How to Build Apps Like Snapchat with ZEGOCLOUD

Social media apps have changed how we connect with friends and share our daily moments. Many developers want to create exciting communication apps like Snapchat. ZEGOCLOUD makes this dream possible with powerful development tools and technologies.

In this guide, we will explore the key steps to build your own messaging app from scratch. You will learn about the technical skills and strategic approaches needed to create a successful real-time communication platform. Whether you are a new developer or an experienced tech professional, this guide will help you turn your app ideas into reality.

Must-have Features of Snapchat

If you’re building a Snapchat alternative messaging app, it’s important to focus on features that make communication easy, secure, and fun. Here are seven must-have features you should include:

• Video and audio calls: Snapchat allows users to make high-quality video and audio calls, making conversations more personal. Adding features like call filters or effects during calls can make the experience even more enjoyable. These options encourage users to spend more time on the app.

• Self-destructing messages: Disappearing messages are one of Snapchat’s standout features. Users can send texts, photos, or videos that vanish after being viewed, ensuring privacy and creating a casual, worry-free communication experience.

• Real-time messaging: Instant communication is essential in any messaging app. Snapchat ensures that messages—whether they’re text, photos, or videos—are delivered instantly. To add more interactivity, consider including live previews of media during chats.

• Media sharing with personalization: Media sharing is at the heart of Snapchat. Users can send photos, videos, and GIFs with ease. What sets it apart is the ability to personalize media with text, stickers, or doodles. Adding quick editing tools ensures users can express themselves creatively.

• Push notifications and chat indicators: Push notifications keep users informed about new messages, calls, or friend requests, while typing indicators and read receipts make conversations feel more connected and engaging.

• Stories for temporary sharing: Snapchat’s Stories feature allows users to post photos and videos visible to friends for 24 hours. This feature is perfect for sharing updates without making them permanent, adding a dynamic way to stay connected.

• Privacy controls: Snapchat gives users full control over who can contact them or view their content. Features like blocking, reporting, and custom friend lists ensure users feel safe while using the app.

How to Build Apps Like Snapchat

Building a similar app like Snapchat means creating a platform where users can communicate instantly, share moments, and connect through real-time video calls. To achieve this, we’ll use ZEGOCLOUD Express Video for video chat and ZIM SDK for instant messaging and group chat features. These SDKs provide the tools needed to bring your app to life, ensuring smooth communication and an engaging user experience.

In this section, we’ll break down how to create an app with messaging, group interactions, and video call features, mirroring Snapchat’s core functionality. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just getting started, this guide will walk you through the process step by step.

Key Features of ZEGOCLOUD

ZEGOCLOUD is a trusted solution for real-time communication apps, offering robust SDKs packed with features. Here are five key highlights:

• Crystal-clear video and audio calls: ZEGOCLOUD Express Video SDK delivers top-notch video and audio streaming. It adapts to network fluctuations in real time, ensuring smooth, high-quality calls even in challenging conditions.

• Lightning-fast messaging: The ZIM SDK enables instant messaging with low latency. Users can send and receive text, multimedia, and emojis in real-time, creating a seamless chat experience that feels natural and responsive.

• Flexible group chat options: With ZIM SDK, you can create and manage group chats effortlessly. From open groups where anyone can join to invite-only communities with admin controls, ZEGOCLOUD lets you customize permissions to fit your app's needs.

• Works across platforms: Whether your app is on the web, iOS, or Android, ZEGOCLOUD SDKs ensure consistent performance. Developers can build cross-platform apps that function seamlessly on all major devices.

• Developer-friendly APIs: ZEGOCLOUD offers well-documented APIs and a developer-friendly ecosystem. This makes integration straightforward, saving you time while offering the flexibility to tweak and customize features as needed.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A ZEGOCLOUD developer account for AppID and server credentials (Sign up here).
• Node.js installed on your system.
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript or TypeScript.
• A code editor such as Visual Studio Code.
• A WebRTC-compatible browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.

1. Set Up the Project Structure

Create a new project folder and initialize it as a Node.js project:

mkdir snapchat-clone
cd snapchat-clone
npm init -y

Organize your project as follows:

snapchat-clone/
├── index.html        # The structure of the app interface
├── index.js          # JavaScript for real-time functionality
├── styles.css        # CSS for app styling
├── package.json      # Node.js dependencies

2. Build the HTML User Interface

Create a simple user interface in index.html, including sections for chat, video calls, and user controls. This layout will enable both messaging and video call functionality.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Snapchat Clone</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
    <div id="app">
        <h1>Snapchat Clone</h1>
        <div id="chat-container">
            <div id="messages"></div>
            <input type="text" id="message-input" placeholder="Type a message">
            <button onclick="sendMessage()">Send</button>
        </div>
        <div id="video-controls">
            <video id="localVideo" autoplay muted></video>
            <video id="remoteVideo" autoplay></video>
            <button id="toggleCamera">Camera</button>
            <button id="toggleMic">Mic</button>
            <button id="endCall">End</button>
        </div>
    </div>
    <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

3. Install ZEGOCLOUD SDKs

To integrate messaging and video calls, install these SDKs:

npm install zego-express-engine-webrtc zego-zim-web

• zego-express-engine-webrtc: For video calling and streaming media.
• zego-zim-web: For instant messaging and group chat.

