Freshchat Android SDK Integration Steps

// Get the user object for the current installation
FreshchatUser freshchatUser = Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUser();
freshchatUser.setFirstName("John");
freshchatUser.setLastName("Doe");
freshchatUser.setEmail("[email protected]");
freshchatUser.setPhone("+91", "9790987495");

// Call setUser so that the user information is synced with Freshchat's servers
Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).setUser(freshchatUser);

3.2 Updating User Properties (Meta Data)

You can capture and send additional metadata about the user and the events in the app, all of which also becomes a way to segment your users to later push messages to them.  

/* Set any custom metadata to give agents more context, and for segmentation for marketing or pro-active messaging */
Map<String, String> userMeta = new HashMap<String, String>();
userMeta.put("userLoginType", "Facebook");
userMeta.put("city", "SpringField");
userMeta.put("age", "22");
userMeta.put("userType", "premium");
userMeta.put("numTransactions", "5");
userMeta.put("usedWishlistFeature", "yes");
                                
//Call setUserProperties to sync the user properties with Freshchat's servers
Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).setUserProperties(userMeta);

String eventName = "Visited Order Details page";

// Create a map and set required properties like below  
HashMap<String, Object> properties = new HashMap<>();
properties.put("Order Id", 3223232332);
properties.put("Order Date", "24 Jan 2020");
properties.put("Order Status ", "In-Transit");

// Call trackEvent by passing eventName and a map of properties
Freshchat.trackEvent(getContext(), eventName, properties);

Note:
1. Freshchat allows only 121 unique events per account

2. Event name accepts string value (max 32 chars)

3. Property key name should be of string type (max 32 chars)

4. Property value can be of any primitive object type (max 256 chars)

4. Freshchat allows sending a maximum of 20 properties per event

Freshchat.resetUser(getApplicationContext());

Note: 
Restore Id for a user is typically generated only when user has sent a message.
Notifications are supported in only one mobile device at any point in time and is currently the last restored device or device with the last updated push token.

Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).identifyUser(externalId, null);

To retrieve the restore id

String restoreId = Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUser().getRestoreId();
saveRestoreIdForUser(restoreId);

Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).identifyUser(externalId, restoreId);

To listen to restore id generated event

Restore Id generation is an asynchronous process. So you need to register a broadcast receiver to get notified when restore id is generated. This receiver can be registered at onCreate and unregistered at onTerminate of your application class.

Register for broadcast receiver

IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter(Freshchat.FRESHCHAT_USER_RESTORE_ID_GENERATED);
LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).registerReceiver(broadcastReceiver, intentFilter);

Listen to broadcast receiver

BroadcastReceiver broadcastReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
  @Override
  public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
     String restoreId = Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUser().getRestoreId();
  }
};

LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).unregisterReceiver(broadcastReceiver);

Note: Only Topics with visibility set to "Visible to all users" will be displayed when using showConversations() API

myConversationsButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View view) {
        Freshchat.showConversations(getApplicationContext());
    }
}); 

4.1.1 Filtering Conversation Topics

To filter and display only Topics tagged with a specific term, use the filterByTags API in ConversationOptions instance passed to showConversations() API as below.

Eg: To link and display only specific Topics from say orders page in your app, those specific Topics can be tagged with the term "order_queries".

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
tags.add("order_queries");
ConversationOptions options = new ConversationOptions()
    .filterByTags(tags, "Order Queries");
Freshchat.showConversations(MainActivity.this, options);

Note: 
If no matching Topics are found, the user will be redirected to the default Topic.

Topics which are normally not visible when using showConversations() API, will also be displayed when tagged and the specific tag is passed to filterByTags API of ConversationOptions instance passed to showConversations() API.

