Real-Time Features

Instant communication with real-time updates across all connected clients

Stork SMS provides instant communication with real-time updates across all connected clients.

Typing Indicators

How It Works

When a user types in the message input field, other participants see a visual indication of typing activity.

Technical Implementation

• Trigger: Activated after 1 second of typing
• Duration: Shows for 3 seconds after last keystroke
• Network: Uses WebSocket connections for instant updates
• Privacy: Only visible to chat participants

Visual Design

• Animation: Three animated dots (…)
• Position: Below the last message
• Color: Subtle gray to avoid distraction
• Sound: Optional typing sound effect

User Experience

1. Start typing in any chat
2. Other user sees “Username is typing…”
3. Indicator disappears when you stop
4. Automatic cleanup after timeout

Online Status

Presence Detection

Real-time tracking of user availability:

• Green Dot: User is currently active
• Last Seen: Time since last activity (coming soon)
• Away Status: After 5 minutes of inactivity (coming soon)
• Offline: No active connection

How It Works

1. Connection Monitoring: Tracks WebSocket connection state
2. Activity Detection: Updates on user interaction
3. Heartbeat System: Regular pings to maintain status
4. Graceful Degradation: Handles connection interruptions

Privacy Controls

• Status visible only to chat participants
• No global online status (by design)
• Option to hide status (coming soon)
• Anonymous mode planning

Read Receipts

Receipt Types

Sent (✓)

• Message successfully sent to blockchain
• Transaction confirmed
• Available for recipient to receive

Delivered (✓✓)

• Message received by recipient’s client
• Decrypted successfully
• Ready to be viewed

Read (✓✓ in blue)

• Message viewed by recipient
• Timestamp recorded
• Notification cleared

Implementation Details

• Real-time Updates: Instant status changes
• Persistent State: Survives page refreshes
• Batch Updates: Efficient for multiple messages
• Retroactive: Updates previous messages when read

Privacy Options

• Read receipts enabled by default
• Disable option coming soon
• Per-chat settings planned
• Maintain delivery receipts even when read receipts disabled

Message Synchronization

Cross-Device Sync

• Instant Updates: Messages appear on all devices
• Order Preservation: Maintains message sequence
• Conflict Resolution: Handles simultaneous sends
• Offline Queue: Stores messages when disconnected

Sync Process

1. Message sent from Device A
2. Server receives and stores message
3. Real-time broadcast to all participants
4. Device B receives and displays instantly
5. Read status syncs back to Device A

Connection Management

Connection States

Connected

• Full functionality available
• Real-time updates active
• Green status indicator

Connecting

• Attempting to establish connection
• Yellow status indicator
• Queues outgoing messages

Disconnected

• No active connection
• Red status indicator
• Switches to offline mode

Reconnecting

• Automatic retry with exponential backoff
• Preserves unsent messages
• Syncs missed updates on reconnection

Reliability Features

• Auto-reconnection: Handles network interruptions
• Message Queue: Prevents message loss
• State Recovery: Restores chat state after reconnection
• Duplicate Prevention: Ensures messages aren’t sent twice

Real-Time Notifications

Notification Types

New Message

• Visual: Unread indicator in sidebar
• Sound: Customizable alert tone
• Browser: Push notification (coming soon)
• Badge: Unread count display

Mention Notifications (Coming Soon)

• @username: Direct mentions
• Highlight: Message highlighting
• Priority: Higher notification priority
• Sound: Distinct mention sound

Notification Settings

• Global Toggle: Enable/disable all notifications
• Per-Chat Mute: Silence specific conversations
• Sound Selection: Choose notification sounds
• Do Not Disturb: Time-based muting (coming soon)

Performance Optimization

Efficiency Measures

• Debouncing: Reduces typing indicator spam
• Batching: Groups read receipt updates
• Compression: Minimizes data transfer
• Caching: Stores frequently accessed data

Scalability

• WebSocket Pooling: Efficient connection management
• Regional Servers: Reduced latency (coming soon)
• Load Balancing: Distributes connection load
• Horizontal Scaling: Handles growing user base

Technical Architecture

WebSocket Implementation

// Simplified connection flow
1. Establish WebSocket connection
2. Authenticate with JWT token
3. Subscribe to chat channels
4. Receive real-time updates
5. Handle reconnection logic

Event Types

• presence_update: Online status changes
• typing_start: User starts typing
• typing_stop: User stops typing
• message_new: New message received
• message_read: Message read status update

Best Practices

For Users

• Maintain stable internet connection
• Allow browser notifications
• Keep app tab active for best performance
• Report any sync issues

For Developers

• Handle all connection states
• Implement proper error recovery
• Cache data appropriately
• Monitor WebSocket health