Cometchat IOS Calls

Purpose

Production-grade voice + video calling for native iOS. Loaded by cometchat-calls when framework === "ios". Operates in two modes:

• Standalone — calls is the product. CometChatSDK (signaling) + CometChatCallsSDK (WebRTC) + your own SwiftUI views or UIKit view controllers. CallKit + PushKit are mandatory.
• Additive — calls layered onto an existing CometChat iOS UI Kit integration. The kit's CometChatMessageHeader already exposes call buttons; this skill wires them and mounts the global call listener.

Read these other skills first:

• cometchat-calls — dispatcher (modes, hard rules, anti-patterns)
• cometchat-ios-core — Chat SDK init, login, Secrets.swift / .xcconfig credential conventions, SwiftUI vs UIKit entry-point detection

Ground truth:

• SDK source — calls-sdk-ios-5/sdk/
• Sample app — calls-sdk-ios-5/sample-apps/cometchat-calls-sample-app-ios/
• Package.swift — https://github.com/cometchat/calls-sdk-ios.git (SPM)
• Public docs — https://www.cometchat.com/docs/calls/ios/overview

iOS Calls SDK v5 resolution — verified working (re-checked 2026-06-04)

An earlier draft of this skill warned that "the iOS Calls SDK v5 binary is broken / missing from Cloudsmith — stay on v4.2.x." That warning was wrong and has been removed. It was based on a hand-constructed URL (…/raw/versions/124.0.4/CometChatWebRTC-124.0.4.xcframework.zip) that 404s — but that is NOT the path the podspec/Package.swift actually fetches, so its 404 never proved anything. Verified 2026-06-04:

• Additive (UI Kit) path: CometChatCallsSDK v5 ships vendored inside CometChatUIKitSwift — a clean pod install resolves CometChatUIKitSwift (5.1.13) (which bundles the v5 CallsSDK framework) with no 404. The audited CometChatCallsSDK.swiftinterface (v5 shape: generateToken/startSession, no login) came straight out of that resolved framework.
• Standalone path: CometChatCallsSDK v5.0.0 is consumable via CocoaPods (e.g. the internal VoIP+APNs sample under Linear ENG-35167 builds against it).

If you ever DO hit a missing-WebRTC binary on a direct standalone pod 'CometChatCallsSDK' install, treat it as an environment/registry hiccup and check the current podspec URL — it is not a known blanket failure, and there is no open vendor ticket for it.

1. The seven hard rules — iOS specialization

⚠️ TOP PRIORITY (ENG-35710): Auth-token passing is the most-broken step on iOS Calls integrations. Unlike Android / Flutter / JS, the iOS Calls SDK 5.x has NO separate login step — there is no CometChatCalls.login(...) and no CometChatCalls.getLoggedInUser() (those are phantom; verified absent from CometChatCallsSDK — in 5.0.1 and earlier; 5.0.2 restores them — see the §1.0 correction). Auth is supplied per session as the authToken: argument to CometChatCalls.generateToken(authToken:sessionID:). Every tester who hit "calls don't work" on iOS traced back to that token: (a) the token was empty/nil → generateToken fails with "auth token cannot be null"; (b) a server-minted token expired between mint and generateToken (default ~30-minute TTL); (c) the client-side apiKey was passed instead of the user's auth token. Before scaffolding ANY iOS calls code, confirm the auth path (dev: read CometChat.getUserAuthToken(); production: fetch a fresh server-minted token) and feed it to generateToken. Mixing them is the canonical "ringing but never joins" iOS failure mode.

1.0 The iOS Calls SDK has NO separate login (v5) — CORRECTED for 5.0.2 (2026-07-21)

Correction (ENG-37137, verified against the published 5.0.2 binary + live end-to-end test 2026-07-21): the "no login" claim below is TRUE for the UI Kit-vendored calls framework and for standalone 5.0.1 and earlier, but standalone CometChatCallsSDK 5.0.2 exports login(UID:authKey:) / login(UID:apiKey:) / login(authToken:) / logout() and persists the session (v4-compat surface restored in calls-core; the SDK's own sample app logs in via LoginViewController). This matters for two reasons: (a) after login, the generateToken(sessionID:) overload works without hand-passing an auth token; (b) login success is the trigger for the ai-agent identification telemetry (§2) — in a calls-only app that never logs in, the self-report has nothing to fire on. Dual-SDK (ringing) integrations are unaffected: the Chat SDK login remains the only login you need there.

