Group Management

This document guides developers on using RC's iOS IMLib SDK to implement group management features including creating groups, configuring group profiles, removing members, leaving groups, disbanding groups, and transferring group ownership.

tip

This feature is supported starting from version 5.12.0
For groups created via the legacy /group/create.json interface, you must call the "Import Group Hosting Data" interface to set the group owner (Group Owner) and default permissions before using group hosting features

Enabling the Service

Before using this feature, you must enable the profile hosting service by submitting a ticket.

Group Events

Group events are defined in RCGroupEventDelegate, including group operations, group/member information changes, join requests, multi-device synchronization of group aliases, and special follow synchronization.

Call addGroupEventDelegate to add group event callbacks
Call removeGroupEventDelegate to remove group event callbacks

tip

In User Profile Hosting service, SDK notification callbacks triggered by group operations count as status notifications. The server synchronizes status with the SDK regardless of whether your app implements event listeners, ensuring local data remains current. These actions are included in message distribution and downstream data statistics.

Sample Code

// Add group event callback delegate
[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] addGroupEventDelegate:self];

// ------ Group Event Callbacks ------

- (void)onGroupOperation:(NSString *)groupId
            operatorInfo:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)operatorInfo
               groupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)groupInfo
               operation:(RCGroupOperation)operation
             memberInfos:(NSArray<RCGroupMemberInfo *> *)memberInfos
           operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Group operation callback
    // Operations include create/join/remove/leave/disband/add admin/remove admin/transfer ownership (see RCGroupOperation)
}

- (void)onGroupInfoChanged:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)operatorInfo
                 groupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)groupInfo
                updateKeys:(NSArray<RCGroupInfoKeys> *)updateKeys
             operationTime:(long long)operationTime __deprecated_msg("Use [RCGroupEventDelegate onGroupInfoChanged:fullGroupInfo:changedGroupInfo:operationTime:] instead") {
    // Group profile change callback
    // Only properties listed in updateKeys are valid (others retain default values)
}
    
- (void)onGroupInfoChanged:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)operatorInfo
             fullGroupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)fullGroupInfo
          changedGroupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)changedGroupInfo
             operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Group profile change callback
    // fullGroupInfo: Complete group info (post-change)
    // changedGroupInfo: Only modified properties
}

- (void)onGroupInfoChanged:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)operatorInfo
             fullGroupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)fullGroupInfo
          changedGroupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)changedGroupInfo
             operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Group profile change callback
    // fullGroupInfo contains complete group information
}

- (void)onGroupMemberInfoChanged:(NSString *)groupId
                    operatorInfo:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)operatorInfo
                      memberInfo:(RCGroupMemberInfo *)memberInfo
                   operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Group member profile change callback
}

- (void)onGroupApplicationEvent:(RCGroupApplicationInfo *)event {
    // Group request event callback including:
    // 1. User join requests/results
    // 2. Invitation requests/results
}

- (void)onGroupRemarkChangedSync:(NSString *)groupId
                   operationType:(RCGroupOperationType)operationType groupRemark:(NSString *)groupRemark
                   operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Multi-device group alias synchronization
}

- (void)onGroupFollowsChangedSync:(NSString *)groupId
                    operationType:(RCGroupOperationType)operationType
                          userIds:(NSArray<NSString *> *)userIds
                    operationTime:(long long)operationTime {
    // Multi-device special follow synchronization
}

Group Management

Features include: create group, configure group profile, remove members, leave group, disband group, and transfer ownership.

Create Group

Call createGroup to create a new group.

