react-native-gifted-chat Documentation

The most complete chat UI for React Native

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Technical Documentation: FaridSafi/react-native-gifted-chat

ℹ️ Provenance: Multi-Tier Ingestion · CodeWiki Reference

Overview (`README.md`)

React Native Gifted Chat

[!NOTE]
Active development has moved. This package is now in maintenance mode and isn't receiving new features. Development continues - including streaming AI messages and the latest fixes - in a maintained fork: @kesha-antonov/react-native-chat. New projects are encouraged to use it; migrating is mostly a rename (see the fork's migration guide).

✨ Features

Sponsors

📖 Table of Contents

📋 Requirements

Requirement Version
React Native >= 0.70.0
iOS >= 13.4
Android API 21+ (Android 5.0)
Expo SDK 50+
TypeScript >= 5.0 (optional)

📦 Installation

Expo Projects

bash
npx expo install react-native-gifted-chat react-native-reanimated react-native-gesture-handler react-native-safe-area-context react-native-keyboard-controller

Bare React Native Projects

Step 1: Install the packages

Using yarn:

bash
yarn add react-native-gifted-chat react-native-reanimated react-native-gesture-handler react-native-safe-area-context react-native-keyboard-controller

Using npm:

bash
npm install --save react-native-gifted-chat react-native-reanimated react-native-gesture-handler react-native-safe-area-context react-native-keyboard-controller

Step 2: Install iOS pods

bash
npx pod-install

Step 3: Configure react-native-reanimated

Follow the react-native-reanimated installation guide to add the Babel plugin.

🚀 Usage

Basic Example

jsx
import React, { useState, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react'
import { GiftedChat } from 'react-native-gifted-chat'
import { useHeaderHeight } from '@react-navigation/elements'

export function Example() {
  const [messages, setMessages] = useState([])

  // keyboardVerticalOffset = distance from screen top to GiftedChat container
  // useHeaderHeight() returns status bar + navigation header height
  const headerHeight = useHeaderHeight()

  useEffect(() => {
    setMessages([
      {
        _id: 1,
        text: 'Hello developer',
        createdAt: new Date(),
        user: {
          _id: 2,
          name: 'John Doe',
          avatar: 'https://placeimg.com/140/140/any',
        },
      },
    ])
  }, [])

  const onSend = useCallback((messages = []) => {
    setMessages(previousMessages =>
      GiftedChat.append(previousMessages, messages),
    )
  }, [])

  return (
    <GiftedChat
      messages={messages}
      onSend={messages => onSend(messages)}
      user={{
        _id: 1,
      }}
      keyboardAvoidingViewProps={{ keyboardVerticalOffset: headerHeight }}
    />
  )
}

💡 Tip: Check out more examples in the example directory including Slack-style messages, quick replies, and custom components.

📊 Data Structure

Messages, system messages, and quick replies follow the structure defined in Models.ts.

Message Object Structure

typescript
interface IMessage {
  _id: string | number
  text: string
  createdAt: Date | number
  user: User
  image?: string
  video?: string
  audio?: string
  system?: boolean
  sent?: boolean
  received?: boolean
  pending?: boolean
  quickReplies?: QuickReplies
}

interface User {
  _id: string | number
  name?: string
  avatar?: string | number | (() => React.ReactNode)
}

📖 Props Reference

Core Configuration

  • messages (Array) - Messages to display
  • user (Object) - User sending the messages: { _id, name, avatar }
  • onSend (Function) - Callback when sending a message
  • messageIdGenerator (Function) - Generate an id for new messages. Defaults to a simple random string generator.
  • locale (String) - Locale to localize the dates. You need first to import the locale you need (ie. require('dayjs/locale/de') or import 'dayjs/locale/fr')
  • colorScheme ('light' | 'dark') - Force color scheme (light/dark mode). When set to 'light' or 'dark', it overrides the system color scheme. When undefined, it uses the system color scheme. Default is undefined.

Refs

  • messagesContainerRef (FlatList ref) - Ref to the flatlist
  • textInputRef (TextInput ref) - Ref to the text input

Keyboard & Layout

  • keyboardProviderProps (Object) - Props to be passed to the KeyboardProvider for keyboard handling. Default values:
    • statusBarTranslucent: true - Required on Android for correct keyboard height calculation when status bar is translucent (edge-to-edge mode)
    • navigationBarTranslucent: true - Required on Android for correct keyboard height calculation when navigation bar is translucent (edge-to-edge mode)
  • disableKeyboardProvider (Bool) - Skip rendering the built-in KeyboardProvider wrapper; default is false. Enable this when your app already mounts its own KeyboardProvider (e.g. once at the root), or when the default edge-to-edge behavior causes a layout shift, flicker on mount, or a header/content jump on Android/Expo. See Using your own KeyboardProvider below.
  • keyboardAvoidingViewProps (Object) - Props to be passed to the KeyboardAvoidingView. See keyboardVerticalOffset below for proper keyboard handling.
  • isAlignedTop (Boolean) Controls whether or not the message bubbles appear at the top of the chat (Default is false - bubbles align to bottom)
  • isInverted (Bool) - Reverses display order of messages; default is true

Understanding `keyboardVerticalOffset`

The keyboardVerticalOffset tells the KeyboardAvoidingView where its container starts relative to the top of the screen. This is essential when GiftedChat is not positioned at the very top of the screen (e.g., when you have a navigation header).

Default value: insets.top (status bar height from useSafeAreaInsets()). This works correctly only when GiftedChat fills the entire screen without a navigation header. If you have a navigation header, you need to pass the correct offset via keyboardAvoidingViewProps.