Unlike the Android / Flutter / JS Calls SDKs, CometChatCalls on iOS has no login() and no getLoggedInUser() — those methods do not exist in CometChatCallsSDK 5.0.1 and earlier (see correction above for 5.0.2+). There is nothing to "log in" to. Once the Chat SDK session exists, you authorize each call session by passing an auth token to generateToken(authToken:sessionID:), then startSession(callToken:callSetting:view:) with the returned call token (full flow in §1.1).

import CometChatSDK
import CometChatCallsSDK

// Chat SDK login is the ONLY login. (UI Kit users: CometChatUIKit.login already did this.)
CometChat.login(UID: uid, authKey: AUTH_KEY) { user in
    // Chat SDK ready. No CometChatCalls.login() exists — do NOT call it.
    // The incoming-call listener can be registered now; per-call auth happens via generateToken.
} onError: { error in
    // chat login failed
}

// Dev: the auth token for generateToken comes from the Chat SDK:
let authToken = CometChat.getUserAuthToken()   // String? — pass to generateToken(authToken:)
// Production: fetch a fresh server-minted token from your backend instead.

Surprises:

• There is no Calls-SDK session to persist — the Chat SDK's Keychain session is the only persisted login. On app start just confirm CometChat.getLoggedInUser() != nil.
• generateToken / startSession errors hit the onError closure (not do/try/catch). The error type is CometChatCallException — has errorDescription and errorCode.

1.1 Dual-SDK contract

Chat SDK (CometChatSDK) initiates ringing; Calls SDK (CometChatCallsSDK) runs the WebRTC session. There is no two-Call-classes problem on iOS — Swift's module separation prevents it. But the API split still exists:

// ✓ RIGHT — initiate ringing (Chat SDK)
import CometChatSDK

let outgoing = Call(receiverId: receiverUid, callType: .video, receiverType: .user)
CometChat.initiateCall(call: outgoing, onSuccess: { initiated in
  // initiated.sessionID is what the Calls SDK will join
}, onError: { error in
  // surface to UI
})

// ✓ RIGHT — start the WebRTC session (Calls SDK 5.x) after acceptance.
// iOS Calls SDK 5.x is a TWO-STEP flow: generateToken → startSession.
// There is NO joinSession, NO CallSession singleton, and NO SessionSettingsBuilder
// in the 5.x SDK — those are phantom. The real builder is CallSettingsBuilder.
//   - CallSettingsBuilder (NOT SessionSettingsBuilder) builds the CallSettings
//   - generateToken(authToken:sessionID:) FIRST, then startSession(callToken:callSetting:view:)
//   - Attach the event listener via CallSettingsBuilder.setDelegate(_:) (CallsEventsDelegate)
import CometChatCallsSDK

let settings = CallSettingsBuilder()
  .setStartVideoMuted(false)
  .setStartAudioMuted(false)
  .setDelegate(callListener)        // any CallsEventsDelegate — onCallEnded, onUserJoined, …
  .build()

// loggedInAuthToken: the current user's auth token — CometChat.getUserAuthToken()
//   (User has NO .authToken property; getUserAuthToken() is the real accessor)
CometChatCalls.generateToken(authToken: loggedInAuthToken, sessionID: sessionID) { callToken in
  guard let callToken = callToken else { return }
  CometChatCalls.startSession(
    callToken: callToken,
    callSetting: settings,
    view: callContainerView         // UIView with measurable bounds
  ) { _ in
    // session started — the call UI is rendered into callContainerView
  } onError: { error in
    print("startSession failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "unknown")")
  }
} onError: { error in
  print("generateToken failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "unknown")")
}

1.1a End-to-end initiate→join sequence (ENG-35710)

After CometChat.initiateCall the caller's session is NOT auto-joined — the gap between initiation and joining is the second canonical iOS failure (after auth-token). Three events must fire in sequence; the caller side handles each in a different callback.

