Standalone Calling

AI Integration Quick Reference

let sessionId = "SESSION_ID";
let userAuthToken = "USER_AUTH_TOKEN";
let htmlElement = document.getElementById("call-screen");
let callListener = {
  onCallEnded: () => console.log("Call ended"),
  onUserJoined: (user) => console.log("User joined:", user),
  onUserLeft: (user) => console.log("User left:", user),
};

// Generate call token (requires user auth token from REST API)
const callToken = await CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken);

// Start call session
const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
  .enableDefaultLayout(true)
  .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
  .setCallListener(callListener)
  .build();
CometChatCalls.startSession(callToken.token, callSettings, htmlElement);

// End session
CometChatCalls.endSession();

Standalone Calling lets you add voice and video calls using only the CometChat Calls SDK — no Chat SDK required. This is ideal when you already have your own messaging system and just need calling, or when you want the smallest possible SDK footprint. The key difference from the regular Call Session flow is authentication: instead of using CometChat.getLoggedinUser(), you obtain auth tokens directly from the CometChat REST API.

Before you begin, ensure you have completed the Calls SDK setup.

User Authentication

To start a call session, you need a user auth token. Since this implementation doesn’t use the Chat SDK, you’ll need to obtain the auth token via the CometChat REST API.

To understand user authentication in CometChat, see the User Auth documentation.

You can obtain the auth token using one of these REST API endpoints:

Create Auth Token — Creates a new auth token for a user
Get Auth Token — Retrieves an existing auth token

For testing or POC purposes, you can create an auth token directly from the CometChat Dashboard. Navigate to Users & Groups → Users, select a user, and click + Create Auth Token.

Store the auth token securely in your application for use when generating call tokens.

Generate Call Token

A call token is required for secure access to a call session. Each token is unique to a specific session and user combination, ensuring that only authorized users can join the call. You can generate the token just before starting the call, or generate and store it ahead of time based on your use case. Use the generateToken() method to create a call token:

TypeScript
JavaScript

const sessionId: string = "UNIQUE_SESSION_ID"; // Generate a unique session ID
const userAuthToken: string = "USER_AUTH_TOKEN"; // Obtained from REST API

CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken).then(
  (callToken: any) => {
    console.log("Call token generated:", callToken.token);
    // Use callToken to start the session
  },
  (error: any) => {
    console.log("Token generation failed:", error);
  }
);

const sessionId = "UNIQUE_SESSION_ID"; // Generate a unique session ID
const userAuthToken = "USER_AUTH_TOKEN"; // Obtained from REST API

CometChatCalls.generateToken(sessionId, userAuthToken).then(
  (callToken) => {
    console.log("Call token generated:", callToken.token);
    // Use callToken to start the session
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Token generation failed:", error);
  }
);

Parameter	Description
`sessionId`	A unique session ID for the call. Generate this yourself or use a shared ID for participants to join the same call.
`userAuthToken`	The user auth token obtained from the CometChat REST API.

The Promise resolves with an object containing a token property (string) that you pass to startSession().

Start Call Session

Use the startSession() method to join a call session. This method requires:

A call token (generated in the previous step)
A CallSettings object that configures the call UI and behavior
An HTML element where the call UI will be rendered

TypeScript
JavaScript

const callListener = new CometChatCalls.OngoingCallListener({
  onUserJoined: (user: any) => {
    console.log("User joined:", user);
  },
  onUserLeft: (user: any) => {
    console.log("User left:", user);
  },
  onUserListUpdated: (userList: any[]) => {
    console.log("User list updated:", userList);
  },
  onCallEnded: () => {
    console.log("Call ended");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
    console.log("End call button pressed");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onError: (error: any) => {
    console.log("Call error:", error);
  },
  onMediaDeviceListUpdated: (deviceList: any[]) => {
    console.log("Device list updated:", deviceList);
  },
  onUserMuted: (event: any) => {
    console.log("User muted:", event);
  },
  onScreenShareStarted: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing started");
  },
  onScreenShareStopped: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing stopped");
  },
  onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event: any) => {
    console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
  },
  onSessionTimeout: () => {
    console.log("Session timed out");
  }
});