What the value means: The offset equals the distance (in points) from the top of the screen to the top of your GiftedChat container. This typically includes:

  • Status bar height
  • Navigation header height (on iOS, useHeaderHeight() already includes status bar)

How to use:

jsx
import { useHeaderHeight } from '@react-navigation/elements'

function ChatScreen() {
  // useHeaderHeight() returns status bar + navigation header height on iOS
  const headerHeight = useHeaderHeight()

  return (
    <GiftedChat
      keyboardAvoidingViewProps={{ keyboardVerticalOffset: headerHeight }}
      // ... other props
    />
  )
}

Note: useHeaderHeight() requires your chat component to be rendered inside a proper navigation screen (not conditional rendering). If it returns 0, ensure your chat screen is a real navigation screen with a visible header.

Why this matters: Without the correct offset, the keyboard may overlap the input field or leave extra space. The KeyboardAvoidingView uses this value to calculate how much to shift the content when the keyboard appears.

Using your own `KeyboardProvider`

By default GiftedChat wraps itself in a KeyboardProvider with statusBarTranslucent and navigationBarTranslucent enabled. On some Android/Expo (edge-to-edge) setups this can cause the screen to shift down, flicker on mount, or distort a navigation header - especially when another KeyboardProvider already exists higher in the tree.

Set disableKeyboardProvider to skip the built-in wrapper:

jsx
import { KeyboardProvider } from 'react-native-keyboard-controller'

// Mount a single KeyboardProvider once, near the root of your app
function App() {
  return (
    <KeyboardProvider>
      {/* ...navigation / screens... */}
    </KeyboardProvider>
  )
}

function ChatScreen() {
  return (
    <GiftedChat
      disableKeyboardProvider
      // ... other props
    />
  )
}

Important: GiftedChat's keyboard avoidance relies on a KeyboardProvider being present in the tree. When you set disableKeyboardProvider, you must mount your own KeyboardProvider above GiftedChat - otherwise the keyboard will cover the input. Mounting exactly one provider (yours) is what avoids the double edge-to-edge shift.

Text Input & Composer

  • text (String) - Input text; default is undefined, but if specified, it will override GiftedChat's internal state. Useful for managing text state outside of GiftedChat (e.g. with Redux). Don't forget to implement textInputProps.onChangeText to update the text state.
  • initialText (String) - Initial text to display in the input field
  • isSendButtonAlwaysVisible (Bool) - Always show send button in input text composer; default false, show only when text input is not empty
  • isTextOptional (Bool) - Allow sending messages without text (useful for media-only messages); default false. Use with isSendButtonAlwaysVisible for media attachments.
  • minComposerHeight (Object) - Custom min-height of the composer.
  • maxComposerHeight (Object) - Custom max height of the composer.
  • minInputToolbarHeight (Integer) - Minimum height of the input toolbar; default is 44
  • renderInputToolbar (Component | Function) - Custom message composer container
  • renderComposer (Component | Function) - Custom text input message composer
  • renderSend (Component | Function) - Custom send button; you can pass children to the original Send component quite easily, for example, to use a custom icon (example)
  • renderActions (Component | Function) - Custom action button on the left of the message composer
  • renderAccessory (Component | Function) - Custom second line of actions below the message composer
  • textInputProps (Object) - props to be passed to the <TextInput>.

Actions & Action Sheet

  • onPressActionButton (Function) - Callback when the Action button is pressed (if set, the default actionSheet will not be used)
  • actionSheet (Function) - Custom action sheet interface for showing action options
  • actions (Array) - Custom action options for the input toolbar action button; array of objects with title (string) and action (function) properties
  • actionSheetOptionTintColor (String) - Tint color for action sheet options

Messages & Message Container

  • messagesContainerStyle (Object) - Custom style for the messages container
  • renderMessage (Component | Function) - Custom message container
  • renderLoading (Component | Function) - Render a loading view when initializing
  • renderChatEmpty (Component | Function) - Custom component to render in the ListView when messages are empty
  • renderChatFooter (Component | Function) - Custom component to render below the MessagesContainer (separate from the ListView)
  • listProps (Object) - Extra props to be passed to the messages <FlatList>. Supports all FlatList props including maintainVisibleContentPosition for keeping scroll position when new messages arrive (useful for AI chatbots).

Message Bubbles & Content

  • renderBubble (Component | Function(props: BubbleProps)) - Custom message bubble. Receives BubbleProps as parameter.
  • renderMessageText (Component | Function) - Custom message text
  • renderMessageImage (Component | Function) - Custom message image
  • renderMessageVideo (Component | Function) - Custom message video
  • renderMessageAudio (Component | Function) - Custom message audio
  • renderCustomView (Component | Function) - Custom view inside the bubble
  • isCustomViewBottom (Bool) - Determine whether renderCustomView is displayed before or after the text, image and video views; default is false
  • onPressMessage (Function(context, message)) - Callback when a message bubble is pressed
  • onLongPressMessage (Function(context, message)) - Callback when a message bubble is long-pressed; you can use this to show action sheets (e.g., copy, delete, reply)
  • imageProps (Object) - Extra props to be passed to the `` component created by the default renderMessageImage
  • imageStyle (Object) - Custom style for message images
  • videoProps (Object) - Extra props to be passed to the video component created by the required renderMessageVideo
  • messageTextProps (Object) - Extra props to be passed to the MessageText component. Useful for customizing link parsing behavior, text styles, and matchers. Supports the following props:
    • matchers - Custom matchers for linking message content (like URLs, phone numbers, hashtags, mentions)
    • linkStyle - Custom style for links
    • email - Enable/disable email parsing (default: true)
    • phone - Enable/disable phone number parsing (default: true)
    • url - Enable/disable URL parsing (default: true)
    • hashtag - Enable/disable hashtag parsing (default: false)
    • mention - Enable/disable mention parsing (default: false)
    • hashtagUrl - Base URL for hashtags (e.g., 'https://x.com/hashtag')
    • mentionUrl - Base URL for mentions (e.g., 'https://x.com')
    • stripPrefix - Strip 'http://' or 'https://' from URL display (default: false)
    • TextComponent - Custom Text component to use (e.g., from react-native-gesture-handler)