Corrected 2026-06-02 against calls-sdk-ios/sample-apps/cometchat-calls-sample-app-ringing-ios/CometChatCallsRinging/AppState.swift:213 — the listener protocol is CometChatCallDelegate (NOT CometChatCallsListener as earlier drafts said), and each callback takes TWO parameters (Call? + CometChatException?), NOT one. Earlier example would not compile.

// Step A: register the listener on app start (before any call fires)
// Listener ID is a String; listener instance is "self" or any class conforming
// to CometChatCallDelegate.
CometChat.addCallListener(callListenerID, self)

// Step B: conform to CometChatCallDelegate (NOT CometChatCallsListener)
extension YourClass: CometChatCallDelegate {
  // Caller side: the OTHER party accepted — NOW join the session
  func onOutgoingCallAccepted(acceptedCall: Call?, error: CometChatException?) {
    if let error = error { /* surface */ return }
    guard let call = acceptedCall, let sessionID = call.sessionID else { return }
    startCallSession(sessionID: sessionID)
  }
  // Receiver side: incoming call rang — present accept UI; on accept, start the session
  func onIncomingCallReceived(incomingCall: Call?, error: CometChatException?) {
    if let error = error { /* surface */ return }
    guard let call = incomingCall else { return }
    presentIncomingCallUI(for: call) { accepted in
      if accepted {
        CometChat.acceptCall(sessionID: call.sessionID ?? "") { acceptedCall in
          self.startCallSession(sessionID: acceptedCall?.sessionID ?? "")
        } onError: { _ in /* surface */ }
      }
    }
  }
  func onOutgoingCallRejected(rejectedCall: Call?, error: CometChatException?) { /* end UI, cleanup */ }
  func onIncomingCallCancelled(canceledCall: Call?, error: CometChatException?) { /* dismiss incoming UI — label is canceledCall: (single L) */ }
}

// Don't forget to remove the listener on teardown
// CometChat.removeCallListener(callListenerID)

// Step B: kick the call off (caller — your "Call" button taps this)
let outgoing = Call(receiverId: targetUid, callType: .video, receiverType: .user)
CometChat.initiateCall(call: outgoing, onSuccess: { initiated in
  // initiated.sessionID is what the session will use — but DO NOT start the
  // session here. Wait for onOutgoingCallAccepted on the listener. Starting before
  // the remote accepts means you're alone in an empty session.
}, onError: { error in /* surface */ })

// Step C: start the session (caller in onOutgoingCallAccepted, receiver after acceptCall)
// 5.x flow: generateToken(authToken:sessionID:) → startSession(callToken:callSetting:view:)
func startCallSession(sessionID: String) {
  let settings = CallSettingsBuilder()
    .setStartVideoMuted(false)
    .setStartAudioMuted(false)
    .setDelegate(self)             // self conforms to CallsEventsDelegate
    .build()
  CometChatCalls.generateToken(authToken: loggedInAuthToken, sessionID: sessionID) { callToken in
    guard let callToken = callToken else { return }
    CometChatCalls.startSession(
      callToken: callToken,
      callSetting: settings,
      view: callContainerView      // UIView WITH non-zero bounds (lay out first)
    ) { _ in
      // session started
    } onError: { error in
      print("startSession failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "unknown")")
    }
  } onError: { error in
    print("generateToken failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "unknown")")
  }
}

The shape: initiateCall → wait for onOutgoingCallAccepted on your CometChatCallDelegate → generateToken → startSession. Skipping the listener and starting inside initiateCall's onSuccess is the "ringing but never joins" trap — you'll see the call connect on the wire but the receiver's accept never reaches your code.

