Send Messages - CometChat Docs

AI Integration Quick Reference

Field	Value
Key Classes	`TextMessage`, `MediaMessage`, `CustomMessage`
Key Methods	`sendTextMessage()`, `sendMediaMessage()`, `sendCustomMessage()`
Receiver Types	`.user`, `.group`
Message Types	`.text`, `.image`, `.video`, `.audio`, `.file`, custom
Prerequisites	SDK initialized, user logged in

CometChat supports four types of messages:

Type	Method	Use Case
Text	`sendTextMessage()`	Plain text messages
Media	`sendMediaMessage()`	Images, videos, audio, files
Custom	`sendCustomMessage()`	Location, polls, or any JSON data
Card	Receive-only	Structured, interactive card bubbles (created via the REST API)

You can also send metadata along with a text, media or custom message. Think, for example, if you’d want to share the user’s location with every message, you can use the metadata field.

Text Message

Send a text message using CometChat.sendTextMessage() with a TextMessage object.

Swift (User)
Objective-C (User)
Swift (Group)
Objective-C (Group)

let receiverID = "cometchat-uid-2"
let text = "Hello"

let textMessage = TextMessage(receiverUid: receiverID, text: text, receiverType: .user)

CometChat.sendTextMessage(message: textMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("TextMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("TextMessage sending failed with error: " + error!.errorDescription);
}

NSString *receiverID = @"cometchat-uid-1";
NSString *text       = @"Hello";

TextMessage *textMessage = [[TextMessage alloc]initWithReceiverUid:receiverID text:text receiverType:ReceiverTypeUser];

[CometChat sendTextMessageWithMessage:textMessage onSuccess:^(TextMessage * message) {
    NSLog(@"TextMessage sent successfully. %@",[message stringValue]);
} onError:^(CometChatException * error) {
    NSLog(@"TextMessage sending failed with error: %@",[error errorDescription]);
}];

let receiverID = "cometchat-guid-102"
let text = "Hello"

let textMessage = TextMessage(receiverUid: receiverID, text: text, receiverType: .group)

CometChat.sendTextMessage(message: textMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("TextMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("TextMessage sending failed with error: " + error!.errorDescription);
}

NSString *receiverID = @"cometchat-guid-101";
NSString *text       = @"Hello";

TextMessage *textMessage = [[TextMessage alloc]initWithReceiverUid:receiverID text:text receiverType:ReceiverTypeGroup];

[CometChat sendTextMessageWithMessage:textMessage onSuccess:^(TextMessage * message) {
    NSLog(@"TextMessage sent successfully. %@",[message stringValue]);
} onError:^(CometChatException * error) {
    NSLog(@"TextMessage sending failed with error: %@",[error errorDescription]);
}];

The TextMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group receiving the message	Yes
`text`	The text message content	Yes
`receiverType`	`.user` or `.group`	Yes

On success, sendTextMessage() returns a TextMessage object containing all information about the sent message.

Add Metadata

Send custom data along with a text message using the metaData property:

Swift
Objective-C

let metadata = ["latitude":"50.6192171633316","longitude":"-72.68182268750002"];
textMessage.metaData = metadata;

NSDictionary * metadata = @{@"latitude":@"50.6192171633316",@"longitude":@"-72.68182268750002"};
[textMessage setMetaData:metadata];

Add Tags

let tags = ["pinned"]
textMessage.tags = tags

Quote a Message

textMessage.quotedMessageId = 140
textMessage.quotedMessage = // Pass the BaseMessage object you want to quote

Media Message

Send images, videos, audio, or files using CometChat.sendMediaMessage(). There are two ways to send media messages:

Upload a file — Pass a file path and CometChat uploads it automatically
Send a URL — Provide a URL to media hosted on your server or cloud storage

Upload a File

Swift
Objective-C

let receiverid = "cometchat-uid-2"
let mediaUrl = "file:///Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/.../image.jpg"

let mediaMessage = MediaMessage(receiverUid: receiverid, fileurl: mediaUrl, messageType: .image, receiverType: .user)

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(message: mediaMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("MediaMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("MediaMessage sending failed with error: " + error.errorDescription);
}

NSString *receiverID = @"cometchat-uid-1";
NSString *filePath = @"Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/.../image.jpg";

MediaMessage *mediaMessage = [[MediaMessage alloc]initWithReceiverUid:receiverID fileurl:filePath messageType:messageTypeImage receiverType:ReceiverTypeUser];

[CometChat sendMediaMessageWithMessage:mediaMessage onSuccess:^(MediaMessage * message) {
    NSLog(@"MediaMessage sent successfully. %@",[message stringValue]);
} onError:^(CometChatException * error) {
    NSLog(@"MediaMessage sending failed with error: %@",[error errorDescription]);
}];

Send a URL

Use the Attachment class to send media hosted on your server or cloud storage:

let receiverid = "cometchat-uid-2"
let mediaUrl = "https://pngimg.com/uploads/mario/mario_PNG125.png"

let mediaMessage = MediaMessage(receiverUid: receiverid, fileurl: "", messageType: .image, receiverType: .user)
mediaMessage.attachment = Attachment(fileName: "FileName", fileExtension: "png", fileMimeType: "image/png", fileUrl: mediaUrl)

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(message: mediaMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("MediaMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("MediaMessage sending failed with error: " + error.errorDescription);
}

The MediaMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group	Yes
`fileurl`	File path or empty string if using URL	Yes
`messageType`	`.image`, `.video`, `.audio`, or `.file`	Yes
`receiverType`	`.user` or `.group`	Yes

On success, sendMediaMessage() returns a MediaMessage object.

