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This guide will help you get started with Ably Chat in a new Android Kotlin application built with Jetpack Compose. You’ll learn how to create chat rooms, send messages, and implement realtime features like typing indicators and presence.

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Prerequisites

  1. Sign up for an Ably account.
  2. Create a new app, and get your first API key.
  3. Create a new Android project with Jetpack Compose. For detailed instructions, refer to the Android Studio documentation.
  4. Add the Ably dependencies to your app-level build.gradle.kts file:

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Step 1: Set Up Ably

In production, you should use token authentication to avoid exposing your API keys publicly. Replace the contents of your MainActivity.kt file:

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Step 2: Create a Room and Send Messages

Add composable functions to create a room and send messages:

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Next Steps

Explore the Ably CLI further, or check out the Chat Kotlin API references for additional functionality.

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