1.2 CallKit + PushKit are mandatory

iOS will not deliver standard push notifications to a backgrounded/terminated app for an incoming call — the app would have to be foregrounded for it to ring. CallKit + PushKit is the only correct path:

• PushKit delivers VoIP push tokens (separate from APNs tokens) and high-priority VoIP payloads even when the app is terminated
• CallKit presents the system incoming-call UI (lock-screen, even when device is locked) and reports call state to the OS
• Your PKPushRegistry listener calls CXProvider.reportNewIncomingCall(...) immediately on receiving the VoIP payload — Apple terminates apps that delay this

This pattern is non-negotiable for App Store review on apps that ring users. Standalone mode wires it; additive mode prompts but doesn't force it.

1.3 Background modes — three required entries

In the target's "Signing & Capabilities" → Background Modes:

• Audio, AirPlay, and Picture in Picture — required for ongoing-call audio when backgrounded
• Voice over IP — required for PushKit VoIP payload delivery
• Remote notifications — required for chat push (keeps existing entitlements working)

In Info.plist:

<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
  <string>audio</string>
  <string>voip</string>
  <string>remote-notification</string>
</array>

Apple will reject the app if voip is declared but PushKit is not actually used.

1.4 Server-minted auth tokens

Same rule as the chat dispatcher / cometchat-ios-production. Production calls path uses CometChat.login(authToken:), not CometChat.login(uid:authKey:).

1.5 Hangup cleanup — AVAudioSession routing

Releasing the camera + mic on iOS is straightforward; the gotcha is AVAudioSession:

import CometChatCallsSDK

func endCall() {
  // v5: end the session via the static CometChatCalls.endSession().
  // There is NO CallSession singleton and NO leaveSession() in the 5.x SDK —
  // all in-call control is via static funcs on CometChatCalls.
  CometChatCalls.endSession()
  callContainer.subviews.forEach { $0.removeFromSuperview() }

  // CRITICAL: deactivate the audio session, otherwise the speaker stays
  // routed to "earpiece + voice processing" mode and other audio (music,
  // phone calls outside the app) sounds wrong until the user resets it.
  do {
    try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(false, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation)
  } catch {
    // log but don't block — best-effort cleanup
  }

  // CallKit must be told the call ended, even if WE ended it
  cxProvider.reportCall(with: callUUID, endedAt: Date(), reason: .remoteEnded)
}

In-call controls are static funcs on CometChatCalls (there is no CallSession type in the 5.x Calls SDK). Audio/video toggles take a Bool:

CometChatCalls.audioMuted(true)    // mute mic;   false = unmute
CometChatCalls.videoPaused(true)   // pause video; false = resume
CometChatCalls.switchCamera()
CometChatCalls.enterPIPMode()      // picture-in-picture; exitPIPMode() to leave
CometChatCalls.startRecording()    // stopRecording() to end
// NOTE: the iOS Calls SDK 5.x has NO local screen-share initiation API
// (no startScreenShare/stopScreenShare) — iOS can only RECEIVE a remote
// participant's screen share, not start one.

Skipping the setActive(false, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation) is the canonical "music doesn't resume after the call" bug.

1.6 Permissions with rationale — Info.plist usage strings

Two required entries; iOS rejects builds that record without them:

<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>So you can talk during voice and video calls.</string>
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>So you can be seen during video calls.</string>

Plus, on iOS 15+, request permission via AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for:) and AVAudioApplication.requestRecordPermission (deprecating AVAudioSession.requestRecordPermission in iOS 17+). The skill writes the modern path.

1.7 IncomingCall UI — CallKit owns it

In standalone mode, you do NOT render an in-app incoming-call screen. CallKit's system UI handles it (rule 1.2). Your job is:

1. Keep PKPushRegistry alive — register in application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) (UIKit) or App.init() (SwiftUI's @main)
2. On VoIP payload → call CXProvider.reportNewIncomingCall
3. Implement CXProviderDelegate provider(_:perform:) for CXAnswerCallAction — this is where you finally call CometChatCalls.generateToken then startSession

In additive mode, the UI Kit's incoming-call view can be used for in-foreground rings; CallKit handles backgrounded/terminated rings.