Example:

tsx
<GiftedChat
  messageTextProps={{
    phone: false, // Disable default phone number linking
    matchers: [
      {
        type: 'phone',
        pattern: /\+?[1-9][0-9\-\(\) ]{7,}[0-9]/g,
        getLinkUrl: (replacerArgs: ReplacerArgs): string => {
          return replacerArgs[0].replace(/[\-\(\) ]/g, '')
        },
        getLinkText: (replacerArgs: ReplacerArgs): string => {
          return replacerArgs[0]
        },
        style: styles.linkStyle,
        onPress: (match: CustomMatch) => {
          const url = match.getAnchorHref()

          const options: {
            title: string
            action?: () => void
          }[] = [
            { title: 'Copy', action: () => setStringAsync(url) },
            { title: 'Call', action: () => Linking.openURL(`tel:${url}`) },
            { title: 'Send SMS', action: () => Linking.openURL(`sms:${url}`) },
            { title: 'Cancel' },
          ]

          showActionSheetWithOptions({
            options: options.map(o => o.title),
            cancelButtonIndex: options.length - 1,
          }, (buttonIndex?: number) => {
            if (buttonIndex === undefined)
              return

            const option = options[buttonIndex]
            option.action?.()
          })
        },
      },
    ],
    linkStyle: { left: { color: 'blue' }, right: { color: 'lightblue' } },
  }}
/>

See full example in LinksExample

Avatars

  • renderAvatar (Component | Function) - Custom message avatar; set to null to not render any avatar for the message
  • isUserAvatarVisible (Bool) - Whether to render an avatar for the current user; default is false, only show avatars for other users
  • isAvatarVisibleForEveryMessage (Bool) - When false, avatars will only be displayed when a consecutive message is from the same user on the same day; default is false
  • onPressAvatar (Function(user)) - Callback when a message avatar is tapped
  • onLongPressAvatar (Function(user)) - Callback when a message avatar is long-pressed
  • isAvatarOnTop (Bool) - Render the message avatar at the top of consecutive messages, rather than the bottom; default is false

Username

  • isUsernameVisible (Bool) - Indicate whether to show the user's username inside the message bubble; default is false
  • renderUsername (Component | Function) - Custom Username container

Date & Time

  • timeFormat (String) - Format to use for rendering times; default is 'LT' (see Day.js Format)
  • dateFormat (String) - Format to use for rendering dates; default is 'D MMMM' (see Day.js Format)
  • dateFormatCalendar (Object) - Format to use for rendering relative times; default is { sameDay: '[Today]' } (see Day.js Calendar)
  • renderDay (Component | Function) - Custom day above a message. The same function renders both the inline day separators and the floating/animated day header that sticks to the top while scrolling. Read props.isAnimated (true for the floating header, false for the inline separator) to give each a different look.
  • dayProps (Object) - Props to pass to the Day component:
    • containerStyle - Custom style for the day container
    • wrapperStyle - Custom style for the day wrapper
    • textProps - Props to pass to the Text component (e.g., style, allowFontScaling, numberOfLines)
  • renderTime (Component | Function) - Custom time inside a message
  • timeTextStyle (Object) - Custom text style for time inside messages (supports left/right styles)
  • isDayAnimationEnabled (Bool) - Enable animated day label that appears on scroll; default is true

System Messages

  • renderSystemMessage (Component | Function) - Custom system message

Load Earlier Messages

  • loadEarlierMessagesProps (Object) - Props to pass to the LoadEarlierMessages component. The button is only visible when isAvailable is true. Supports the following props:
    • isAvailable - Controls button visibility (default: false)
    • onPress - Callback when button is pressed
    • isLoading - Display loading indicator (default: false)
    • isInfiniteScrollEnabled - Enable infinite scroll up when reaching the top of messages container, automatically calls onPress (not yet supported for web)
    • label - Override the default "Load earlier messages" text
    • containerStyle - Custom style for the button container
    • wrapperStyle - Custom style for the button wrapper
    • textStyle - Custom style for the button text
    • activityIndicatorStyle - Custom style for the loading indicator
    • activityIndicatorColor - Color of the loading indicator (default: 'white')
    • activityIndicatorSize - Size of the loading indicator (default: 'small')
  • renderLoadEarlier (Component | Function) - Custom "Load earlier messages" button

Typing Indicator

  • isTyping (Bool) - Typing Indicator state; default false. If you userenderFooter it will override this.
  • renderTypingIndicator (Component | Function) - Custom typing indicator component
  • typingIndicatorStyle (StyleProp) - Custom style for the TypingIndicator component.
  • renderFooter (Component | Function) - Custom footer component on the ListView, e.g. 'User is typing...'; see CustomizedFeaturesExample.tsx for an example. Overrides default typing indicator that triggers when isTyping is true.

Quick Replies

See Quick Replies example in messages.ts

  • onQuickReply (Function) - Callback when sending a quick reply (to backend server)
  • renderQuickReplies (Function) - Custom all quick reply view
  • quickReplyStyle (StyleProp) - Custom quick reply view style
  • quickReplyTextStyle (StyleProp) - Custom text style for quick reply buttons
  • quickReplyContainerStyle (StyleProp) - Custom container style for quick replies
  • renderQuickReplySend (Function) - Custom quick reply send view

Reply to Messages

Gifted Chat supports swipe-to-reply functionality out of the box. When enabled, users can swipe on a message to reply to it, displaying a reply preview in the input toolbar and the replied message above the new message bubble.

