cometchat-react-native-components

SkillDev tools

The closed list of CometChat React Native UI Kit v5 components, what each one is for, and how to put custom UI INSIDE a component's view slot instead of stacking it on top. Triggers: which CometChat component React Native, custom header RN chat, add a button to the conversation list, custom list item RN, CometChat component list, add an avatar to my chat, show a profile picture, status indicator RN, badge RN, list item RN.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the cometchat-react-native-components skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by cometchat/cometchat-skills in skills/cometchat-react-native-components/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Ground truth: catalog rn-v5.json (216 public symbols) — the closed list below IS the catalog. A component not in it does not exist. Fetch props per component via core/references/docs-map.md.

Companion skills (read first)

  • cometchat-react-native-core — install, provider chain, init→login→render. Assumed, not repeated here.

Use this skill when

  • "which component do I use for X" · "add a button to the conversation list header"
  • "custom list row" · "replace the message bubble" · "what components ship in v5"

Prerequisites & install

None beyond core.

Component catalog (closed list)

Lists

ComponentPurpose
CometChatConversationsrecent-conversations list — the usual entry screen
CometChatUsersuser directory
CometChatGroupsgroup directory
CometChatGroupMembersactive members of a group (not banned — see below)

Message pane

ComponentPurpose
CometChatMessageHeadertitle, presence, back, call buttons
CometChatMessageListthe scrollback; renders bubbles, receipts, reactions
CometChatMessageComposerinput, attachments, voice notes
CometChatCompactMessageComposersingle-line composer for tight layouts
CometChatThreadHeaderthread replies — a screen on RN, not a side panel
CometChatMessageInformationper-message delivery/read detail

Search · AI · notifications

ComponentPurpose
CometChatSearchmessage + conversation search
CometChatAIAssistantChatHistory · CometChatAIAssistantToolsAI assistant surfaces
CometChatConversationStarter · CometChatSmartReplies · CometChatConversationSummaryAI suggestions
CometChatNotificationFeedin-app notification feed

Calling — needs @cometchat/calls-sdk-react-native

ComponentPurpose
CometChatCallButtonsaudio/video call triggers
CometChatIncomingCall · CometChatOutgoingCall · CometChatOngoingCallcall lifecycle screens
CometChatCallLogscall history list (detail views were removed in v5)

Bubbles — the list renders these itself; place them only in a custom template CometChatTextBubble · CometChatImageBubble · CometChatVideoBubble · CometChatAudioBubble · CometChatFileBubble · CometChatVoiceNoteBubble · CometChatStickerBubble · CometChatCollaborativeDocumentBubble · CometChatCollaborativeWhiteBoardBubble · CometChatMeetCallBubble

Multi-attachment — RN only, no React equivalent CometChatAttachmentPreview · CometChatAttachmentPreviewItem · CometChatAttachmentTile · CometChatAttachmentTray · CometChatAttachmentViewer and the plural bubbles CometChatImagesBubble · CometChatVideosBubble · CometChatAudiosBubble · CometChatFilesBubble.

DOCS GAP (RN-G4): all nine are undocumented. Build from the kit source and say so.

Not components — but public and load-bearing ChatConfigurator · DataSourceDecorator · CometChatMessageTemplate (custom message types → customization) · CometChatThemeProvider + useTheme() · CometChatI18nProvider · CometChatUIEventHandler · CometChatUiKitConstants.

Primitives & building blocks — exported, and what you reach for when composing a custom row, header or bubble yourself. Existence is baked here; fetch each one's props from the docs (core/references/docs-map.md) — do not infer them from .d.ts.

GroupExports
IdentityCometChatAvatar · CometChatStatusIndicator · CometChatBadge · CometChatDate
Row shellCometChatListItem
OverlaysCometChatActionSheet · CometChatBottomSheet · CometChatConfirmDialog · CometChatReportDialog · CometChatMediaViewer
Composer add-onsCometChatEmojiKeyboard · CometChatMediaRecorder · CometChatInlineAudioRecorder · CometChatCreatePoll · CometChatSuggestionList · CometChatMessagePreview · CometChatMessageComposerAction · CometChatMessageOption
ReactionsCometChatReactions · CometChatQuickReactions · CometChatReactionList
Text formattersCometChatTextFormatter · CometChatMentionsFormatter · CometChatUrlsFormatter · CometChatRichTextFormatter
HelpersCometChatUIKit · CometChatUIKitHelper · CometChatSoundManager

Changing a user's own avatar/name is not a component — it is the SDK call CometChat.updateCurrentUserDetails(); see cometchat-react-native-sdk.

Components that do NOT exist in v5

CometChatErrorBoundary · CometChatDetails · CometChatAddMembers · CometChatBannedMembers · CometChatTransferOwnership · CometChatContacts · every *WithMessages composite · CometChatCallLogDetails / History / Participants / Recordings. They were removed in kit v5. Each has an SDK-fallback path in core/references/docs-map.mdbanned members has no UI surface at all, so an app that bans must also wire view + unban.

Custom UI goes IN a slot, not on top

Every list and header exposes view slots. Custom UI belongs inside the slot so the component keeps its own layout, scrolling and empty/error states. Stacking a sibling above the list is the classic mistake — it double-renders headers and breaks scroll.

⚠️ RN slot props are PascalCase. React's are camelCase; a ported snippet silently does nothing because an unknown prop is simply ignored.

ComponentSlots
CometChatConversationsItemView · TitleView · SubtitleView · LeadingView · TrailingView · SearchView · EmptyView · ErrorView · LoadingView
CometChatUsers / CometChatGroupsItemView · TitleView · SubtitleView · LeadingView · TrailingView · EmptyView · ErrorView · LoadingView
CometChatMessageHeaderItemView · TitleView · SubtitleView · LeadingView · TrailingView · AuxiliaryButtonView
CometChatMessageListHeaderView · FooterView · EmptyView · ErrorView · LoadingView
CometChatMessageComposerHeaderView · SendButtonView · AuxiliaryButtonView · CustomView
import { CometChatConversations } from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react-native";
import { Pressable, Text } from "react-native";

<CometChatConversations
  TrailingView={() => (
    <Pressable onPress={onArchive}>
      <Text>Archive</Text>
    </Pressable>
  )}
/>;

Slot names differ per component — fetch the exact list from that component's docs page rather than copying from a sibling.

Common pitfalls

  1. camelCase slot propsitemView is ignored silently. RN uses ItemView.
  2. Rendering a sibling above a list instead of using its slot — duplicate headers, broken scroll.
  3. Placing a bubble component directly — the list renders bubbles; use a template (customization).
  4. Reaching for a removed component — check the closed list above before emitting.
  5. Assuming CometChatGroupMembers covers banned users — it lists active members only.

Verify it works

  • Every emitted component appears in catalogs/rn-v5.json.
  • npm run verify:fences:rn-v5 is green.
  • On device: custom slot content renders inside the component, and the list still scrolls.

Signals

GitHub stars
109
Forks
2
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
cometchat-react-native-components
Source
github.com/cometchat/cometchat-skills