1.7a Default incoming/outgoing UI fallback (ENG-35710)

Two iOS testers shipped without a foreground incoming/outgoing screen because the skill jumped straight to CallKit and never showed what to render when the app is already in-foreground. Result: a Call rings on the wire, but the user-facing app shows nothing — the call connects, the call drops, no feedback.

If the developer hasn't asked for a custom incoming-call UI, wire the kit's defaults:

// SwiftUI host
import SwiftUI
import UIKit
import CometChatUIKitSwift

// The kit ships call UI as UIViewControllers (CometChatIncomingCall / CometChatOutgoingCall /
// CometChatOngoingCall) — there are NO `…SwiftUI`-suffixed wrappers. Bridge with
// UIViewControllerRepresentable. Present the controller when your delegate fires (§1.1a);
// configure it via the kit's IncomingCallConfiguration rather than a constructor arg.
struct CometChatIncomingCallView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
  func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> CometChatIncomingCall {
    CometChatIncomingCall()
  }
  func updateUIViewController(_ vc: CometChatIncomingCall, context: Context) {}
}

struct AppRootView: View {
  @State private var hasIncomingCall = false
  var body: some View {
    ZStack {
      ContentView()    // your app's tabs / nav
      if hasIncomingCall {
        CometChatIncomingCallView()
          .ignoresSafeArea()
      }
    }
    // flip `hasIncomingCall` from your CometChatCallDelegate.onIncomingCallReceived (see §1.1a)
  }
}

// UIKit host
class RootViewController: UIViewController {
  override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    // Install the kit's incoming-call VC above all other view controllers
    let incoming = CometChatIncomingCall()
    addChild(incoming)
    view.addSubview(incoming.view)
    incoming.view.frame = view.bounds
    incoming.view.autoresizingMask = [.flexibleWidth, .flexibleHeight]
    incoming.didMove(toParent: self)
  }
}

Mounting at the root (above your nav / tab structure) means foreground rings work app-wide — same idea as the web skill's "mount above the route boundary" rule. CallKit still handles backgrounded/terminated rings; the kit's incoming-call VC handles foreground rings. Together they're the complete foreground-and-background coverage.

If the developer DOES want a custom UI: tell them to (a) implement CometChatCallDelegate.onIncomingCallReceived to drive their own SwiftUI/UIKit screen, (b) call CometChat.acceptCall / rejectCall from that screen, and (c) on accept, follow the generateToken → startSession recipe in §1.1a. The kit's default UI is the recommended starting point because it already wires accept/reject/timer/profile-pic; replicating it from scratch is a 200-line side quest.

2. Setup

Swift Package Manager (preferred)

Add via Xcode → File → Add Package Dependencies:

https://github.com/cometchat/calls-sdk-ios.git

Pin to 5.0.0..<6.0.0. SPM resolves CometChatSDK automatically.

CocoaPods

platform :ios, '15.1'   # REQUIRED for CometChatCallsSDK 5.0.2+ — a lower platform silently resolves 5.0.1 (no initFromSettings)
target 'YourApp' do
  use_frameworks!
  pod 'CometChatSDK',       '~> 4.0'    # signaling
  pod 'CometChatCallsSDK',  '~> 5.0'    # WebRTC session
  # additive mode also has CometChatUIKitSwift '~> 5.1' already
end

post_install do |installer|
  installer.pods_project.build_configurations.each do |config|
    config.build_settings['ENABLE_USER_SCRIPT_SANDBOXING'] = 'NO'  # Xcode 15+
  end
end

Init — file-based with cometchat-settings.json (recommended)

Version requirement (ENG-37137 — Skills Telemetry). CometChatCalls.initFromSettings(onSuccess:onError:) reads a bundled cometchat-settings.json and lets the Calls SDK self-report integrationSource = "ai-agent" to /user_sessions. It ships in CometChatCallsSDK >= 5.0.2 (released 2026-07-20). ⚠️ THE SILENT-DOWNGRADE TRAP: 5.0.2 raised the minimum iOS deployment target to 15.1. If the Podfile declares platform :ios below 15.1, CocoaPods does NOT error — it silently resolves 5.0.1, which has no initFromSettings (and self-reports version 99.0.0). After pod install, verify Podfile.lock shows CometChatCallsSDK (5.0.2) — a missing initFromSettings symbol at build time means you got 5.0.1. On 5.0.1/5.0.0 the method does not exist — bump the platform to 15.1 (preferred) or use the CallAppSettingsBuilder fallback below.