Note: This feature uses ReanimatedSwipeable from react-native-gesture-handler and react-native-reanimated for smooth, performant animations.

Basic Usage

tsx
<GiftedChat
  messages={messages}
  onSend={onSend}
  user={{ _id: 1 }}
  reply={{
    swipe: {
      isEnabled: true,
      direction: 'left', // swipe left to reply
    },
  }}
/>

Reply Props (Grouped)

The reply prop accepts an object with the following structure:

typescript
interface ReplyProps<TMessage> {
  // Swipe gesture configuration
  swipe?: {
    isEnabled?: boolean              // Enable swipe-to-reply; default false
    direction?: 'left' | 'right'     // Swipe direction; default 'left'
    onSwipe?: (message: TMessage) => void  // Callback when swiped
    renderAction?: (                 // Custom swipe action component
      progress: SharedValue<number>,
      translation: SharedValue<number>,
      position: 'left' | 'right'
    ) => React.ReactNode
    actionContainerStyle?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
  }

  // Reply preview styling (above input toolbar)
  previewStyle?: {
    containerStyle?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
    textStyle?: StyleProp<TextStyle>
    imageStyle?: StyleProp<ImageStyle>
  }

  // In-bubble reply styling
  messageStyle?: {
    containerStyle?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
    containerStyleLeft?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
    containerStyleRight?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
    textStyle?: StyleProp<TextStyle>
    textStyleLeft?: StyleProp<TextStyle>
    textStyleRight?: StyleProp<TextStyle>
    imageStyle?: StyleProp<ImageStyle>
  }

  // Callbacks and state
  message?: ReplyMessage             // Controlled reply state
  onClear?: () => void               // Called when reply cleared
  onPress?: (message: TMessage) => void  // Called when reply preview tapped

  // Custom renderers
  renderPreview?: (props: ReplyPreviewProps) => React.ReactNode
  renderMessageReply?: (props: MessageReplyProps) => React.ReactNode
}

ReplyMessage Structure

When a message has a reply, it includes a replyMessage property:

typescript
interface ReplyMessage {
  _id: string | number
  text: string
  user: User
  image?: string
  audio?: string
}

Advanced Example with External State

tsx
const [replyMessage, setReplyMessage] = useState<ReplyMessage | null>(null)

<GiftedChat
  messages={messages}
  onSend={messages => {
    const newMessages = messages.map(msg => ({
      ...msg,
      replyMessage: replyMessage || undefined,
    }))
    setMessages(prev => GiftedChat.append(prev, newMessages))
    setReplyMessage(null)
  }}
  user={{ _id: 1 }}
  reply={{
    swipe: {
      isEnabled: true,
      direction: 'right',
      onSwipe: setReplyMessage,
    },
    message: replyMessage,
    onClear: () => setReplyMessage(null),
    onPress: (msg) => scrollToMessage(msg._id),
  }}
/>

Smooth Animations

The reply preview automatically animates when:

  • Appearing: Smoothly expands from zero height with fade-in effect
  • Disappearing: Smoothly collapses with fade-out effect
  • Content changes: Smoothly transitions when replying to a different message

These animations use react-native-reanimated for 60fps performance.

Scroll to Bottom

  • isScrollToBottomEnabled (Bool) - Enables the scroll to bottom Component (Default is false)
  • scrollToBottomComponent (Function) - Custom Scroll To Bottom Component container
  • scrollToBottomOffset (Integer) - Custom Height Offset upon which to begin showing Scroll To Bottom Component (Default is 200)
  • scrollToBottomStyle (Object) - Custom style for Scroll To Bottom wrapper (position, bottom, right, etc.)
  • scrollToBottomContentStyle (Object) - Custom style for Scroll To Bottom content (size, background, shadow, etc.)

Maintaining Scroll Position (AI Chatbots)

For AI chat interfaces where long responses arrive and you don't want to disrupt the user's reading position, use maintainVisibleContentPosition via listProps:

tsx
// Basic usage - always maintain scroll position
<GiftedChat
  listProps={{
    maintainVisibleContentPosition: {
      minIndexForVisible: 0,
    },
  }}
/>

// With auto-scroll threshold - auto-scroll if within 10 pixels of newest content
<GiftedChat
  listProps={{
    maintainVisibleContentPosition: {
      minIndexForVisible: 0,
      autoscrollToTopThreshold: 10,
    },
  }}
/>

// Conditionally enable based on scroll state (recommended for chatbots)
const [isScrolledUp, setIsScrolledUp] = useState(false)

<GiftedChat
  listProps={{
    onScroll: (event) => {
      setIsScrolledUp(event.contentOffset.y > 50)
    },
    maintainVisibleContentPosition: isScrolledUp
      ? { minIndexForVisible: 0, autoscrollToTopThreshold: 10 }
      : undefined,
  }}
/>

Emoji Reactions

Long-press a message to open a quick emoji picker; selected reactions render as pills below the bubble and toggle on tap. The core ships a lightweight quick picker (built on react-native-gesture-handler and react-native-reanimated, no extra dependencies). A full emoji browser is optional and demonstrated in the example app via the renderReactionPicker override.

