes ago cannot be recalled. Only C2C chat and group chat messages can be recalled. Messages sent in audio-video chat rooms (AVChatRooms) cannot be recalled. |
Message Read Receipt | Users can check if messages have been read in a C2C chat. |
Message forwarding | Users can forward messages to other users or groups. |
Mention Feature | There is no essential difference between an in-group @ message and an ordinary message, although the user specified by @ will see a special UI effect. |
Typing indicator | This feature can be implemented in online messaging scenarios. |
Offline push | Apple APNs, Xiaomi push, Huawei push, Meizu push, OPPO push, vivo push, and Google FCM push are supported. |
Message Deletion | Use the remove method for messages to delete messages locally. |
Red Packet Messages | Red packet messages are similar to @ messages and can be implemented through TIMCustomElem. |
All Users Push | A set of RESTful APIs based on the Chat communication architecture to enable push to all users, push by tag, and push by attribute in an app. You can integrate the client with the SDK for capabilities such as online push, offline push (Android background notification and APNs), and message receiving. |
Local message search | Support searching for friends, searching for groups/group members, and searching for messages and grouping them by conversation. |
Cloud search | Supports cloud-based global search, specified conversation search, specified user search, "OR" / "AND" relationship search, etc. Subsequent updates will support searching for accounts, groups, and other capabilities. |
Profile features
Feature Type | Description |
Set user profile | Users can set profile including the nickname, verification method, profile photo, gender, age, UserSig, and location. |
Retrieve user profile | Users can view their own profile and the profile of friends and strangers. |
Retrieve user profile by specific fields | This feature allows retrieval of user profile based on specific fields. |
Custom user profile fields | Up to 20 custom user profile fields are supported. |
Relationship chain features
Feature Type | Description |
Search for friends | Search for a friend by account ID. |
Friend requests | Specify whether a request reason is required. The default is no. |
Add friends | Send friend requests. |
Import friends | Support importing one-way friends in batches. |
Update friends | Support updating the relationship chain data of multiple friends of a user at a time. |
Delete friends | Friends can be deleted after they are added to the contact list. |
Obtain all friends | This feature can obtain all friends. Only basic information of friends is pulled by default. |
Accept/Reject friend requests | Accept or reject a friend request after receiving a friend request system notification. |
Add to the blocklist | Block any user. If you block friends, you also unfriend them. |
Remove from the blocklist | Remove a user from the blocklist. |
Obtain the blocklist | Pull the blocklist of users. |
Friend remarks | Add remarks for a friend after becoming friends. |
Set custom friend fields | Up to 20 custom fields are allowed. |
Create a friend group | When creating a group, you can choose who goes to the group. A user can be added to multiple groups. |
Delete a friend group | Delete a friend group. |
Verify friends | Support verifying multiple friends at a time. |
Verify users on a blocklist | Support verifying multiple users at a time. |
Add a friend to a group | Add a friend to a group. |
Delete a friend from a friend group | Remove a friend from a friend group. |
Rename a friend group | Rename a friend group. |
Retrieve friend group information | Retrieve a specific friend group. |
Retrieve all friend groups | Retrieve the information of all friend groups. This can also be achieved by retrieving all friends. |
Relationship chain storage | The SDK can store relationship chain information. |
System notifications on friend profile changes | When a friend’s profile changes, you will receive a system notification. |
System notification on relationship chain changes | When a relationship chain change occurs, you will receive a system notification. |
Group features
Based on common use cases, Chat provides the following default group types:
A work group (Work) allows users to join the group by being invited by a friend who is a member of the group. The invitation does not need to be accepted by the invitee or approved by the group owner.
A public group (Public) allows the group owner to designate group admins. To join the group, a user needs to search for the group ID and send a request, and the request needs to be approved by the group owner or an admin before the user can join the group.
A meeting group (Meeting) allows users to join and exit freely and supports viewing message history from before the user joined the group. Meeting groups are ideal for scenarios that integrate Tencent Real-Time Communication (TRTC), such as audio and video conferences and online education.
An audio-video group (AVChatRoom) allows users to join and exit freely, supports an unlimited number of members, and does not store message history. Livestreaming groups can be used with Live Video Broadcasting (LVB) to support on-screen comment chat scenarios.
A community group (Community) allows users to join and exit freely, supports up to 100,000 members, and stores message history. To join the group, a user needs to search for the group ID and send an application, and the application does not need to be approved by an admin before the user can join the group.
Note:
Community is a new powerful tool for entertainment collaboration. Within the same community, a high number of members can be divided into different groups and topics to separate messages for hierarchical communication, yet they can also share the same set of friend relationships. This helps you explore a unique path of social expansion. The community feature is suitable for diverse use cases, such as finding like-minded people, game-based social networking, fan marketing, and organization management.
Community: The community feature is supported by a client with the SDK enhanced edition v5.8.1668 or later and the web SDK v2.17.0 or later. To use it, you need to purchase the Pro、Pro Plus、Enterprise, and then enable it via console > Feature Configuration > Group configuration > Group feature configuration > Community.