const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
  .enableDefaultLayout(true)
  .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
  .setCallListener(callListener)
  .build();

const htmlElement = document.getElementById("call-container") as HTMLElement;
CometChatCalls.startSession(callToken, callSettings, htmlElement);

const callListener = new CometChatCalls.OngoingCallListener({
 onUserJoined: (user) => {
 console.log("User joined:", user);
 },
 onUserLeft: (user) => {
 console.log("User left:", user);
 },
 onUserListUpdated: (userList) => {
 console.log("User list updated:", userList);
 },
 onCallEnded: () => {
 console.log("Call ended");
 CometChatCalls.endSession();
 // Close calling screen
 },
 onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
 console.log("End call button pressed");
 CometChatCalls.endSession();
 // Close calling screen
 },
 onError: (error) => {
 console.log("Call error:", error);
 },
 onMediaDeviceListUpdated: (deviceList) => {
 console.log("Device list updated:", deviceList);
 },
 onUserMuted: (event) => {
 console.log("User muted:", event);
 },
 onScreenShareStarted: () => {
 console.log("Screen sharing started");
 },
 onScreenShareStopped: () => {
 console.log("Screen sharing stopped");
 },
 onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event) => {
 console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
 },
 onSessionTimeout: () => {
 console.log("Session timed out");
 }
});

const callSettings = new CometChatCalls.CallSettingsBuilder()
 .enableDefaultLayout(true)
 .setIsAudioOnlyCall(false)
 .setCallListener(callListener)
 .build();

const htmlElement = document.getElementById("call-container") as HTMLElement;
CometChatCalls.startSession(callToken, callSettings, htmlElement);

Parameter	Description
`callToken`	The token received from `generateToken()` onSuccess
`callSettings`	Object of `CallSettings` class configured via `CallSettingsBuilder`
`htmlElement`	DOM element where the call UI will be rendered

startSession() renders the call UI inside the provided HTML element and joins the user into the active call session.

Call Settings

Configure the call experience using the following CallSettingsBuilder methods:

Method	Description
`enableDefaultLayout(boolean)`	Enables or disables the default call UI layout with built-in controls. `true` shows the default layout. `false` hides the button layout. Default: `true`
`setIsAudioOnlyCall(boolean)`	Sets whether the call is audio-only or audio-video. `true` for audio-only, `false` for audio-video. Default: `false`
`setCallListener(OngoingCallListener)`	Sets the listener to receive call events. See Call Listeners.
`setMode(string)`	Sets the call UI layout mode. Available: `CometChat.CALL_MODE.DEFAULT`, `CometChat.CALL_MODE.SPOTLIGHT`. Default: `DEFAULT`
`startWithAudioMuted(boolean)`	Starts the call with the microphone muted. Default: `false`
`startWithVideoMuted(boolean)`	Starts the call with the camera turned off. Default: `false`
`showEndCallButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the end call button in the default layout. Default: `true`
`showMuteAudioButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the mute audio button. Default: `true`
`showPauseVideoButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the pause video button. Default: `true`
`showScreenShareButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the screen share button. Default: `true`
`showModeButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the mode toggle button (switch between DEFAULT and SPOTLIGHT). Default: `true`
`showSwitchToVideoCallButton(boolean)`	Shows or hides the button to upgrade an audio call to video. Default: `true`
`setMainVideoContainerSetting(MainVideoContainerSetting)`	Customizes the main video container. See Video View Customization.
`setIdleTimeoutPeriod(number)`	Sets idle timeout in seconds. Warning appears 60 seconds before auto-termination. Default: `180` seconds. v4.1.0+

End Call Session

To end the call session and release all media resources (camera, microphone, network connections), call CometChatCalls.endSession() in the onCallEndButtonPressed() callback.