Store reactions on each message as a reactions array, then enable the feature and handle the toggle. Reaction state is owned by you, so it works with any backend:

tsx
interface IChatMessage extends IMessage {
  reactions?: MessageReaction[] // { emoji: string, userIds: (string | number)[] }[]
}

const CURRENT_USER_ID = 1

const handleReactionPress = useCallback((message: IChatMessage, emoji: string) => {
  setMessages(prev =>
    prev.map(m => {
      if (m._id !== message._id)
        return m

      const existing = (m.reactions ?? []).find(r => r.emoji === emoji)
      if (!existing)
        return { ...m, reactions: [...(m.reactions ?? []), { emoji, userIds: [CURRENT_USER_ID] }] }

      const userIds = existing.userIds.includes(CURRENT_USER_ID)
        ? existing.userIds.filter(id => id !== CURRENT_USER_ID)
        : [...existing.userIds, CURRENT_USER_ID]

      return {
        ...m,
        reactions: userIds.length === 0
          ? (m.reactions ?? []).filter(r => r.emoji !== emoji)
          : (m.reactions ?? []).map(r => (r.emoji === emoji ? { ...r, userIds } : r)),
      }
    })
  )
}, [])

<GiftedChat
  messages={messages}
  onSend={onSend}
  user={{ _id: CURRENT_USER_ID }}
  reactions={{
    isEnabled: true,
    onReactionPress: handleReactionPress,
    // Optional: provide a richer picker (e.g. a full emoji browser).
    // See example/components/chat-examples/ReactionsExample.tsx
    // renderReactionPicker: props => <MyEmojiPicker {...props} />,
  }}
/>

Reactions Props (Grouped)

The reactions prop accepts:

  • isEnabled (Bool) - Enable emoji reactions (default false)
  • emojis (String[]) - Emojis shown in the quick picker (default ['👍', '❤️', '😂', '😮', '😢', '👎'])
  • onReactionPress (Function) - (message, emoji) => void called when an emoji is selected or a pill is tapped. Toggle logic is left to you
  • renderReactions (Function) - Override the reactions-display component rendered below the bubble
  • renderReactionPicker (Function) - Override the picker shown on long-press (use for a full emoji browser)
  • containerStyle, reactionStyle, reactionActiveStyle, reactionTextStyle, reactionCountStyle - Styles for the reaction pills
  • pickerContainerStyle, pickerEmojiStyle - Styles for the quick picker

Message text is automatically scanned for URLs, emails, and phone numbers; hashtags and mentions are opt-in. Configure it via messageTextProps:

tsx
<GiftedChat
  messageTextProps={{
    url: true,        // default true
    email: true,      // default true
    phone: true,      // default true
    hashtag: true,    // default false
    mention: true,    // default false
    hashtagUrl: 'https://example.com/hashtag',
    mentionUrl: 'https://example.com',
    linkStyle: { left: { color: '#1d9bf0' }, right: { color: '#fff' } },
    onPress: (message, url, type) => {
      // type: 'url' | 'email' | 'phone' | 'mention' | 'hashtag'
      Linking.openURL(url)
    },
  }}
/>

For full control, pass custom matchers ({ type, pattern, getLinkUrl?, getLinkText?, renderLink?, onPress? }[]) to add or override patterns. See the Links example in the example app.

Copy to Clipboard

Long-press handling is exposed via onLongPressMessage. GiftedChat wraps @expo/react-native-action-sheet, so you can show a "Copy Text" action sheet and copy with the clipboard library of your choice:

tsx
import { useActionSheet } from '@expo/react-native-action-sheet'
import { setStringAsync } from 'expo-clipboard'

const { showActionSheetWithOptions } = useActionSheet()

<GiftedChat
  onLongPressMessage={(_context, message) => {
    showActionSheetWithOptions(
      { options: ['Copy Text', 'Cancel'], cancelButtonIndex: 1 },
      buttonIndex => {
        if (buttonIndex === 0)
          setStringAsync(message.text)
      }
    )
  }}
/>

Message Status

Set sent, received, or pending on a message to show its delivery status. By default these render as tick indicators next to the timestamp (✓ sent, ✓✓ received, 🕓 pending):

tsx
const message: IMessage = {
  _id: 1,
  text: 'Delivered!',
  createdAt: new Date(),
  user: { _id: 1 },
  sent: true,
  received: true,
}

Customize the indicators with renderTicks (full override) or tickStyle (style only):

tsx
<GiftedChat
  renderTicks={message => (message.received ? <MyReadIcon /> : null)}
  tickStyle={{ color: '#1d9bf0' }}
/>

TypeScript

GiftedChat ships complete type definitions and is generic over your message type. Extend IMessage to add custom fields and everything stays typed end to end:

tsx
import { GiftedChat, IMessage } from 'react-native-gifted-chat'

interface MyMessage extends IMessage {
  reactions?: { emoji: string, userIds: (string | number)[] }[]
}

<GiftedChat<MyMessage>
  messages={messages}
  onSend={msgs => {/* msgs is typed as MyMessage[] */}}
  user={{ _id: 1 }}
/>

📱 Platform Notes

Android

Keyboard configuration

If you are using Create React Native App / Expo, no Android specific installation steps are required. Otherwise, we recommend modifying your project configuration:

Make sure you have android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize" in your AndroidManifest.xml:

xml
<activity
  android:name=".MainActivity"
  android:label="@string/app_name"
  android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize"
  android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenSize">

For Expo, you can append KeyboardAvoidingView after GiftedChat (Android only):

jsx
<View style={{ flex: 1 }}>
   <GiftedChat />
   {Platform.OS === 'android' && <KeyboardAvoidingView behavior="padding" />}
</View>

Web (react-native-web)

With create-react-app

  1. Install react-app-rewired: yarn add -D react-app-rewired
  2. Create config-overrides.js:
js
module.exports = function override(config, env) {
  config.module.rules.push({
    test: /\.js$/,
    exclude: /node_modules[/\\](?!react-native-gifted-chat)/,
    use: {
      loader: 'babel-loader',
      options: {
        babelrc: false,
        configFile: false,
        presets: [
          ['@babel/preset-env', { useBuiltIns: 'usage' }],
          '@babel/preset-react',
        ],
        plugins: ['@babel/plugin-proposal-class-properties'],
      },
    },
  })
  return config
}

Examples:

🧪 Testing

Triggering layout events in tests

TEST_ID is exported as constants that can be used in your testing library of choice.