Add Caption

mediaMessage.caption = "Message Caption"

Add Metadata and Tags

Same as text messages:

mediaMessage.metaData = ["location": "Paris"]
mediaMessage.tags = ["vacation"]

Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

Starting version 3.0.906 & above, the SDK supports sending multiple attachments in a single media message.

let receiverId = "cometchat-uid-1"

let data = try? Data(contentsOf: URL(string: "file:///path/to/image1.jpeg")!)
let data1 = try? Data(contentsOf: URL(string: "file:///path/to/image2.jpeg")!)

var files = [File]()
files.append(File(name: "FileName 1", data: data))
files.append(File(name: "FileName 2", data: data1))

let mediaMessage = MediaMessage(receiverUid: receiverId, files: files, messageType: .file, receiverType: .user)

CometChat.sendMediaMessage(message: mediaMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("Message sent successfully")
}, onError: { (error) in
  print("Message sending failed: ", error?.errorDescription)
})

Custom Message

Send structured data that doesn’t fit text or media categories — like location coordinates, polls, or game moves.

Swift (User)
Swift (Group)

let receiverid = "cometchat-uid-2"
let customData: [String: Any] = ["customKey": "customData"]

let customMessage = CustomMessage(receiverUid: receiverid, receiverType: .user, customData: customData, type: "Custom Type")

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(message: customMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("CustomMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("CustomMessage sending failed with error: " + error!.errorDescription);
}

let receiverid = "cometchat-guid-1"
let customData: [String: Any] = ["customKey": "customData"]

let customMessage = CustomMessage(receiverUid: receiverid, receiverType: .group, customData: customData, type: "Custom Type")

CometChat.sendCustomMessage(message: customMessage, onSuccess: { (message) in
  print("CustomMessage sent successfully. " + message.stringValue())
}) { (error) in
  print("CustomMessage sending failed with error: " + error!.errorDescription);
}

The CustomMessage class constructor takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
`receiverID`	UID of the user or GUID of the group	Yes
`receiverType`	`.user` or `.group`	Yes
`customData`	Dictionary with your custom data	Yes
`type`	Your custom type string (e.g., `"location"`, `"poll"`)	Yes

On success, sendCustomMessage() returns a CustomMessage object.

Add Tags

customMessage.tags = ["starredMessage"]

Control Conversation Update

By default, custom messages update the conversation’s last message. To prevent this:

customMessage.updateConversation = false

Custom Notification Text

Set custom text for push, email, and SMS notifications:

customMessage.conversationText = "Shared a location"

Card Message

In other words, as a sender, how do I send a card message? A CardMessage is a structured, interactive message rendered as a card bubble. It belongs to the card category and carries a block of card schema JSON that the CometChat Cards library draws.

Card Messages cannot be sent through the SDK. The CardMessage class is receive-only — it has no public constructor and the SDK exposes no sendCardMessage() method. Card Messages are created server-side via the Platform REST API or the Dashboard Bubble Builder, and delivered to clients like any other message.To create and send a Card Message, use the REST API. See the Send Message REST API reference for the message creation flow.

On the receiving end, the CardMessage object gives you access to the card payload and its related fields.

Swift

let card = cardMessage.getCard()                 // raw card schema/payload
let text = cardMessage.getText()                 // optional text shown alongside the card
let fallbackText = cardMessage.getFallbackText() // shown when the card cannot be rendered
let tags = cardMessage.getTags()                 // tags associated with the message

The CardMessage class provides the following methods:

Method	Returns	Description
`getCard()`	`[String: Any]?`	The raw card schema/payload passed to the Cards renderer.
`getText()`	`String?`	Optional text shown alongside the card.
`getFallbackText()`	`String?`	Text displayed when the card payload cannot be rendered.
`getTags()`	`[String]?`	Tags associated with the message.

CardMessage extends BaseMessage, so it also exposes the standard message fields (id, sender, receiverUid, sentAt, category = card, etc.). To handle incoming Card Messages on the client, implement onCardMessageReceived on your CometChatMessageDelegate.

Next Steps

Receive Messages

Listen for incoming messages in real-time

Edit Message

Edit previously sent messages

Delete Message

Delete sent messages

​Text Message

​Add Metadata

​Add Tags

​Quote a Message

​Media Message

​Upload a File

​Send a URL

​Add Caption

​Add Metadata and Tags

​Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

​Custom Message

​Add Tags

​Control Conversation Update

​Custom Notification Text

​Card Message

​Next Steps

Receive Messages

Edit Message

Delete Message

Text Message

Add Metadata

Add Tags

Quote a Message

Media Message

Upload a File

Send a URL

Add Caption

Add Metadata and Tags

Multiple Attachments in a Media Message

Custom Message

Add Tags

Control Conversation Update

Custom Notification Text

Card Message

Next Steps