The following table compares the default features of each group type:
Feature | Work | Public | Meeting | AVChatRoom | Community |
Maximum number of members | Trial edition: 20 per group; Standard edition: 500 per group by default; Pro edition: 2,000 per group by default; Pro Plus edition：5,000 per group by default; Enterprise edition：6,000 per group by default; | Trial editionl: 20 per group; Standard edition: 500 per group by default; Pro edition: 2,000 per group by default; Pro Plus edition：5,000 per group by default; Enterprise edition：6,000 per group by default; | Trial edition: 20 per group; Standard edition: 500 per group by default; Pro edition: 2,000 per group by default; Pro Plus edition：5,000 per group by default; Enterprise edition：6,000 per group by default; | Unlimited | Trial edition: 100,000 per group by default; Standard edition: not supported; Pro edition: 100,000 per group by default Pro Plus edition: 1,000,000 per group by default Enterprise edition: 1,000,000 per group by default |
Permission to modify a group profile | Group members Group owner App admins | Group admins Group owner App admins | Group owner App admins | Group owner App admins | Group admins Group owner App admins |
Member lists | Show all | Show all | Show all | Not show | Show all |
Permission to disband a group | App admins | Group owner App admins | Group owner App admins | Group owner App admins | Group owner App admins |
Request to join a group | Not supported | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Membership request approval | Not supported | Required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Inviting others to a group | Confirmation from the invitee is not required. | Not supported | Not supported | Not supported | Confirmation from the invitee is not required. |
Group owner leaving the group | Supported | Not supported | Not supported | Not supported | Not supported |
Setting admins | Not supported | Supported | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
Removing members from a group | Group owner App admins | Group admins Group owner App admins | Group admins Group owner App admins | Not supported | Group admins Group owner App admins |
Historical message storage | Supported | Supported | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
Viewing roaming messages from before the user joined the group | Disabled by default. This feature can be configured in the | Disabled by default. This feature can be configured in the | Enabled by default. This feature can be configured in the | Not supported | Enabled by default. This feature can be configured in the |
Group member change notifications | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when a user is invited to a group, applies to join a group, is kicked out of a group, or leaves a group. This feature can be configured in the console. | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when a user is invited to a group, applies to join a group, is kicked out of a group, or leaves a group. This feature can be configured in the console. | A notification is disabled by default when a user is invited to a group, applies to join a group, is kicked out of a group, or leaves a group. This feature can be configured in the console. | A notification will be pushed but not stored on the roaming server when a user is invited to a group, applies to join a group, is kicked out of a group, or leaves a group. | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when a user is invited to a group, applies to join a group, is kicked out of a group, or leaves a group. This feature can be configured in the console. |
Group profile change notifications | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when the group name, group notifications, group introduction, group avatar, or group owner is changed, and a notification is disabled by default when group muting or the group joining application method is changed. This feature can be configured in the | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when the group name, group notifications, group introduction, group avatar, or group owner is changed, and a notification is disabled by default when group muting or the group joining application method is changed. This feature can be configured in the | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when the group name, group notifications, group introduction, group avatar, or group owner is changed, and a notification is disabled by default when group muting or the group joining application method is changed. This feature can be configured in the | A notification will be pushed but not stored on the roaming server when the group name, group notifications, group introduction, group avatar, or group owner is changed, and a notification is disabled when group muting or the group joining application method is changed. | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when the group name, group notifications, group introduction, group avatar, or group owner is changed, and a notification is disabled by default when group muting is changed. This feature can be configured in the console. For a community group, the group joining application method cannot be modified, and therefore no related notification is involved. |
Group member profile change notifications | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when member muting or group admin is changed. This feature can be configured in the console. | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when member muting or group admin is changed. This feature can be configured in the console. | A notification is disabled by default when member muting or group admin is changed. This feature can be configured in the | A notification is disabled by default when member muting or group admin is changed. This feature can be configured in the | A notification will be pushed and stored on the roaming server by default when member muting or group admin is changed. This feature can be configured in the |
Group activation | Activate via messages. | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Muting members | Not supported | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Unread message count | Supported | Supported | Not supported | Not supported | Supported |
Default message receiving option | Receive online and offline pushed messages. | Receive online and offline pushed messages. | Receive only online pushed messages. | Receive only online pushed messages. | Receive online and offline pushed messages. |
Importing groups | Supported | Supported | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
Chat console
Feature Type | Description |
App creation | Create an app. |
App upgrade | Upgrade the package version. |
SDK download | Download the client SDK. |
App configuration | Configure the app. |
Statistical analysis | View operations data. |
Webhook configuration | Third-party webhook. |
Feature configuration | Add custom fields and active instances. |
Group management | Add, modify, and delete groups; manage group members; send messages. |
Developer tool | Generate UserSig on the webpage. |
Statistics
The statistics and analytics feature in the Chat console allows you to view operations data in various dimensions.
Statistic Type | Description |
Active users | View the number of users (deduplicated) that have connected to and interacted with the server. |
New registered users | View the number of newly registered users. |
Total registered users | View the total number of registered users. |
Upstream messages | Specify a time period and view the number of upstream messages. |
Message senders | Specify a time period and view the number of message senders. |
Peak concurrent online users | Specify a time period and view the number of concurrent online users. |
C2C upstream messages | Specify a time period and view the number of C2C upstream messages. |
C2C message senders | Specify a time period and view the number of C2C message senders. |
Group upstream messages | Specify a time period and view the number of group upstream messages. |
Group message senders | Specify a time period and view the number of group message senders. |
Message sending groups | Specify a time period and view the number of groups that send messages. |
New groups | Specify a time period and view the number of new groups. |
Total groups | Specify a time period and view the total number of groups. |
Data export | Specify a time period and export data. |
Real-time monitoring
The statistics and analytics feature in the Chat console allows you to view operations data in various dimensions.
Statistic Type | Description |
Current online users | Number of online users in real time. |
C2C messages volume today | Total number of C2C messages of the current day. |
Group messages (non-AVChatRoom) today | Number of non-AVChatRoom group messages of the current day. |
AVChatRoom messages today | Number of AVChatRoom group messages of the current day. |
Private deployment
Private deployment allows an enterprise to deploy systems directly to its own servers and save data locally. Chat provides the private deployment feature to assist enterprises in the deployment, implementation, and operations and maintenance of the private version.
Note：
To apply for private deployment, you need to log in with your root account of Tencent Cloud.