Gifted Chat uses onLayout to determine the height of the chat container. To trigger onLayout during your tests:

typescript
const WIDTH = 200
const HEIGHT = 2000

const loadingWrapper = getByTestId(TEST_ID.LOADING_WRAPPER)
fireEvent(loadingWrapper, 'layout', {
  nativeEvent: {
    layout: {
      width: WIDTH,
      height: HEIGHT,
    },
  },
})

📦 Example App

The repository includes a comprehensive example app demonstrating all features:

bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/FaridSafi/react-native-gifted-chat.git
cd react-native-gifted-chat/example
yarn install

# Run on iOS
npx expo run:ios

# Run on Android
npx expo run:android

# Run on Web
npx expo start --web

The example app showcases:

  • 💬 Basic chat functionality
  • 🎨 Custom message bubbles and avatars
  • ↩️ Reply to messages with swipe gesture
  • ⚡ Quick replies (bot-style)
  • ✍️ Typing indicators
  • 📎 Attachment actions
  • 🔗 Link parsing and custom matchers
  • 🌐 Web compatibility

❓ Troubleshooting

TextInput is hidden on Android

Make sure you have android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize" in your AndroidManifest.xml. See Android configuration above.

How to set Bubble color for each user?

See this issue for examples.

How to customize InputToolbar styles?

See this issue for examples.

How to manually dismiss the keyboard?

See this issue for examples.

How to use renderLoading?

See this issue for examples.

🤔 Have a Question?

  1. Check this README first
  2. Search existing issues
  3. Ask on StackOverflow
  4. Open a new issue if needed

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
  3. Install dependencies (yarn install)
  4. Make your changes
  5. Run tests (yarn test)
  6. Run linting (yarn lint)
  7. Build the library (yarn build)
  8. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
  9. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
  10. Open a Pull Request

Development Setup

bash
# Install dependencies
yarn install

# Build the library
yarn build

# Run tests
yarn test

# Run linting
yarn lint

# Full validation
yarn prepublishOnly

👥 Authors

Original Author: Farid Safi

Co-author: Xavier Carpentier - Hire Xavier

Maintainer: Kesha Antonov

I've been maintaining this project for 2 years, completely in my free time and without any compensation. If you find it helpful, please consider becoming a sponsor to support continued development. 💖

📄 License

MIT

Overview (`example/README.md`)

How to use

  1. Install dependencies:

    bash
    yarn install
cd example
yarn install

  2. Install iOS dev build (only needed once or after rebuilding native dependencies):

    bash
    yarn installDevBuild:ios

    or

    bash
    yarn installDevBuild:android

  3. Start the example app on iOS simulator:

    bash
    yarn start:ios

Dark Theme Support

To switch theme press Cmd + Shift + A in iOS simulator.

Overview (`expoSnack/README.md`)

React Native Gifted Chat - Expo Snack

This directory contains a self-contained Expo Snack example that demonstrates the full capabilities of React Native Gifted Chat.

🚀 Quick Start

  1. Go to https://snack.expo.dev
  2. Click "Create a new Snack"
  3. Copy the entire contents of ExpoSnack.tsx from this repository
  4. Replace the default App.tsx content with the copied code
  5. Install dependencies (see below)
  6. Run on your device or simulator

Option 2: Use in Your Project

Simply copy ExpoSnack.tsx into your Expo project and ensure all dependencies are installed.

📦 Required Dependencies

Add these dependencies to your Expo Snack or project:

json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "react-native-gifted-chat": "*",
    "react-native-gesture-handler": "*",
    "react-native-safe-area-context": "*",
    "react-native-reanimated": "*",
    "@expo/react-native-action-sheet": "*",
    "@expo/vector-icons": "*",
    "expo-image-picker": "*",
    "expo-location": "*",
    "expo-linking": "*",
    "react-native-maps": "*",
    "dayjs": "*"
  }
}

In Expo Snack:

  1. Click on the "Dependencies" tab in the left sidebar
  2. Search for and add each dependency listed above
  3. Wait for the dependencies to install

✨ Features Demonstrated

This example showcases all major features of React Native Gifted Chat:

Core Features

  • ✅ Text messaging with bubbles
  • ✅ User avatars and names
  • ✅ Message timestamps
  • ✅ Typing indicator
  • ✅ Load earlier messages
  • ✅ Dark mode support

Rich Media

  • 📷 Image messages
  • 📹 Video messages
  • 🎵 Audio messages
  • 📍 Location/map messages

Interactive Elements

  • ⚡ Quick replies (radio and checkbox)
  • ➕ Custom actions (via action sheet)
  • 🎯 Custom accessory bar with quick actions

Custom Components

  • CustomActions: Action button with action sheet menu
  • AccessoryBar: Bottom toolbar with photo, camera, location, and typing buttons
  • CustomView: Map view for location messages

🎮 How to Use

Sending Messages

  1. Type in the text input at the bottom
  2. Press the send button to send a message

Adding Images

  1. Tap the + button or the photo icon in the accessory bar
  2. Choose "Choose From Library" or "Take Picture"
  3. Select or capture an image

Sending Location

  1. Tap the location icon in the accessory bar
  2. Grant location permissions when prompted
  3. Location will be sent and displayed as a map

Loading Earlier Messages

  1. Scroll to the top of the chat
  2. Tap "Load earlier messages"
  3. Wait for earlier messages to load (simulated with 1.5s delay)

