Sendbird UIKit for Android offers a variety of features that enhance chat experience. With essential messaging features like typing indicator and moderation tools, users can have more engaged conversations.
The following table lists all features that are supported by Sendbird UIKit and indicates which channel type supports them.
| Feature | Channel type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Typing indicator | Group channel | A feature to indicate whether other users in the channel are typing a message. |
Read receipt | Group channel | A feature to allow users to know whether their messages have been read by other users in the channel. |
Delivery receipt | Group channel | A feature to allow users to know whether their messages have been successfully delivered to other users in the channel. |
File sharing | Open channel, Group channel | A feature to allow users to share files during a chat, such as images, audio files, and videos. Custom file types can also be supported. |
Unread message counts | Group channel | A feature to inform users of the number of messages they haven't read in each channel. |
Reactions | Group channel | A feature to allow users to react to messages in a non-verbal manner using emojis. |
Message search | Group channel | A feature to allow users to search for messages within a specific channel. |
Message threading | Group channel | A feature to allow users to reply to a specific message without disrupting the conversation flow. |
Moderation | Open channel, Group channel | A variety of moderation tools to protect users from unsafe content and harmful language. Features include mute, ban, and freeze channels as well as assigning channel operators. |
Sendbird UIKit provides three different types of channels: open channel, group channel, and supergroup channel. Each channel type provides different needs based on your use cases. See Channel types in Chat SDK to learn more about the different behaviors of open channels and group channels.
An open channel is a public chat that allows a large number of users to interact with one another in a more dynamic environment. Open channels can accommodate far more users compared to group channels and don’t require an invitation for users to enter.
A group channel is a chat that allows close interactions between a limited number of users. In order to join this type of channel, an invitation from a channel member is required by default.
A supergroup channel is a type of group channel that can accommodate more than 2,000 members. It's an expanded version of a group channel and serves the same functions as a group channel. The maximum number of channel members can stretch up to tens of thousands depending on your Sendbird plan.