4. Import and Initialize SDKs

Import the required SDKs in index.js and initialize them with your AppID and server URL.

import { ZegoExpressEngine } from 'zego-express-engine-webrtc';
import { ZIM } from 'zego-zim-web';

const appID = 123456789; // Replace with your actual AppID
const serverURL = 'wss://your-server-url'; // Replace with your actual server URL

const zegoEngine = new ZegoExpressEngine(appID, serverURL);
const zim = ZIM.create({ appID });

5. Messaging Features

Login to Messaging

Use the following function to log users into the ZIM platform for messaging.

async function loginZIM() {
    const userID = 'user_' + Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9);
    const zimToken = 'your_zim_token_here'; // Replace with a valid ZIM token

    await zim.login({ userID, userName: `User_${userID}` }, zimToken);
}

Send and Receive Messages

Configure functions to send messages and update the chat interface dynamically:

async function sendMessage() {
    const messageInput = document.getElementById('message-input');
    const content = messageInput.value;

    if (content.trim()) {
        await zim.sendMessage({
            conversationID: 'group-chat',
            conversationType: ZIM.enums.ConversationType.GROUP,
            message: { content }
        });
        displayMessage(`You: ${content}`);
        messageInput.value = '';
    }
}

zim.on('receiveMessage', (msg) => {
    displayMessage(`Friend: ${msg.message.content}`);
});

function displayMessage(message) {
    const messagesContainer = document.getElementById('messages');
    const messageDiv = document.createElement('div');
    messageDiv.textContent = message;
    messagesContainer.appendChild(messageDiv);
}

6. Group Chat Setup

Group chat is essential for a Snapchat-style app to enable collaborative communication among users. This section covers group creation, joining, and managing members.

6.1 Create a Group

Use the createGroup method to establish a new group. Customize settings like the join mode, invite permissions, and maximum member count.

zim.createGroup(
    { groupID: 'snap-group', groupName: 'Snap Group' },
    [],
    {
        joinMode: 0, // 0: Anyone can join; 1: Approval required; 2: Invite-only
        maxMemberCount: 100 // Maximum number of members allowed
    }
)
.then(({ groupInfo }) => console.log('Group created:', groupInfo))
.catch(console.error);

6.2 Join a Group

Allow users to join existing groups. Adjust group settings so users can join freely or send requests if required.

zim.joinGroup('snap-group')
    .then(({ groupInfo }) => console.log('Joined group:', groupInfo))
    .catch(console.error);

For groups requiring approval, users can submit a join request using sendGroupJoinApplication:

zim.sendGroupJoinApplication('snap-group', { wording: 'Request to join the group' })
    .then(() => console.log('Join request sent'))
    .catch(console.error);

6.3 Invite Users to a Group

Allow group owners or members with permissions to invite others. Use the inviteUsersIntoGroup method for seamless invites.

zim.inviteUsersIntoGroup(['userID1', 'userID2'], 'snap-group')
    .then(() => console.log('Invitations sent'))
    .catch(console.error);

6.4 Manage Group Information

Group owners can edit group details, such as the name or avatar. Use updateGroupName or updateGroupAvatarUrl for customization.

zim.updateGroupName('Snapchat Friends', 'snap-group')
    .then(({ groupID, groupName }) => console.log('Group name updated:', groupName))
    .catch(console.error);

zim.updateGroupAvatarUrl('https://example.com/avatar.jpg', 'snap-group')
    .then(({ groupID, groupAvatarUrl }) => console.log('Group avatar updated'))
    .catch(console.error);

6.5 Retrieve Group Member List

Fetch a list of group members to display participants in the group chat.

zim.queryGroupMemberList('snap-group', { count: 10, nextFlag: 0 })
    .then(({ groupID, userList }) => console.log('Group members:', userList))
    .catch(console.error);

7. Configure Video Calling

Add video call functionality to allow live interactions between users. Below is a simplified implementation:

async function startVideoCall() {
    const userID = 'user_' + Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9);
    const token = 'your_video_token_here'; // Replace with a valid token

    await zegoEngine.loginRoom('snap-room', token, { userID, userName: userID });

    const localStream = await zegoEngine.createStream();
    document.getElementById('localVideo').srcObject = localStream;

    zegoEngine.startPublishingStream('streamID', localStream);

    zegoEngine.on('roomStreamUpdate', async (_, updateType, streamList) => {
        if (updateType === 'ADD') {
            const remoteStream = await zegoEngine.startPlayingStream(streamList[0].streamID);
            document.getElementById('remoteVideo').srcObject = remoteStream;
        }
    });
}

8. Style the App

Add some CSS in styles.css for a user-friendly interface:

#chat-container, #video-controls {
    margin: 20px;
}
#messages {
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    padding: 10px;
    height: 300px;
    overflow-y: auto;
}
input, button {
    margin: 10px;
}
video {
    width: 45%;
    height: 250px;
    background-color: black;
}

9. Implementing Cleanup Functionality

To maintain a smooth experience for users and manage resources effectively, it's crucial to include a cleanup function. This ensures that when a user leaves a chat or ends a call, all related resources are released, and the session is properly terminated.

function cleanup() {
    // Logout from the messaging service
    zim.logout();

    // Leave the video call room and release video resources
    zegoEngine.logoutRoom('snap-room');
    zegoEngine.destroyEngine();

    console.log('Resources cleaned up successfully');
}

When to Call cleanup()

• When a user ends a session: Call the cleanup function when a user logs out or exits the app to free up resources.
• On page unload: Attach the cleanup function to the beforeunload event to ensure cleanup happens even if the user closes the browser tab.

window.addEventListener('beforeunload', cleanup);

The cleanup function prevents memory leaks and ensures your app runs efficiently for all users.

Conclusion

Creating an app like Snapchat is no small task, but with ZEGOCLOUD’s SDKs, it’s more approachable than ever. The Express Video SDK makes it easy to add crystal-clear video calls, while the ZIM SDK handles instant messaging and group chats seamlessly. These tools are designed to save you time and effort while providing the flexibility to build a unique app that stands out.

Whether it’s real-time communication or cross-platform compatibility, ZEGOCLOUD has you covered. With this guide, you’re ready to bring your ideas to life and create an app your users will love. Let the development begin!