Ground truth: catalog
android-v6.json+ the kit's real error codes (ERR_SETTINGS_FILE_NOT_FOUND,ERR_SETTINGS_INVALID,CometChatException.code/message) + the live page/ui-kit/android/troubleshooting. This skill goes DEEPER thancore/references/troubleshooting.md(the quick table) — read that first for the common four; come here for the full path and for escalation.
Companion skills (read first)
cometchat-android-v6-core— install, credentials,initFromSettings → login → render,references/troubleshooting.md(the first-stop table),references/anti-patterns.md,references/layout.md. Assumed here, never repeated.
Use this skill when
"it doesn't work", "the build fails", "the chat screen is blank/stuck", "messages don't arrive until I reopen", "the composer is under the keyboard", "it works in debug but crashes in release", "calls/push don't work" — and you need a systematic path, not a guess.
Diagnostics entry — run these three, in order, before theorizing
- Does it BUILD?
./gradlew :app:assembleDebug. Dependency-resolution and duplicate-class failures are config, not code. - What does LOGCAT say at startup? Filter for
CometChat. You are looking for exactly two things: init'sonSuccess/onError, then login'sonSuccess/onError. Almost every "nothing works" report is one of these two failing and being swallowed — if your callbacks don't loge.code+e.message, fix that first; an emptyonError {}is the bug. - What's the SESSION state?
CometChatUIKit.getLoggedInUser()— null after a "successful" login means login didn't actually complete.
Symptom → root cause → fix
Build / dependencies
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Could not find com.cometchat:chatuikit-… | CometChat Maven repo missing | add maven("https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/cometchat/cometchat/maven/") to settings.gradle(.kts) dependencyResolutionManagement.repositories |
sendMessage returns onSuccess but the message NEVER arrives (receiver connected, listener registered) | a Dashboard moderation rule blocked it server-side — the send genuinely succeeded, so no client error is raised. The UI Kit surfaces "Your message was blocked due to moderation policies"; a headless build sees nothing at all | Dashboard → Moderation → check rules/lists. Do NOT chase INTERNET permission or connection status — both are healthy in this case |
Duplicate class android.support.v4.* (jetifier off) or contains AndroidX dependencies, but the 'android.useAndroidX' property is not enabled (useAndroidX off) — on a clean, single-cohort app | NOT a version conflict. chat-sdk-android pulls a pre-AndroidX transitive (android.arch.lifecycle:extensions → com.android.support:support-compat:26.1.0) that collides with androidx.core | set BOTH in gradle.properties: android.useAndroidX=true + android.enableJetifier=true (verified on a clean app; removing either reproduces it) |
Duplicate class org.jetbrains.annotations.* at dexing | io.noties:prism4j pulls annotations-java5:17 vs annotations:23 | configurations.all { exclude(group = "org.jetbrains", module = "annotations-java5") } |
Execution failed for JetifyTransform: react-android-*.aar at checkDebugAarMetadata — appears only AFTER adding calling | calls-sdk-android 5.0.x bundles a React-Native stack (react-android/hermes/react-native-webrtc) that Jetifier can't transform, and core mandates android.enableJetifier=true for the Chat SDK's pre-AndroidX transitive — so the two collide the moment calling is added | add to gradle.properties: android.jetifier.ignorelist=react-android,hermes-android,react-native-webrtc (they're already AndroidX). See cometchat-android-v6-calls |
requires Android Gradle plugin 8.9.1 or higher | AGP floor is 8.9.1, not 8.9 | bump AGP |
kotlin-stdlib … metadata is 2.2.0, expected 2.0.0 / internal compiler error | Kotlin floor is 2.1+; 2.0.21 fails | bump Kotlin |
| Duplicate class / conflicting versions | version_conflict: a v4/v5 chat-uikit-android alongside v6 chatuikit-* | remove the old artifact — never mix majors; migrate via cometchat-android-v6-migration |
| Odd theme/duplicate UI, two kits resolve | both cohorts (chatuikit-kotlin-android AND chatuikit-compose-android) in one module | pick ONE cohort |
Unsupported class file major version / Kotlin errors | JVM target mismatch | JVM 11: compileOptions + kotlin { compilerOptions { jvmTarget.set(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.dsl.JvmTarget.JVM_11) } } (fully-qualified — a mid-file import breaks a .kts; the kotlinOptions{} DSL is deprecated/removed on Kotlin 2.2+) |
Init / login
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
ERR_SETTINGS_FILE_NOT_FOUND | no app/src/main/assets/cometchat-settings.json | create it (core §4); confirm it's in assets/, not res/ |