Like the iOS UI Kit's CometChatUIKit.initFromSettings (see cometchat-ios-core), the Calls variant takes no settings argument — it reads the file straight from the app's main bundle, so the file must be in the target's Copy Bundle Resources.

Step 1 — cometchat-settings.json. It is the SAME unified file the chat-side skills create. If cometchat-ios-core already added one, reuse it — just confirm the callsSDK section exists. Creating it fresh (calls-only app):

{
  "appId": "APP_ID_HERE",
  "region": "us",
  "credentials": {
    "authKey": "AUTH_KEY_HERE"
  },
  "callsSDK": {
    "host": null,
    "adminHost": null,
    "clientHost": null,
    "callsHost": null
  }
}

initFromSettings reads the root appId / region and the four optional callsSDK host overrides; everything else in the unified schema is ignored by the Calls SDK. Add the file to the app target (File → Add Files… AND confirm it under Build Phases → Copy Bundle Resources) — SETTINGS_FILE_NOT_FOUND at init means it's missing from Copy Bundle Resources. Commit the file; treat any authKey in it as a public demo credential (same rule as cometchat-ios-core §2).

Step 2 — init (no builder, no args):

import CometChatSDK
import CometChatCallsSDK

let appSettings = AppSettings.AppSettingsBuilder()
  .subscribePresenceForAllUsers()
  .setRegion(region: Secrets.cometchatRegion)
  .build()

CometChat.init(appId: Secrets.cometchatAppID, appSettings: appSettings) { isInitialized, error in
  guard error == nil else { return }

  // File-based init — reads cometchat-settings.json from the bundle and
  // attributes the integration as ai-agent for /user_sessions telemetry.
  CometChatCalls.initFromSettings(onSuccess: { _ in
    // ready — register PushKit (rule 1.2) and CXProvider (rule 1.7) here
  }, onError: { error in
    print("CometChatCalls init failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "")")
  })
}

How the attribution works (don't fight it): initFromSettings persists integrationSource = "ai-agent" (appId-scoped) before delegating to the normal init. The identification POST itself fires on CometChatCalls.login(...) success or on a later init that restores a persisted session, and is deduped via a SHA-256 hash — repeats are no-ops until the app/SDK version or integration source changes. Two consequences:

• Do NOT scaffold a raw CallAppSettingsBuilder init when initFromSettings is available — a direct builder init re-attributes the integration as manual.
• When the Chat SDK is linked in the same app (dual-SDK ringing mode, additive mode), the Calls SDK suppresses its own self-report — the chat side reports instead, so ALSO use the chat-side file-based init there (CometChatUIKit.initFromSettings — cometchat-ios-core §2). The calls-side initFromSettings is still the right init (one config file, ai-agent source persisted either way).

Init — CallAppSettingsBuilder (fallback — 5.0.1 and earlier)

let callAppSettings = CallAppSettingsBuilder()
  .setAppId(Secrets.cometchatAppID)
  .setRegion(Secrets.cometchatRegion)
  .build()

CometChatCalls.init(callsAppSettings: callAppSettings, onSuccess: { _ in
  // ready
}, onError: { error in
  print("CometChatCalls.init failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "")")
})

Credentials via Secrets.swift (gitignored) or .xcconfig Build Settings — see cometchat-ios-core.