Quick Replies

  1. Scroll to find the quick reply messages
  2. Tap on any quick reply option
  3. Watch it get added to your chat

Toggle Typing Indicator

  1. Tap the chat icon in the accessory bar
  2. See the typing indicator appear/disappear

🎨 Customization

The example includes several customizable components that you can modify:

Colors & Theming

The app automatically adapts to your device's color scheme (light/dark mode). You can customize the colors in the styles object:

typescript
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: '#fff', // Light mode background
  },
  containerDark: {
    backgroundColor: '#000', // Dark mode background
  },
  // ... more styles
})

Message Data

Initial messages are defined in the initialMessages array. You can modify or add more messages:

typescript
const initialMessages: IMessage[] = [
  {
    _id: 1,
    text: 'Your message here',
    createdAt: new Date(),
    user: {
      _id: 2,
      name: 'Bot Name',
    },
  },
  // ... more messages
]

User Configuration

The current user is defined in the user object:

typescript
const user = useMemo(() => ({
  _id: 1,
  name: 'Developer',
}), [])

📱 Platform Support

This example works on:

  • ✅ iOS (simulator and device)
  • ✅ Android (emulator and device)
  • ⚠️ Web (limited - maps and some media features may not work)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Permissions Issues

If image picker or location features don't work:

  1. Make sure you've granted the necessary permissions in your device settings
  2. On iOS simulator, you may need to set a custom location
  3. On Android emulator, enable location services

Dependencies Not Installing

If dependencies fail to install in Expo Snack:

  1. Try refreshing the page
  2. Clear your browser cache
  3. Try using a different browser
  4. Check Expo Snack status at status.expo.dev

Maps Not Displaying

Maps may not work on web or some simulators:

  1. Use a physical device for best results
  2. On Android emulator, enable Google Play Services
  3. On iOS simulator, maps should work by default

📖 Code Structure

The ExpoSnack.tsx file is organized into these sections:

  1. Imports: All required dependencies
  2. Data: Initial messages and earlier messages
  3. Media Utilities: Functions for image picker, camera, and location
  4. CustomView: Component for rendering map locations
  5. CustomActions: Action button component with action sheet
  6. AccessoryBar: Bottom toolbar component
  7. ChatExample: Main chat component
  8. App: Root component with ActionSheetProvider

🚀 Next Steps

Once you have this working, you can:

  1. Customize the styling to match your app
  2. Connect to a real backend (Firebase, Socket.io, etc.)
  3. Add more custom message types
  4. Implement message persistence
  5. Add user authentication
  6. Implement push notifications

📚 Additional Resources

⚠️ Known Limitations

When using in Expo Snack:

  • File sizes may be limited
  • Some native modules may not work
  • Performance may be slower than a local app
  • Network requests may be restricted

For production apps, it's recommended to use this as a starting point and develop locally with Expo CLI or React Native CLI.

💡 Tips

  1. Test on a real device: Many features work better on physical devices
  2. Use the Expo Go app: Scan the QR code with Expo Go for best results
  3. Check console for errors: Open the console in Expo Snack to see any errors
  4. Experiment: Modify the code and see changes in real-time!

📝 License

This example is based on the React Native Gifted Chat library which is MIT licensed.

Happy chatting! 🎉

Overview (`example/example-gifted-chat/README.md`)

example-gifted-chat

Lots of people using react-native-gifted-chat might want to know that...

  1. There are so many render props could use, but what should I pass?
  2. How could I customize each component, but leaving its functionality.

For example, said that you want to customize the send button, when you pass your own component to renderSend, after that you will lose the functionality of clean up text when a message has been sent.

I made this for anyone who wants to know how to use the render Props properly.

Such as:

  • renderInputToolbar
  • renderActions
  • renderComposer
  • renderSend
  • renderAvatar
  • renderBubble
  • renderSystemMessage
  • renderMessage
  • renderMessageText
  • renderCustomView

Overview (`example/example-slack-message/README.md`)

"Slack" style UI example

Credit and inspiration comes from Slack.

Screenshots to compare:

Default style "Slack" style

DAY ANIMATED SPEC (`docs/DAY_ANIMATED_SPEC.md`)

DayAnimated (floating day header) - animation spec

How the Telegram-style sticky day header works in this library. Describes the
final implementation across DayAnimated, Item (inline separators),
MessagesContainer, and the shared dayLayout constants.

1. Reference behaviour (Telegram iOS, what we replicate)

The conversation is an inverted list (newest at the bottom). Each day has a
centered date pill. Two elements together read as one sticky header:

  1. Inline separator - a pill at the top of each day's group, scrolls with the
    content like a normal row.
  2. Floating header - while you scroll, the date of the topmost visible day
    sticks just under the nav bar.

Behaviour:

  • Scroll-gated visibility. Hidden at rest. Fades in fast when scrolling
    starts, stays fully opaque for the entire gesture (drag + momentum, including
    slow drags and pauses), fades out shortly after motion fully stops.
  • Which date. The day of the messages at the top of the viewport (the "stuck"
    day), pinned at a small offset under the nav bar.
  • Slide, not fade. At a day boundary the date slides, it never cross-fades.
    • Scrolling into an older day (scroll up / toward top): the new (older) date
      slides down from the top edge to the pin, pixel by pixel, as the previous
      date slides down below it.
    • Scrolling into a newer day (scroll down / toward bottom): the newer date
      rises from below to the pin and the previous date is pushed up and off.
    • During the transition the two dates are different, separated by a margin,
      moving together. Never two of the same date; never a dip to 0; never a jump.
  • Top of history / "Load earlier". At the very top the oldest day is stuck.
    Once the oldest day's own separator drops back below the pin (the "Load earlier"
    button scrolls in) nothing is stuck: the header hands the date back to the inline
    separator and hides - no duplicate over the loader. While actively loading, the
    header tucks above the top edge.