Please refer to this video for more information

Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUnreadCountAsync(new UnreadCountCallback() {
        @Override
        public void onResult(FreshchatCallbackStatus freshchatCallbackStatus, int unreadCount) {
            //Assuming "badgeTextView" is a text view to show the count on
            badgeTextView.setText(Integer.toString(unreadCount));
        }
    });

IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter(Freshchat.FRESHCHAT_UNREAD_MESSAGE_COUNT_CHANGED);
    getLocalBroadcastManager(getApplicationContext()).registerReceiver(unreadCountChangeReceiver, intentFilter);

BroadcastReceiver unreadCountChangeReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUnreadCountAsync(new UnreadCountCallback() {
            @Override
            public void onResult(FreshchatCallbackStatus freshchatCallbackStatus, int unreadCount) {
                //Assuming "badgeTextView" is a text view to show the count on
                badgeTextView.setText(Integer.toString(unreadCount));
            }
        });
    }
}

Unregister for the broadcast receiver

getLocalBroadcastManager(getApplicationContext()).unregisterReceiver(unreadCountChangeReceiver);

4.1.3 Unread message count across conversations filtered by tags

If you would like to obtain the number of unread messages for the user across specific conversations filtered by tags, use the getUnreadCountAsync API.

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
    tags.add("premium"); // Tags to filter conversations by
    Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).getUnreadCountAsync(new UnreadCountCallback() {
        @Override
        public void onResult(FreshchatCallbackStatus FreshchatCallbackStatus, int unreadCount) {
            badgeTextView.setText(Integer.toString(unreadCount));
        }
    }, tags);

myFAQButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View view) {
        Freshchat.showFAQs(getApplicationContext());
    }
});

// Launching FAQ from click of a button in your app's screen
myFAQButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View view) {

        FaqOptions faqOptions = new FaqOptions()
            .showFaqCategoriesAsGrid(true)
            .showContactUsOnAppBar(true)
            .showContactUsOnFaqScreens(false)
            .showContactUsOnFaqNotHelpful(false);

        Freshchat.showFAQs(MainActivity.this, faqOptions);
    }
});

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
tags.add("premium");

FaqOptions faqOptions = new FaqOptions()
    .filterByTags(tags, "FAQs", FaqOptions.FilterType.CATEGORY);//tags, filtered screen title, type

Freshchat.showFAQs(MainActivity.this, faqOptions);

Note: FAQs also inherit the tags from the parent FAQ Category

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
tags.add("payment_failure");

FaqOptions faqOptions = new FaqOptions()
    .filterByTags(tags, "payment_failure", FaqOptions.FilterType.ARTICLE);//tags, filtered screen title, type

Freshchat.showFAQs(MainActivity.this, faqOptions);

Note: The default behavior for "Contact Us" from within FAQ flow is the same as invoking showConversations() i.e it will display all Topics that are marked "Visible to all users", except when filtering of Topics is enabled by passing tags to filterContactUsByTags API.

List<String> tags = new ArrayList<>();
tags.add("payment_failure");

FaqOptions faqOptions = new FaqOptions()
    .filterContactUsByTags(tags, "Payments"); //tags, filtered screen title

Freshchat.showFAQs(MainActivity.this, faqOptions);

Note: This API would silently send a message and not launch the Freshchat SDK UI

String tag = "premium";
String msgText = "User has trouble with order #1234";
FreshchatMessage FreshchatMessage = new FreshchatMessage().setTag(tag).setMessage(msgText);
Freshchat.sendMessage(getContext(), FreshchatMessage);

Please refer to this video for more information.

String token = FirebaseInstanceId.getInstance().getToken();
Freshchat.getInstance(this).setPushRegistrationToken(token);

public void onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage remoteMessage) {
    if (Freshchat.isFreshchatNotification(remoteMessage)) {
        Freshchat.handleFcmMessage(context, remoteMessage);
    } else {
        // Handle notifications with data payload for your app
    }
}

<color name="freshchat_notification_accent_color">@color/red</color>

<string name="freshchat_campaign_notification_channel_name">Campaign messages</string>

FreshchatNotificationConfig notificationConfig = new FreshchatNotificationConfig()
    .setNotificationSoundEnabled(true)
    .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_notif_small_icon)
    .setLargeIcon(R.drawable.ic_notif_large_icon)
    .launchActivityOnFinish(MainActivity.class.getName())
    .setPriority(NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_HIGH);

Freshchat.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).setNotificationConfig(notificationConfig);

7. Language localization

7.1 Changing Default SDK texts

All strings in SDK can be modified by overriding them in strings.xml.