3. Components catalog

Calls SDK primitives (used in standalone or wherever you build custom UI)

UI Kit views (additive mode — CometChatUIKitSwift)

SwiftUI hosting via UIViewControllerRepresentable:

struct CallLogsView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
  func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> CometChatCallLogs { CometChatCallLogs() }
  func updateUIViewController(_ vc: CometChatCallLogs, context: Context) {}
}

4. Standalone integration

When product === "voice-video" and there is no existing UI Kit.

Split by calling mode:

4a. Standalone — Session mode (meeting-room UX, no ringing)

Calls SDK ONLY. NO Chat SDK, NO CallKit, NO PushKit. Matches calls-sdk-ios-5/sample-apps/cometchat-calls-sample-app-ios/. Scaffold:

1. App entry — CometChatCalls.initFromSettings(onSuccess:onError:) with a bundled cometchat-settings.json (§2) ONLY — builder init is the pre-5.0.2 fallback. No CometChat.init, no CometChat.login, no PushKit, no CallKit. Note: with no Chat SDK linked, the Calls SDK is the only telemetry reporter here, and its send triggers on CometChatCalls.login success / persisted-session restore — if the app has identified users, log them in via CometChatCalls.login(UID:authKey:) (5.0.2+, see §1.0 correction) rather than hand-passing an auth token to generateToken.
2. JoinSessionView.swift — UID picker + "Start meeting" / "Join meeting" + state.
3. CallView.swift + CallContainerView: UIViewRepresentable — CometChatCalls.generateToken(authToken:sessionID:) then CometChatCalls.startSession(callToken:callSetting:view:). Coordinator conforms to CallsEventsDelegate (set via CallSettingsBuilder.setDelegate). See references/call-session.md.
4. Info.plist patch — Camera + microphone permissions ONLY. No audio or voip Background Modes needed.
5. Universal Link routing — meeting URL → CallView.

Why no CallKit / no PushKit: session mode is link-driven, not push-driven. No incoming ring to surface.

4b. Standalone — Ringing mode (CallKit + PushKit + Chat SDK signaling)

Dual-SDK + CallKit + PushKit. Scaffold:

1. App entry — Chat SDK + Calls SDK init (both file-based: CometChat.init per cometchat-ios-core, then CometChatCalls.initFromSettings — §2), PushKit + CallKit registration (rule 1.2, 1.7).
2. CallKitProviderDelegate.swift — CXProviderDelegate implementation. Routes CXAnswerCallAction → CometChatCalls.generateToken then startSession(callToken:callSetting:view:). Routes CXEndCallAction → CometChatCalls.endSession() + AVAudioSession cleanup (rule 1.5).
3. PushRegistryDelegate.swift — PKPushRegistryDelegate listening on .voIP. On payload → CXProvider.reportNewIncomingCall immediately.
4. ProfileView.swift (SwiftUI) or ProfileViewController.swift (UIKit) — Hosts call buttons next to user info. Tap → CometChat.initiateCall.
5. OngoingCallView.swift — Custom view hosting the SDK's call surface via UIViewRepresentable bridging. Implements rule 1.5 teardown.
6. CallLogsView.swift — /calls equivalent — CallLogsRequest.CallLogsBuilder.
7. Info.plist patch — Background Modes (rule 1.3), permissions (rule 1.6).
8. VoIP Services certificate setup — manual step (Apple Developer portal + App Store Connect). The skill documents the steps; cannot automate.

5. Additive integration

When cometchat-ios is already integrated.

✅ Kit-default path FIRST (what the canonical SampleApp actually does). CometChatCallsSDK is vendored inside CometChatUIKitSwift — no separate SPM/Pod add, and no separate CometChatCalls.init. The sample turns calling on with UIKitSettings…enable(inAppIncomingCall: true) at init (SampleApp/SceneDelegate.swift), then just drops in CometChatCallButtons(...).set(user:) (e.g. in the user-details screen) and a CometChatCallLogs tab — the kit handles generateToken/startSession and the incoming-call UI internally. You do NOT hand-write CometChatCalls.init + a manual generateToken → startSession flow on this path. (The manual two-step is the standalone / custom-UI path only — §1.1 / §4.)