2. Structure & geometry

  • Inverted FlatList. daysPositions (shared value) holds, per day, the cell's
    { y, height, createdAt } measured via onLayout.
  • Two elements in different view trees: inline separators (AnimatedDayWrapper in
    Item) and the floating overlay (DayAnimated).
  • On-screen Y of a day separator's top edge (dp):
    separatorScreenTop = (listHeight + scrolledY) - (day.y + day.height)
  • The inline pill renders DAY_MARGIN_TOP below separatorScreenTop (Day's
    container marginTop). The floating overlay overrides that margin to 0, so when it
    is pinned at top = DAY_PIN_OFFSET its pill lines up exactly with an inline
    separator whose separatorScreenTop == DAY_PIN_OFFSET - DAY_MARGIN_TOP. That
    shared line is DAY_HANDOFF_OFFSET = DAY_PIN_OFFSET - DAY_MARGIN_TOP.
    (Verified on device, all dp; the display-density factor cancels.)

3. Mechanics (final implementation)

Stuck-day selection (`DayAnimated`, worklet)

  • daysPositionsArray is sorted by createdAt (newest first), NOT by measured
    y. y jitters while cells are (re)measured mid-scroll; sorting by date keeps
    the selection deterministic so it can't briefly jump to the wrong neighbour.
  • The stuck day = the newest day whose separatorScreenTop <= DAY_HANDOFF_OFFSET.

Position - the scroll-driven slide (`DayAnimated`, worklet)

  • The floating header's top is positioned off the next (newer) day's separator:
    top = min(DAY_PIN_OFFSET, nextSeparatorScreenTop + DAY_MARGIN_TOP - headerHeight - DAY_PUSH_GAP)
  • When the next separator is far below, top = DAY_PIN_OFFSET (pinned).
  • As the next separator nears the pin the header slides with it, pixel by pixel:
    it slides down from the top edge as an older day takes over (scrolling up), or
    is pushed up and off as a newer day rises (scrolling down). DAY_PUSH_GAP
    keeps a margin between the outgoing and incoming pills.
  • While isLoading, top = -headerHeight (tucked above the top).

Handoff opacity - hard cutoffs (no fades)

The date stays solid (opacity 1) through the floating <-> inline handoff because
both sides hard-cut at the same pixel, rather than cross-fading:

  • Inline separator (Item): opacity = (belowHandoff || !headerShowsThisDay) ? 1 : 0
    where belowHandoff = separatorScreenTop > DAY_HANDOFF_OFFSET and
    headerShowsThisDay = floatingRenderedDate === this day's createdAt.
  • Floating header stuckGate (DayAnimated): curSep <= DAY_HANDOFF_OFFSET ? 1 : 0
    (hard hide when nothing is stuck - the top-of-history / loader case).

Render gate - covering the JS-thread text lag

The header's date text is React state, updated via runOnJS, so it lags the
worklet by ~1 frame. Without handling, scrolling into a newer day flashes the old
date at the pin (the header takes over on-screen there; scrolling into an older day
it takes over off-screen, so the lag is invisible - hence the bug was top->bottom
only). Fix:

  • DayAnimated publishes the date it is actually rendering to the
    floatingRenderedDate shared value (a useEffect on the rendered createdAt).
  • Header renderGate = sticky.createdAt === floatingRenderedDate ? 1 : 0 - the
    header is hidden for any frame where its text hasn't caught up.
  • During that frame the inline separator stays up (!headerShowsThisDay) and shows
    the correct date. Net: header opacity = fade * stuckGate * renderGate.

Visibility / fade (`DayAnimated` + `MessagesContainer`)

  • Driven by an isScrollActive shared value set from the scroll handler's
    onBeginDrag / onEndDrag / onMomentumBegin / onMomentumEnd - NOT from
    per-scroll-delta idle timers. This keeps the header at full opacity for the whole
    gesture (slow drags and pauses included) instead of flickering out on a pause.
  • isScrollActive true -> fade in (FADE_IN_DURATION), cancel pending fade-out.
    false -> schedule fade-out (FADE_OUT_DELAY then FADE_OUT_DURATION). A flick's
    momentum re-asserts isScrollActive via onMomentumBegin within the delay, so it
    stays visible through momentum.

4. Constants (`dayLayout.ts`)

  • DAY_PIN_OFFSET = 10 - resting top offset of the floating header.
  • DAY_MARGIN_TOP = 5 - Day container marginTop baked into the inline rel math.
  • DAY_HANDOFF_OFFSET = DAY_PIN_OFFSET - DAY_MARGIN_TOP - the shared handoff line.
  • DAY_PUSH_GAP = 8 - margin kept between the two date pills during the slide.
  • DAY_HANDOFF_FADE = 10 - legacy; no longer used by the hard-cutoff handoff.

5. Debug switches (`DayAnimated`, all OFF/1 for production)

  • DEBUG_TIME_SCALE - multiply fade durations/delay to capture fades frame-by-frame.
  • DEBUG_FORCE_OPACITY - keep the header at full opacity to study geometry.
  • DEBUG_OVERLAY - on-screen readout of top / curSep / headerHeight / load.

6. Verified edge cases (Android emulator, multi-day data + Load earlier)

  • Handoff between days, both directions: solid date, no dip, no duplicate, gap.
  • Scroll into newer day (top->bottom): no 1-frame wrong-date flash (render gate).
  • "Load earlier" at the top: no duplicate over the loader; tucks while loading;
    correct day after prepend.
  • At rest: header hidden (Telegram shows the date only while scrolling).
  • [~] Fast fling across many days: during a very fast fling the header may stay
    hidden (render gate never settles) and the inline separators carry the dates;
    self-corrects as scrolling slows. Acceptable.

--- METRICS ---

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