Add Jivo Chat to iOS & Android Apps in 1–2 Days

Your mobile app is using Jivo for web chat. Now users expect in-app support. But integrating the Jivo SDK isn't just "add a library"—you need to configure initialization, client context transfer, and push notifications. Without fine-tuning, operators won't see history or miss messages. We've integrated Jivo SDK into 15+ projects across iOS and Android and know the common pitfalls. Over 5 years we've built an algorithm that cuts setup time by 40% compared to a DIY approach. Get a free integration consultation.

Problems We Solve

Scenario 1 — user is authenticated, and the operator needs to see their data: name, contact, plan. Scenario 2 — push notifications arrive only when an operator is online. Scenario 3 — customization: SDK lets you change colors but not layout, conflicting with design systems. We'll walk through each case and show our solutions. Contact us—we'll evaluate your project within one business day.

Installation & Initialization

iOS

# Podfile
pod 'JivoSDK'

// AppDelegate.swift
import JivoSDK

func application(_ application: UIApplication,
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
    JivoSDK.shared.set(channelID: "your_channel_id")
    return true
}

func application(_ application: UIApplication,
    didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken deviceToken: Data) {
    JivoSDK.shared.setPushToken(deviceToken)
}

Android

// build.gradle.kts
implementation("com.jivosite:sdk:3.x.x")

// Application.onCreate()
JivoSDK.init(this, "your_channel_id")

The channelID is obtained from the Jivo panel: Settings → Channels → Mobile app.

Opening Chat & Passing Client Data

// iOS: open chat and pass context
JivoSDK.shared.presentContactForm(over: viewController)
JivoSDK.shared.setContactInfo(
    name: "John Doe",
    email: "[email protected]",
    phone: "+1234567890",
    brief: "Plan: Premium, ID: 12345"
)

The brief field appears to the operator as a "note"—useful for passing plan, order ID, last action. The operator immediately knows who they're talking to without switching windows.

How to Set Up Push Notifications?

SDK uses APNs (iOS) and FCM (Android). The token is passed via setPushToken. Important nuance: push notifications arrive only when an operator is online. If everyone is offline, the message won't send. This is a Jivo feature: the SDK works in conjunction with the operator app, not as a standalone push service. We implement a fallback: if the operator is inactive, we show an in-app notification or ask to leave a contact. According to Jivo documentation, push notifications require an active operator session.

Why Customization of Jivo SDK Is a Compromise?

The SDK provides basic appearance methods: setTitleColor, setAccentColor, setFont. You cannot fully rebuild the layout. If your product's design system is strict, we offer a hybrid approach: embed a WebView with the Jivo chat and customize via CSS. This takes an extra 1–2 days but gives full control.

Comparison of Jivo SDK with Alternatives

Jivo SDK wins in simplicity and speed—basic setup takes a day. If multilingual or full UI control is needed, consider Zendesk. But for the Russian market and Russian-speaking operators, Jivo is optimal.

Typical Problems & Solutions

What's Included in Jivo SDK Integration

• Installation and configuration of SDK for iOS (Swift 5.9+, UIKit/SwiftUI) and Android (Kotlin 1.9+, Jetpack Compose).
• Channel configuration in Jivo panel (obtain channelID, set operator permissions).
• Implementation of authenticated user data transfer (name, contact, context note).
• Push notification integration via APNs (iOS) and FCM (Android) with certificate generation and token handling.
• State handling: operator online/offline, no network.
• Testing on real devices (iPhone, Android) and TestFlight / Firebase App Distribution.
• Documentation: architecture diagram, method descriptions, operator instructions.
• Compatibility guarantee with latest iOS and Android versions.

This service is an investment that pays off by automating consultations. We help optimize budget by avoiding common mistakes.

Timelines

Basic integration with chat, data transfer, and push — 1–2 days. If deep customization or CRM/analytics integration is needed — up to 4 days. Cost is calculated individually: leave a request and we'll prepare a quote.

Typical Mistakes When Integrating Jivo SDK

• Forgetting to call setPushToken on iOS, causing push to not arrive.
• Passing the wrong channelID (confusing it with the site ID).
• Using an outdated SDK version: check the latest at Jivo Developer Hub.
• Not testing the offline-operator scenario: user sends a message but gets no response and no feedback.
• Trying to customize the layout with standard methods—hitting limitations.