The kit-default additive recipe:

1. Confirm CometChatUIKitSwift is present (CallsSDK is bundled — nothing extra to install).
2. Set .enable(inAppIncomingCall: true) on the UIKitSettings builder at init (the one calling switch). If the integration was scaffolded with CometChatUIKit.initFromSettings (cometchat-ios-core §2 — the skills default), telemetry attribution is already handled on the chat side; the vendored calls framework needs no separate init or attribution step.
3. Add Background Modes (voip, remote-notification, audio) + camera/mic permissions to Info.plist.
4. Drop in CometChatCallButtons (e.g. user-details / contact screen) — the kit also auto-renders them in CometChatMessageHeader when CallsSDK is present; add CometChatCallLogs as a tab/route.
5. (Optional) CallKit + PushKit for background VoIP (asks user — same opt-in as Android).

Only reach for CometChatCalls.init + generateToken/startSession (§1.1) when building a custom call surface without the kit's call components.

6. Anti-patterns

1. Skipping CallKit + PushKit in standalone mode. The app cannot ring backgrounded/terminated devices any other way. App Store reviewers test this.
2. Calling CXProvider.reportNewIncomingCall after async work. Apple terminates the app process if the report happens more than ~5 seconds after PushKit delivery. Report immediately, then do the actual generateToken + startSession from inside CXAnswerCallAction.
3. Forgetting setActive(false, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation) on hangup. Music/phone-call audio sounds wrong until the next foreground. The "looks fine in dev, fails review" bug.
4. Declaring voip in UIBackgroundModes without using PushKit. Apple rejects.
5. Mixing CallKit and an in-app incoming-call screen in standalone mode. Causes double-rings and confused state. CallKit owns standalone rings; in-app UI is additive-mode only.
6. Using SwiftUI .alert for incoming calls. It only fires when the app is foregrounded. Use CallKit (rule 1.7).
7. Pinning CometChatCallsSDK to a 4.x because that's what the chat SDK is on. They version independently — Calls SDK 5.x is the current calls major.
8. Hand-rolling CallAppSettingsBuilder init when initFromSettings is available (5.0.2+, §2). The raw builder init re-attributes the integration as manual — file-based init is the skills path; the builder is only the pre-5.0.2 fallback.

7. Verification checklist

Static:

• CometChatCallsSDK in SPM Package.resolved or Podfile.lock
• CometChat.init followed by CometChatCalls.initFromSettings in app entry (builder CometChatCalls.init only as the pre-5.0.2 fallback — §2)
• cometchat-settings.json present, has the callsSDK section, and listed under Copy Bundle Resources
• PushKit registry listening on .voIP
• CXProvider configured with CXProviderConfiguration (app name + ringtone if any)
• CXProviderDelegate implements answer + end actions
• Info.plist has NSMicrophoneUsageDescription + NSCameraUsageDescription
• Info.plist UIBackgroundModes has audio + voip + remote-notification
• Hangup path includes endSession + setActive(false, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation) + cxProvider.reportCall(...endedAt:reason:)
• Standalone only: No in-app incoming-call screen — CallKit owns it

Runtime (real device):

• Outgoing call connects, two-way audio + video
• Incoming call rings on lock screen (device locked + app terminated)
• Tap "Answer" on lock screen → app opens directly into ongoing call
• Hangup ends call, camera light off, music resumes if it was playing
• Background the app during a call → audio continues
• Lock device during a call → ongoing-call UI on lock screen, audio continues

8. Pointers

• references/audio-modes-and-controls.md — audio-route switching (speaker/earpiece/Bluetooth) + custom control panel (button-disable matrix)
• cometchat-ios-core — Chat SDK init, login, Secrets.swift conventions
• cometchat-ios-components — full UI Kit catalog (additive mode)
• cometchat-ios-push — APNs setup; some overlap with PushKit but distinct (PushKit is VoIP-only)
• cometchat-ios-production — server-minted tokens, security checklist
• cometchat-ios-troubleshooting — common failure modes (PushKit delivery, CallKit reporting timing, ENABLE_USER_SCRIPT_SANDBOXING)