Custom mobile app build

Guide to building a custom-branded Chatwoot mobile app with push notifications, deep linking, and app store submission.

Push notifications

Chatwoot supports mobile push notifications through Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). There are two delivery paths depending on your setup:

Relay server (default): Self-hosted instances without Firebase credentials route notifications through the Chatwoot relay server, which forwards them to the official Chatwoot mobile app.
Direct FCM: Instances with Firebase configured send notifications directly to your custom-built mobile app.

You must use either the official apps for both platforms or custom builds for both — mixing is not supported. For more details, refer to the push notification documentation.

Setting up Firebase

To send push notifications to your custom-branded app, you need to configure Firebase on both the mobile app and the Chatwoot server.

Step 1: Create a Firebase project

Go to the Firebase Console and create a new project (or use an existing one).
Register your Android app with your package name (e.g., com.yourcompany.app).
Register your iOS app with your bundle identifier (e.g., com.yourcompany.app).

Step 2: Download Firebase config files

Download the platform-specific configuration files from your Firebase project settings:

Android
iOS

In Project Settings > General, find your Android app and click Download google-services.json.
Place the file in the root of the mobile app repository.

Step 3: Configure mobile app environment variables

Update your .env file to point to the Firebase config files:

EXPO_PUBLIC_ANDROID_GOOGLE_SERVICES_FILE=./google-services.json
EXPO_PUBLIC_IOS_GOOGLE_SERVICES_FILE=./GoogleService-Info.plist

Then regenerate the native code so the new config is picked up:

pnpm generate

Step 4: Generate a Firebase service account

The Chatwoot server needs a service account to send push notifications via the FCM v1 API.

In the Firebase Console, go to Project Settings > Service accounts.
Click Generate new private key to download a JSON credentials file.

Keep this file secure. It grants access to send push notifications on behalf of your Firebase project.

Step 5: Configure the Chatwoot server

In your Chatwoot installation, navigate to Super Admin > App Config and set the following:

Config key	Value
`FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID`	Your Firebase project ID (e.g., `my-project-12345`)
`FIREBASE_CREDENTIALS`	The full contents of the service account JSON file

Once both values are set, the server will send push notifications directly to FCM instead of using the relay server.

Verifying the setup

Build and install the custom app on a device (pnpm run:ios or pnpm run:android).
Log in to your Chatwoot instance from the mobile app.
From another browser session, send a message to a conversation assigned to the logged-in agent.
The device should receive a push notification.

Push notifications do not work on iOS simulators. You must use a physical device to test.

Deep linking

Deep linking allows users to tap a Chatwoot conversation URL (or a push notification) and be taken directly to that conversation in the mobile app. The app supports two mechanisms:

Custom URL scheme: chatwootapp:// — used for SSO callbacks and internal routing.
Universal Links (iOS) / App Links (Android): https://<your-domain>/app/accounts/*/conversations/* — used for opening web URLs directly in the app.

How it works

When the app receives a deep link, React Navigation matches it against the configured path pattern and navigates to the conversation screen:

https://<your-domain>/app/accounts/{accountId}/conversations/{conversationId}

This works across all app states — whether the app is in the foreground, backgrounded, or was terminated. Push notification taps also use this same flow to navigate to the relevant conversation.

Mobile app configuration

The app uses Expo’s built-in deep linking support. In app.config.ts, update the following to match your domain:

iOS
Android

Update the associated domain to your Chatwoot installation URL:

ios: {
  associatedDomains: ['applinks:your-domain.com'],
}

Expo prebuild writes this into the .entitlements file automatically.

Update the intent filter host to your Chatwoot installation URL:

android: {
  intentFilters: [
    {
      action: 'VIEW',
      autoVerify: true,
      data: [
        {
          scheme: 'https',
          host: 'your-domain.com',
          pathPrefix: '/app/accounts/',
        },
      ],
      category: ['BROWSABLE', 'DEFAULT'],
    },
  ],
}

Expo prebuild writes this into the AndroidManifest.xml automatically.

After making changes, regenerate the native code:

pnpm generate

Server configuration

The Chatwoot server dynamically serves the verification files that Android and iOS require to confirm your app owns the domain. Configure the following environment variables on your Chatwoot installation:

iOS
Android

The server serves an apple-app-site-association file at https://<your-domain>/.well-known/apple-app-site-association. No additional configuration is needed beyond ensuring your Chatwoot installation is accessible at the domain specified in associatedDomains.

Set the following environment variables with your app’s package name and signing certificate fingerprint:

ANDROID_BUNDLE_ID=com.yourcompany.app
ANDROID_SHA256_CERT_FINGERPRINT=YOUR:SHA256:CERT:FINGERPRINT

This is served at https://<your-domain>/.well-known/assetlinks.json and tells Android to open matching URLs in your app.To obtain your SHA-256 certificate fingerprint, run:

keytool -list -v -keystore your-keystore.jks -alias your-alias

Build & Submit using EAS

We use Expo Application Services (EAS) for building, deploying, and submitting the app to app stores. EAS Build and Submit is available to anyone with an Expo account, regardless of whether you pay for EAS or use our Free plan. You can sign up at Expo EAS.

Build the app

iOS Build

pnpm run build:ios:local

Android Build

pnpm run build:android:local

Submit the app

iOS Submission

pnpm submit:ios

Android Submission

pnpm submit:android

When you run the above command, you will be prompted to provide a path to a local app binary file. Please select the file that you built in the previous step:

iOS: .ipa file
Android: .aab file

It may take a while to complete the submission process. You will see the status of the submission on your terminal.

Getting Started

Deployment Methods

Cloud Providers

Configuration

Integrations

Maintenance

Runbooks

Others

Custom Mobile App Build

Custom mobile app build

Push notifications

Setting up Firebase

Step 1: Create a Firebase project

Step 2: Download Firebase config files

Step 3: Configure mobile app environment variables

Step 4: Generate a Firebase service account

Step 5: Configure the Chatwoot server

Verifying the setup

Deep linking

How it works

Mobile app configuration

Server configuration

Build & Submit using EAS

Build the app

iOS Build

Android Build

Submit the app

iOS Submission

Android Submission

Getting Started

Deployment Methods

Cloud Providers

Configuration

Integrations

Maintenance

Runbooks

Others

​Custom mobile app build

​Push notifications

​Setting up Firebase

​Step 1: Create a Firebase project

​Step 2: Download Firebase config files

​Step 3: Configure mobile app environment variables

​Step 4: Generate a Firebase service account

​Step 5: Configure the Chatwoot server

​Verifying the setup

​Deep linking

​How it works

​Mobile app configuration

​Server configuration

​Build & Submit using EAS

​Build the app

​iOS Build

​Android Build

​Submit the app

​iOS Submission

​Android Submission

Custom mobile app build

Push notifications

Setting up Firebase

Step 1: Create a Firebase project

Step 2: Download Firebase config files

Step 3: Configure mobile app environment variables

Step 4: Generate a Firebase service account

Step 5: Configure the Chatwoot server

Verifying the setup

Deep linking

How it works

Mobile app configuration

Server configuration

Build & Submit using EAS

Build the app

iOS Build

Android Build

Submit the app

iOS Submission

Android Submission