Over 5 years working with Jivo SDK, we've built a library of standard solutions for these issues. If you want to avoid the pitfalls, get a free consultation. Request a project assessment—we'll contact you within a day.

What Does Mobile App Support Really Cover?

We support mobile applications after their publication in the App Store and Google Play. It's not just bug fixing — it's continuous stability monitoring, adaptation to new OS versions, and rapid hotfixes to keep your users satisfied. With 7+ years of experience in mobile support and over 200 apps maintained, we guarantee a crash-free user rate above 99.5% for most projects.

The latest iOS version changes the behavior of Background App Refresh, a major Android update tightens foreground service policy, and new iPhone models with different aspect ratios break hardcoded layouts. All this requires a response without a full development cycle. Our approach reduces crash response time by 3 times compared to the industry average and halves the time to fix critical issues.

Crash Monitoring in Production

Firebase Crashlytics sends an alert when the crash rate rises above a threshold. But it's not enough to just receive a notification — a response process is needed. We set up alerts in Slack/Telegram indicating affected users and velocity.

The metric we look at first: crash-free users rate. Below 99.5% — a warning signal. Below 99% — an incident. Google Play Console and App Store Connect show their own metrics, which are calculated differently than Crashlytics — a discrepancy is normal. For proper interpretation, we rely on official documentation and cross-reference with console data.

Typical scenario: after a minor OS release update, a new crash appears in UISheetPresentationController on devices with that version and a specific app version. Crashlytics shows 0.3% affected users but growing velocity. Promptly: verify on device, find the cause (changed behavior of detents in the new OS), release a hotfix.

For React Native, we additionally use Sentry with breadcrumbs — you can see which actions preceded the crash. For Flutter — sentry_flutter with WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized() and runZonedGuarded.

How to Respond Quickly to a Crash Rate Increase?

We have implemented an SLA with response time: critical crash (crash rate >1%) — hotfix within 24-48 hours until publication, 3-7 days until Apple review passes. Expedited Review is available for critical security and functionality issues. For Android — expedited review via Google Play Console. We have a 98% success rate for getting expedited reviews approved.

Hotfixes: What Can Be Done Without Store Publication

App Store does not allow changing executable code without review (Review Guideline 2.5.2). But there are legal mechanisms for rapid intervention.

Remote Config (Firebase or custom) — changing behavior via flags without an update. Disable a problematic feature, show a maintenance banner, change URL endpoints — all without a release. Critical for monetization experiments and quick rollbacks.

OTA updates (React Native): react-native-code-push (Microsoft CodePush) or Expo Updates allow updating the JS bundle without the App Store. Limitation: only JS code, native modules require a full update. Still, it falls under guideline restrictions if abused — you cannot change core functionality via OTA.

Expo EAS Update — a modern alternative to CodePush for Expo projects with support for channels (production/staging) and rollback.

Why Do We Test Against Every Major OS Version?

Apple announces iOS beta in June (WWDC), final release in September. That gives three months for testing. In practice, many teams start in August and get surprises on release day. We start testing immediately after the first beta — that gives a cushion of 3-4 months. Our clients avoid 90% of OS-related crashes this way.

Critical areas to check with each major OS update:

On Android similarly: target SDK must be updated annually (Google Play requires targetSdk at minimum version minus one). Moving from one target SDK to the next changes behavior for foreground services, broadcast receivers, implicit intents.

Technical Debt and Planning

Support is not only about reacting to bugs. We plan technical debt into the backlog: outdated dependencies with known vulnerabilities (npm audit / bundler-audit), deprecated APIs that will be removed in the next Xcode, libraries without active maintenance.

Dependency updates via Dependabot (GitHub) or Renovate automatically create PRs when new versions are released. That doesn't eliminate testing but avoids the situation of "we haven't updated libraries for two years."

Minimum supported OS version — we review annually. Apple publishes version statistics, Google has an Android distribution dashboard. Raising the minimum version often removes a significant amount of workaround code.

Deliverables and Timeline

Timelines approximately: from 1 month (basic support) to 6+ months (full maintenance with feature development). Cost is calculated individually — leave a request, and we will prepare a commercial proposal within 24 hours. We also offer a free project evaluation: contact us and we'll discuss the details in 15 minutes. Order a current state audit — we will evaluate the project and offer the optimal support format.