TypeScript
JavaScript

onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
  CometChatCalls.endSession();
  // Close the calling screen
}

onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
  CometChatCalls.endSession();
  // Close the calling screen
}

Call Listeners

The OngoingCallListener provides real-time callbacks for call session events, including participant changes, call state updates, and error conditions. You can register listeners in two ways:

Via CallSettingsBuilder: Use .setCallListener(listener) when building call settings
Via addCallEventListener: Use CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, listener) to add multiple listeners

Each listener requires a unique listenerId string. This ID is used to:

Prevent duplicate registrations — Re-registering with the same ID replaces the existing listener
Enable targeted removal — Remove specific listeners without affecting others

Always remove listeners when they’re no longer needed (e.g., on component unmount or page navigation). Failing to remove listeners can cause memory leaks and duplicate event handling.

TypeScript
JavaScript

const listenerId: string = "UNIQUE_LISTENER_ID";

CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, {
  onUserJoined: (user: any) => {
    console.log("User joined:", user);
  },
  onUserLeft: (user: any) => {
    console.log("User left:", user);
  },
  onUserListUpdated: (userList: any[]) => {
    console.log("User list updated:", userList);
  },
  onCallEnded: () => {
    console.log("Call ended");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
    console.log("End call button pressed");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onError: (error: any) => {
    console.log("Call error:", error);
  },
  onMediaDeviceListUpdated: (deviceList: any[]) => {
    console.log("Device list updated:", deviceList);
  },
  onUserMuted: (event: any) => {
    console.log("User muted:", event);
  },
  onScreenShareStarted: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing started");
  },
  onScreenShareStopped: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing stopped");
  },
  onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event: any) => {
    console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
  },
  onSessionTimeout: () => {
    console.log("Session timed out");
  }
});

// Remove listener when done
CometChatCalls.removeCallEventListener(listenerId);

const listenerId = "UNIQUE_LISTENER_ID";

CometChatCalls.addCallEventListener(listenerId, {
  onUserJoined: (user) => {
    console.log("User joined:", user);
  },
  onUserLeft: (user) => {
    console.log("User left:", user);
  },
  onUserListUpdated: (userList) => {
    console.log("User list updated:", userList);
  },
  onCallEnded: () => {
    console.log("Call ended");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onCallEndButtonPressed: () => {
    console.log("End call button pressed");
    CometChatCalls.endSession();
    // Close calling screen
  },
  onError: (error) => {
    console.log("Call error:", error);
  },
  onMediaDeviceListUpdated: (deviceList) => {
    console.log("Device list updated:", deviceList);
  },
  onUserMuted: (event) => {
    console.log("User muted:", event);
  },
  onScreenShareStarted: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing started");
  },
  onScreenShareStopped: () => {
    console.log("Screen sharing stopped");
  },
  onCallSwitchedToVideo: (event) => {
    console.log("Call switched to video:", event);
  },
  onSessionTimeout: () => {
    console.log("Session timed out");
  }
});

// Remove listener when done
CometChatCalls.removeCallEventListener(listenerId);

Events

For the full list of callbacks, their descriptions, and parameter shapes, see the OngoingCallListener reference.

In-Call Methods

These methods are available for performing custom actions during an active call session. Use them to build custom UI controls or implement specific behaviors based on your use case.

These methods can only be called when a call session is active.

Switch Camera

Toggles between the front and rear camera during a video call. Only supported on mobile browsers.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.switchCamera();

CometChatCalls.switchCamera();

This method is only supported on mobile browsers. It has no effect on desktop browsers. Available since v4.2.0

Mute Audio

Controls the local audio stream transmission. When muted, other participants cannot hear the local user.

true — Mutes the microphone, stops transmitting audio
false — Unmutes the microphone, resumes audio transmission

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.muteAudio(true);

CometChatCalls.muteAudio(true);

Pause Video

Controls the local video stream transmission. When paused, other participants see a frozen frame or placeholder instead of live video.

true — Pauses the camera, stops transmitting video
false — Resumes the camera, continues video transmission

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.pauseVideo(true);

CometChatCalls.pauseVideo(true);

Starts sharing your screen or a specific application window with other participants.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.startScreenShare();

CometChatCalls.startScreenShare();

Stops the current screen sharing session.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.stopScreenShare();

CometChatCalls.stopScreenShare();

Set Mode

Changes the call UI layout mode dynamically during the call. Available modes:

CometChat.CALL_MODE.DEFAULT — Grid layout showing all participants
CometChat.CALL_MODE.SPOTLIGHT — Focus on the active speaker

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.setMode(CometChat.CALL_MODE.SPOTLIGHT);

CometChatCalls.setMode(CometChat.CALL_MODE.SPOTLIGHT);

Get Audio Input Devices

Returns a list of available audio input devices (microphones). Each item is a MediaDeviceInfo object with deviceId, label, and kind properties.

