react-native-google-nearby-messages

react-native-google-nearby-messages

An async Google Nearby Messages API Wrapper for React Native (Android & iOS), supporting autolinking, custom discovery modes (broadcast, scan, …), custom discovery mediums (bluetooth, audio, …), awaitable native invokations and React hooks!

Also, this is a good example on how to use Swift in a React Native - Native Module.

Install

This packages uses React Native autolinking (> 0.60)

npm i react-native-google-nearby-messages
# for iOS
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

Note (iOS): Everytime you run pod install an entry called Assets.car is created in your Build Phases -> [CP] Copy Pods Resources which causes the build to fail. This is a known bug in the Google NearbyMessages pod. A workaround is to manually remove this file everytime you run pod install. See #4 (comment) for an automatic fix. Please create a PR here if you found a better solution for this!

Usage

See the example app.

iOS Setup

See: https://developers.google.com/nearby/messages/ios/get-started

1. Add bluetooth permissions (NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription, NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription for ‘ble’, and NSMicrophoneUsageDescription for ‘audio’) to Info.plist
2. Create your API Key at the Google Developer Console.
3. (Optionally): Add the react-native-permissions library to check if Bluetooth is available on the device (it’s 'unavailable' on iOS Simulators!) If it’s 'unavailable', calls to subscribe or publish might crash the app (EXC_BAD_ACCESS) so only call if Bluetooth permission is denied, granted or blocked. This library will handle the permission checking for you when you call publish() or subscribe() for the first time.
4. Pass the generated API Key as a parameter using the connect function

Android Setup

See: https://developers.google.com/nearby/messages/android/get-started

1. Create your API Key at the Google Developer Console.

2. Add your generated API Key and Permissions to your AndroidManifest.xml:

   <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
       package="com.google.sample.app" >
       <!-- For BLE/Bluetooth -->
       <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH" />
       <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN" />
       <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
   
       <!-- For Audio -->
       <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
   
       <application ...>
           <meta-data
               android:name="com.google.android.nearby.messages.API_KEY"
               android:value="API_KEY" />
           <activity>
           ...
           </activity>
       </application>
   </manifest>
   

3. (Optionally): Call checkBluetoothAvailability() to ensure that Bluetooth capabilities are available on the current device.

4. Call connect without any key.

Publishing

import { connect, publish, addOnErrorListener } from 'react-native-google-nearby-messages';

const removeListener = addOnErrorListener((kind, message) => console.error(`${kind}: ${message}`));
const disconnect = await connect({ apiKey: GOOGLE_API_KEY });
const unpublish = await publish('hello !');

// later, e.g. in componentWillUnmount()
removeListener();
unpublish();
disconnect();

Make sure to unpublish, disconnect and remove any listeners as they won’t be removed automatically! I don’t know if that’s possible, if so, please create a Pull Request.

Subscribing

import { connect, subscribe, addOnErrorListener } from 'react-native-google-nearby-messages';

const removeListener = addOnErrorListener((kind, message) => console.error(`${kind}: ${message}`));
const disconnect = await connect({ apiKey: GOOGLE_API_KEY });
const unsubscribe = await subscribe(
  (m) => {
    console.log(`new message found: ${m}`);
  },
  (m) => {
    console.log(`message lost: ${m}`);
  });

// later, e.g. in componentWillUnmount()
removeListener();
unsubscribe();
disconnect();

Make sure to unpublish, disconnect and remove any listeners as they won’t be removed automatically! I don’t know if that’s possible, if so, please create a Pull Request.

Bluetooth Availability

Check if the user has granted Bluetooth Permissions. This feature is experimental, and strongly differs between iOS and Android.

import { checkBluetoothPermission } from 'react-native-google-nearby-messages';

const hasPermission = await checkBluetoothPermission();

Check if bluetooth is available on this device. This feature is experimental, and strongly differs between iOS and Android. Make sure to use a library like react-native-permissions to check if Bluetooth is really available, otherwise your Application might crash with a EXEC_BAD_ACCESS error. See troubleshooting

import { checkBluetoothAvailability } from 'react-native-google-nearby-messages';

const isBluetoothAvailable = await checkBluetoothAvailability();

React Hooks

This library also provides react hooks for common use cases. In case you’re not familiar with hooks, please read the hooks documentation. When the component unmounts, the hooks automatically stop publishing, subscribing, remove error listeners and disconnect for you. You can also look into the hooks source code and tweak them for your use case.

Make sure to memoize the NearbyConfig object using useMemo, otherwise the hooks will fall into an infinite loop of re-renders because the config object gets re-created each time and therefore has changed. (See: react useEffect’s deps)

useNearbyPublication

Publishes a message and returns a state which describes the Nearby API status. (e.g.: connecting, published, error, …)

export default function App() {
  const nearbyConfig = useMemo<NearbyConfig>(() => ({ apiKey: GOOGLE_API_KEY }), []);
  const nearbyStatus = useNearbyPublication(nearbyConfig, 'Hello from Nearby!');
  // ...
}

useNearbySubscription

Subscribe to nearby messages and return a state for all messages in an array, as well as a state describing the Nearby API Status. (e.g.: connecting, published, error, …)

export default function App() {
  const nearbyConfig = useMemo<NearbyConfig>(() => ({ apiKey: GOOGLE_API_KEY }), []);
  const { nearbyMessages, nearbyStatus } = useNearbySubscription(nearbyConfig);
  return (
    <FlatList
      data={nearbyMessages}
      renderItem={({ item }) => <Text>{item}</Text>}
      />
  );
}

useNearbySearch

Search for a specific message using nearby messages. The isNearby local specifies whether the string iPhone 11 could be found using the Nearby API, and the nearbyStatus local describes the current status of the Nearby API. (e.g.: connecting, published, error, …)

export default function App() {
  const nearbyConfig = useMemo<NearbyConfig>(() => ({ apiKey: GOOGLE_API_KEY }), []);
  const { isNearby, nearbyStatus } = useNearbySearch(nearbyConfig, 'iPhone 11');
  return (
    <Text>{isNearby ? 'iPhone 11 is nearby!' : 'iPhone 11 is far, far away.'}</Text>
  );
}

useNearbyErrorCallback

Subscribe to any errors emitted from the Nearby API.

export default function App() {
  useNearbyErrorCallback((kind, message) => {
    console.log(`Nearby API Error: ${kind}: ${message}`)
  });
}

Troubleshooting

If you’re having any trouble getting the Nearby API working, please make sure you’ve read the Troubleshooting Page.

If that doesn’t help either, create an issue.

Resources

• This medium article