ERR_SETTINGS_INVALID | appId or region missing/empty in that JSON | fill both |
init onError about app/auth | wrong Region (most common) or wrong App ID | match the Dashboard exactly (us/eu/in) |
login onError ERR_UID_NOT_FOUND | the UID doesn't exist in this app | use a real user from Dashboard → Users (fresh apps seed cometchat-uid-1…), or create it server-side |
| login "fails silently" / nothing happens | login called before init resolved (docs warning) | call login only inside init's onSuccess |
| login error on an already-logged-in user | re-login without logout | guard with getLoggedInUser() != null; to switch users, logout first |
| Auth works debug, fails release | release build has no Auth Key but still uses login(uid) | use loginWithAuthToken (→ cometchat-android-v6-production) |
Blank / empty / stuck UI
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Splash never advances | the gate never unlocks because an onError is swallowed | log + render errors; never leave onError empty |
| Chat screen blank/white | UI rendered before login resolved | gate the UI on login success |
| Component renders as a sliver / crammed | wrap_content or an unsized parent — the kit fills its parent | match_parent/0dp+weight (Views) or fillMaxSize()/weight(1f) (Compose) — core/references/layout.md |
| Conversation list empty | fresh app with no conversations, or wrong credentials/region | seed a conversation from another user or the Dashboard; re-check App ID/region |
| List scrolls oddly / doesn't load more | CometChatMessageList nested in another scrollable | never nest it in a ScrollView/verticalScroll Column |
Realtime / features
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Messages only appear after reopening | listener not registered, or removed too early | register in the right lifecycle; remove only on teardown (cometchat-android-v6-events) |
| Nothing realtime at all | no internet permission, or connection down | android.permission.INTERNET in the manifest; check connection status (SDK getConnectionStatus/addConnectionListener) |
| A feature doesn't appear | Dashboard toggle off, or session started before enabling | enable in Dashboard for THIS app, then re-login (cometchat-android-v6-extensions) |
| Thread replies never send | thread list/composer missing the user/group target (parent id alone isn't enough) | pass BOTH the conversation target and the parent message id |
| Tapping an affordance does nothing | default-on affordance not wired (thread/search) | wire the destination or hide it |
Layout / platform
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Composer hidden by the keyboard | no IME handling | windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize" (Views) / imePadding() (Compose) |
| Header/composer under the status or nav bar | edge-to-edge without insets | enableEdgeToEdge() + inset padding (core/references/layout.md) |
| Crash only in release | shrinking/obfuscation | reproduce on the release variant, read the real trace, then check docs before adding keep rules |
| Camera/mic fails on a call | runtime permissions not granted | request CAMERA/RECORD_AUDIO (cometchat-android-v6-calls) |
| Push never arrives | registration failed / no onNewToken / wrong Provider ID | cometchat-android-v6-push verify path |
| Crash: lifecycle-related on a kit view | host isn't a lifecycle-aware Activity | use AppCompatActivity/ComponentActivity/FragmentActivity |
Escalating to CometChat support — bring this
Kit cohort + exact version (chatuikit-compose-android / chatuikit-kotlin-android 6.0.x) and chat-sdk-android version · App ID + region (never the Auth Key) · the full CometChatException (code AND message) from init/login/the failing call · a minimal repro (which component, which screen) · logcat around the failure · device/API level · whether it reproduces in debug and release. Confirm first that it isn't a version_conflict, a Region mismatch, or a swallowed onError — those three cover most reports.
Common pitfalls (of debugging itself)
Empty onError blocks · assuming the kit is broken when the container is unsized · changing several things at once · testing against a Dashboard app you didn't verify · treating a debug-only symptom as release-safe (or vice versa) · asking support before capturing the exception code.
Verify it works
After the fix: rebuild, watch logcat for init onSuccess → login onSuccess, and re-run the original repro. Then re-check the surrounding invariants — surface fills its parent, keyboard/insets fine, thread and search round-trip, realtime arrives without reopening, and (if touched) the release variant still runs. Confirm the fix's cause was the one you claimed; if you changed several things, revert the unnecessary ones.