Method Signature

- (void)createGroup:(RCGroupInfo *)groupInfo
     inviteeUserIds:(nullable NSArray<NSString *> *)inviteeUserIds
       successBlock:(void (^)(RCErrorCode processCode))successBlock
         errorBlock:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode, NSArray<NSString *> * _Nullable errorKeys))errorBlock;

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
groupInfo	RCGroupInfo	Yes	Group information
inviteeUserIds	NSArray	No	User IDs to invite during creation
successBlock	Block	No	Success callback
errorBlock	Block	No	Failure callback (returns error keys)

`groupInfo` Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
groupId	NSString	Yes	Group ID (max 64 chars, alphanumeric)
groupName	NSString	Yes	Group name (max 64 chars)
portraitUri	NSString	No	Group avatar URL (max 128 chars)
introduction	NSString	No	Group description (max 512 chars)
notice	NSString	No	Group announcement (max 1024 chars)
extProfile	NSDictionary<NSString , NSString >	No	Custom attributes (max 10 key-value pairs). Must configure via Console Group Custom Attributes first
joinPermission	RCGroupJoinPermission	No	Join permissions: no verification (default), owner approval, admin+owner, or closed
removeMemberPermission	RCGroupOperationPermission	No	Member removal permissions: owner (default), owner+admin, or all members
invitePermission	RCGroupOperationPermission	No	Invite permissions: owner (default), owner+admin, or all members
inviteHandlePermission	RCGroupInviteHandlePermission	No	Invitation handling: no consent needed (default) or require consent
groupInfoEditPermission	RCGroupOperationPermission	No	Profile edit permissions: owner (default), owner+admin, or all members (owner-only modifiable)
memberInfoEditPermission	RCGroupMemberInfoEditPermission	No	Member profile edit permissions: self-only, owner+self, or owner+admin+self (default)

RCGroupInviteHandlePermission | No | Invitation handling: no consent needed (default) or require consent. Uses default value if not set | | groupInfoEditPermission | RCGroupOperationPermission | No | Profile edit permissions: owner (default), owner+admin, or all members (owner-only modifiable). Uses default value if not set | | memberInfoEditPermission | RCGroupMemberInfoEditPermission | No | Member profile edit permissions: self-only, owner+self, or owner+admin+self (default). Uses default value if not set |

`inviteeUserIds` Parameter Description

You can optionally invite users to join the group during creation. A maximum of 30 users can be invited at once.

The invitation outcome depends on the group's inviteHandlePermission parameter:

When invitee verification is required (RCGroupInviteHandlePermissionInviteeVerify)
- After successful group creation, the callback's processCode returns RC_GROUP_NEED_INVITEE_ACCEPT (25427). Invitees receive the onGroupApplicationEvent event and must call the acceptGroupInvite method to join.
When no verification is required (RCGroupInviteHandlePermissionFree)
- After successful group creation, the callback's processCode returns RC_SUCCESS (0), indicating invitees have joined automatically.

tip

Group creation success isn't affected by processCode - any success callback means the group was created.
After creation, the owner receives the onGroupOperation event with operation type RCGroupOperationCreate.
By default, profile information isn't subject to moderation. Enable moderation in the Console under App Configuration > Security & Moderation > IM & RTC Moderation > IM Information Hosting Configuration.

Code Example

RCGroupInfo *groupInfo = [[RCGroupInfo alloc] init];
// Required
groupInfo.groupId = @"groupId";
// Required  
groupInfo.groupName = @"groupName";
// Set other groupInfo fields as needed

// Optional: User IDs to invite  
NSArray *inviteeUserIds = @[@"user1", @"user2"];

// Create group
[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] createGroup:groupInfo inviteeUserIds:inviteeUserIds success:^(RCErrorCode processCode) {
    // Group created
    if ( processCode == RC_GROUP_NEED_INVITEE_ACCEPT) {
        // Requires invitee verification  
    } else {
        // No verification needed
    }
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode, NSArray<NSString *> * _Nullable errorKeys) {
    // Creation failed
    // When errorCode == RC_SERVICE_INFORMATION_AUDIT_FAILED, errorKeys returns unapproved attribute names (e.g. groupName)
}];

Update Group Information

Call updateGroupInfo to modify the group name, announcement, permissions, or other details. Only groupId is required - other fields are updated only if modified.

tip

All members receive the onGroupInfoChanged event after updates.
Only owners can modify the groupInfoEditPermission.
Enable moderation in the Console under App Configuration > Security & Moderation > IM & RTC Moderation > IM Information Hosting Configuration.

