Add live chat to your React Native app

Add Helpium's native support chat to your React Native or Expo app. The package is a thin bridge over the Helpium iOS and Android SDKs, so your customers get a fully native chat, not a web view.

Before you start

In Helpium, open Channels → Live Chat and copy your widget key.

1. Install the package

npm install @helpium/react-native
cd ios && pod install

With Expo, use a development build (npx expo run:ios, npx expo run:android or EAS Build). The SDK contains native code, so it does not run in Expo Go. No config plugin is needed.

On iOS, add a camera usage description so customers can attach photos (in Expo, under ios.infoPlist in app.json):

"NSCameraUsageDescription": "Take a photo to send to our support team."

2. Configure, identify and open

import { Helpium } from '@helpium/react-native';

// At startup
Helpium.configure({ widgetKey: 'YOUR_WIDGET_KEY' });

// After login, with a token your server signs
Helpium.identify({ userJwt: token });

// From your Help button
<Button title="Help" onPress={() => Helpium.present()} />

// On logout
Helpium.logout();

See Verify your customers' identity for how to sign the token.

3. Show unread replies

useEffect(() => {
  const subscription = Helpium.addUnreadCountListener(setUnread);
  return () => subscription.remove();
}, []);

Colors

Helpium.setAppearance({
  light: { primary: '#0ea5e9', headerBackground: '#0ea5e9', headerText: '#ffffff' },
  dark: { primary: '#38bdf8', background: '#0f172a', surface: '#1e293b' },
});

Push notifications with expo-notifications

Helpium needs the device's raw push token, not the Expo push token:

import * as Notifications from 'expo-notifications';

const { data } = await Notifications.getDevicePushTokenAsync();
Helpium.setPushToken(String(data));

Notifications.addNotificationResponseReceivedListener((response) => {
  const data = response.notification.request.content.data;
  if (Helpium.isHelpiumPush(data)) Helpium.handlePush(data);
});

Then connect your Apple and Firebase credentials as described in Send push notifications for agent replies.