Edit Message

Edit text and custom messages using the CometChat Android SDK.

AI Integration Quick Reference

// Edit a text message
val updatedMessage = TextMessage(
    message.receiverUid, 
    "Updated text", 
    message.receiverType
)
updatedMessage.id = message.id

CometChat.editMessage(updatedMessage, object: CometChat.CallbackListener<BaseMessage>() {
    override fun onSuccess(message: BaseMessage) { }
    override fun onError(e: CometChatException) { }
})

// Listen for edit events
CometChat.addMessageListener("LISTENER_ID", object : CometChat.MessageListener() {
    override fun onMessageEdited(message: BaseMessage) { }
})

Edit a Message

Use editMessage() with a TextMessage or CustomMessage object. Set the message ID using setId().

Add/Update Tags

While editing a message, you can update the tags associated with the Message. You can use the setTags() method to do so. The tags added while editing a message will replace the tags set when the message was sent.

Java

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
tags.add("pinned");
textMessage.setTags(tags);

Kotlin

val tags: MutableList<String> = ArrayList()
tags.add("pinned")
textMessage.setTags(tags)

Once the message object is ready, call editMessage().

Java

TextMessage updatedMessage = new TextMessage(message.getReceiverUid(), ((TextMessage)message).getText() + "edited",message.getReceiverType());

updatedMessage.setId(message.getId());

CometChat.editMessage(updatedMessage, new CometChat.CallbackListener<BaseMessage>() {
  @Override
  public void onSuccess(BaseMessage message) {
    Log.d(TAG,"Message Edited successfully: "+message.toString());
  }

  @Override
  public void onError(CometChatException e) {
    Log.d(TAG,"Message Edited failed with exception: "+e.getMessage());
  }
}); 

Kotlin

val updatedMessage = TextMessage(message.receiverUid, (message as TextMessage).text + "edited", message.receiverType)

updatedMessage.id=message.id

CometChat.editMessage(updatedMessage, object: CometChat.CallbackListener<BaseMessage>() {
  override fun onSuccess(message: BaseMessage) {
    Log.d(TAG,"editMessage onSuccess: ${message}")
  }

  override fun onError(e: CometChatException) {
    Log.d(TAG,"editMessage onError: ${e.message}")
  }
})

The object of the edited message will be returned in the onSucess() callback method of the listener. The message object will contain the editedAt field set with the timestamp of the time the message was edited. This will help you identify if the message was edited while iterating through the list of messages. The editedBy field is also set to the UID of the user who edited the message.

Field	Getter	Return Type	Description
editedAt	getEditedAt()	long	Timestamp when the message was edited
editedBy	getEditedBy()	String	UID of the user who edited the message

By default, CometChat allows certain roles to edit a message.

User Role	Conversation Type	Edit Capabilities
Message Sender	One-on-one Conversation	Messages they’ve sent
Message Sender	Group Conversation	Messages they’ve sent
Group Owner	Group Conversation	All messages in the group
Group Moderator	Group Conversation	All messages in the group

Real-time Message Edit Events

Use onMessageEdited in MessageListener to receive real-time edit events.

Java

CometChat.addMessageListener(listenerID, new CometChat.MessageListener() {
  @Override
  public void onMessageEdited(BaseMessage message) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Message Edited");
  }
});

Kotlin

CometChat.addMessageListener(listenerID, object : CometChat.MessageListener() {
  fun onMessageEdited(message: BaseMessage) {
    Log.d(TAG, "Message Edited")
  }
})

Always remove listeners when they’re no longer needed (e.g., in onDestroy() or when navigating away). Failing to remove listeners can cause memory leaks and duplicate event handling.

CometChat.removeMessageListener("LISTENER_ID")

Field	Getter	Return Type	Description
editedAt	getEditedAt()	long	Timestamp when the message was edited
editedBy	getEditedBy()	String	UID of the user who edited the message

Missed Message Edit Events

When fetching message history, edited messages have editedAt and editedBy fields set. Additionally, an Action message is created when a message is edited.

For the message edited event, in the Action object received, the following fields can help you get the relevant information-

1. action - edited
2. actionOn - Updated message object with the edited details.
3. actionBy - User object containing the details of the user who has edited the message.
4. actionFor - User/group object having the details of the receiver to which the message was sent.

In order to edit a message, you need to be either the sender of the message or the admin/moderator of the group in which the message was sent.

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Next Steps

Delete Message

Remove messages from conversations

Send Message

Send text, media, and custom messages

Receive Messages

Handle real-time message events with listeners

Message Structure

Understand message types and properties