TypeScript
JavaScript

const audioInputDevices = CometChatCalls.getAudioInputDevices();
console.log("Available microphones:", audioInputDevices);

const audioInputDevices = CometChatCalls.getAudioInputDevices();
console.log("Available microphones:", audioInputDevices);

Get Audio Output Devices

Returns a list of available audio output devices (speakers/headphones). Each item is a MediaDeviceInfo object.

TypeScript
JavaScript

const audioOutputDevices = CometChatCalls.getAudioOutputDevices();
console.log("Available speakers:", audioOutputDevices);

const audioOutputDevices = CometChatCalls.getAudioOutputDevices();
console.log("Available speakers:", audioOutputDevices);

Get Video Input Devices

Returns a list of available video input devices (cameras). Each item is a MediaDeviceInfo object.

TypeScript
JavaScript

const videoInputDevices = CometChatCalls.getVideoInputDevices();
console.log("Available cameras:", videoInputDevices);

const videoInputDevices = CometChatCalls.getVideoInputDevices();
console.log("Available cameras:", videoInputDevices);

Set Audio Input Device

Sets the active audio input device (microphone) by device ID.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.setAudioInputDevice(deviceId);

CometChatCalls.setAudioInputDevice(deviceId);

Set Audio Output Device

Sets the active audio output device (speaker/headphones) by device ID.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.setAudioOutputDevice(deviceId);

CometChatCalls.setAudioOutputDevice(deviceId);

Set Video Input Device

Sets the active video input device (camera) by device ID.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.setVideoInputDevice(deviceId);

CometChatCalls.setVideoInputDevice(deviceId);

Switch To Video Call

Upgrades an ongoing audio call to a video call. This enables the camera and starts transmitting video to other participants. The remote participant receives the onCallSwitchedToVideo() callback.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.switchToVideoCall();

CometChatCalls.switchToVideoCall();

End Call

Terminates the current call session and releases all media resources (camera, microphone, network connections). After calling this method, the call view should be closed.

TypeScript
JavaScript

CometChatCalls.endSession();

CometChatCalls.endSession();

User Authentication

Generate Call Token

Start Call Session

Call Settings

End Call Session

Call Listeners

Events

In-Call Methods

Switch Camera

Mute Audio

Pause Video

Set Mode

Get Audio Input Devices

Get Audio Output Devices

Get Video Input Devices

Set Audio Input Device

Set Audio Output Device

Set Video Input Device

Switch To Video Call

End Call

Next Steps

Default Calling

Recording

​User Authentication

​Generate Call Token

​Start Call Session

​Call Settings

​End Call Session

​Call Listeners

​Events

​In-Call Methods

​Switch Camera

​Mute Audio

​Pause Video

​Start Screen Share

​Stop Screen Share

​Set Mode

​Get Audio Input Devices

​Get Audio Output Devices

​Get Video Input Devices

​Set Audio Input Device

​Set Audio Output Device

​Set Video Input Device

​Switch To Video Call

​End Call

​Next Steps

Default Calling

Recording

User Authentication

Generate Call Token

Start Call Session

Call Settings

End Call Session

Call Listeners

Events

In-Call Methods

Switch Camera

Mute Audio

Pause Video

Start Screen Share

Stop Screen Share

Set Mode

Get Audio Input Devices

Get Audio Output Devices

Get Video Input Devices

Set Audio Input Device

Set Audio Output Device

Set Video Input Device

Switch To Video Call

End Call

Next Steps