All Freshchat texts can be found here.

7.2 Localization

7.2.1 Language localization of default Freshchat texts

All strings in SDK can be modified by overriding them in the respective locale strings.xml file.

All Freshchat texts can be found here.

For more details, refer to the Android developer's documentation here.

7.2.2 Language localization of FAQs and Topics

Once FAQs and Topics are localized in the Freshchat web app, SDK will automatically update content based on the user’s app/device locale.

7.3 Right-to-Left Language Support

Freshchat SDK supports RTL languages. 

7.4 Runtime app locale change

If your app can support different locale (languages) apart from the default locale of the device, follow the steps below to update the locale in your Freshchat SDK.

1. Once app changes locale, notify the sdk about the app locale change using below method,

Freshchat.notifyAppLocaleChange(activityContext);

private FreshchatWebViewListener webviewListener = new FreshchatWebViewListener() {
    @Override
    public void onLocaleChangedByWebView(@NonNull WeakReference<Context> activityContext) {
      if (activityContext.get() == null) {
        return;
      }
      
      // Reset the run time locale here
      changeLocale(activityContext, appLocale);
    }
  };

Freshchat.getInstance(this).setWebviewListener(webviewListener);

8. Customizations

8.1 UI Customization options

Refer theme documentation here.

8.2 Custom Image Loader

SDK defaults to including Picasso 2.5.2 library to download images. If you want to use any other version of Picasso or any other image download library, you can set your custom image downloader with Freshchat SDK using setImageLoader() API.

Examples

Implement your custom image loader

public class CustomImageLoader implements FreshchatImageLoader {
  
  @Override
 public void load(@NonNull FreshchatImageLoaderRequest request, @NonNull ImageView imageView) {
    // your code to download image and set to imageView
  }

  @Nullable
  @Override
  public Bitmap get(@NonNull FreshchatImageLoaderRequest request) {
    // code to download and return bitmap image
  }

  @Override
  public void fetch(@NonNull FreshchatImageLoaderRequest request) {
    // code to download image
  }
}

public class MyApp extends Application {

  @Override
  public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    Freshchat.setImageLoader(new CustomImageLoader());
  }
}

private LinkHandler linkHandler = new LinkHandler() {

    @Override

    public boolean handleLink(@NonNull String url, @Nullable Bundle bundle) {

        if (urlHandledByApp) {

            return true; // true, if handled by app

        } else {

            return false; // false, to let Freshchat SDK handle the link

        }

    }

};


// Set link handler to override links

Freshchat.getInstance(context).setCustomLinkHandler(linkHandler);

1. Ensure you are initializing the SDK in the onCreate of the application or support activity.
2. Ensure you are on the latest version of SDK.
3. Check that you have push notifications working right from your first launch and have the right notification icons configured.
4. Ensure the App name is set right for your notifications.
5. Configure your default Topic name and welcome message right even if you aren't using other Topics.
6. Capture the unique user identifier, email, phone number, or any other unique customer identifiers with the SDK to ensure smooth use of APIs, as well as for the best use of our "Smart Plugs" feature on the dashboard.
7. Ensure the push notifications are working for new installs as well as upgrades from your previous versions.
   
   

9.2 Permissions

Freshchat SDK is built with support for the Run Time/Dynamic Permissions Model introduced in Marshmallow as long as the app is built with targetSdk as Marshmallow or later.

9.3 Proguard Configuration (If Proguard is enabled in your app)

Freshchat Android SDK is configured out of the box to support proguard. Proguard will automatically pickup the config for the SDK, no manual configuration is necessary.