Method Signature

- (void)updateGroupInfo:(RCGroupInfo *)groupInfo
           successBlock:(void (^)(void))successBlock
             errorBlock:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode, NSArray<NSString *> * _Nullable errorKeys))errorBlock;

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
groupInfo	RCGroupInfo	Yes	Group information.
successBlock	Block	No	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	No	Failure callback with error keys.

Example

RCGroupInfo *groupInfo = [[RCGroupInfo alloc] init];
groupInfo.groupId = @"groupId";
// Update name
groupInfo.groupName = @"newGroupName";  
// Update notice  
groupInfo.notice = @"newNotice";
// Set join permission to "no verification"  
groupInfo.joinPermission = RCGroupJoinPermissionFree;

[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] updateGroupInfo:groupInfo success:^{
    // Update succeeded  
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode, NSArray<NSString *> * _Nullable errorKeys) {
    // Update failed
    // When errorCode == RC_SERVICE_INFORMATION_AUDIT_FAILED, errorKeys returns unapproved attributes  
}];

Remove Group Members

Call kickGroupMembers to remove users from a group. All members receive the onGroupOperation event with operation type RCGroupOperationKick after removal.

Method Signature

- (void)kickGroupMembers:(NSString *)groupId
                 userIds:(NSArray<NSString *> *)userIds
                  config:(nullable RCQuitGroupConfig *)config
                 success:(void (^)(void))successBlock
                   error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
groupId	NSString	Group targetId.
userIds	NSArray	User IDs to remove (max 100).
config	RCQuitGroupConfig	Controls whether to remove followed users, allowlist members, and mute status (default: all removed).
successBlock	Block	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Code Example

RCQuitGroupConfig *config = [[RCQuitGroupConfig alloc] init];
// Disable removing followed users (default: YES)  
config.removeFollow = NO;
// Disable removing allowlist (default: YES)  
config.removeWhiteList = NO;
// Disable removing mute status (default: YES)  
config.removeMuteStatus = NO;

[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] kickGroupMembers:@"groupId" userIds:@[@"user1", @"user2"] config:config success:^{
    // Removal succeeded  
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Removal failed  
}];

After successfully leaving, all group members will receive an onGroupOperation event with the operation type RCGroupOperationQuit.

Method Signature

- (void)quitGroup:(NSString *)groupId
           config:(nullable RCQuitGroupConfig *)config
          success:(void (^)(void))successBlock
            error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
groupId	NSString	The targetId of the group.
config	RCQuitGroupConfig	You can set the `config` parameter (type RCQuitGroupConfig) when quitting to control whether to remove followed users, allowlist users, and member mute status. If not set, all will be removed by default.
successBlock	Block	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Example Code

// Configure as needed, this is just for demonstration
RCQuitGroupConfig *config = [[RCQuitGroupConfig alloc] init];
// Disable removing followed users (default: YES)  
config.removeFollow = NO;
// Disable removing allowlist (default: YES)  
config.removeWhiteList = NO;
// Disable removing mute status (default: YES)  
config.removeMuteStatus = NO;

[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] quitGroup:@"groupId" config:config success:^{
    // Quit successfully  
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Quit failed  
}];

Dismiss Group

You can call the dismissGroup method to disband a group.
After successfully disbanding, group chat messages will remain, and local history messages will not be deleted.
All group members will receive an onGroupOperation event with the operation type RCGroupOperationDismiss.

tip

Only the group owner has permission to disband the group.

Method Signature

- (void)dismissGroup:(NSString *)groupId
             success:(void (^)(void))successBlock
               error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
groupId	NSString	The targetId of the group.
successBlock	Block	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Example Code

[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] dismissGroup:@"groupId" success:^{
    // Dismissed successfully  
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Dismiss failed  
}];

Transfer Group Ownership

You can call the transferGroupOwner method to transfer group ownership to another user.

After successful transfer, all group members will receive an onGroupOperation event with the operation type RCGroupOperationTransfer.
If you choose to leave the group during the transfer, members will receive both the transfer event (RCGroupOperationTransfer) and the quit event (RCGroupOperationQuit).

tip

Only the group owner has permission to transfer ownership.

Method Signature

- (void)transferGroupOwner:(NSString *)groupId
                newOwnerId:(NSString *)newOwnerId
                 quitGroup:(BOOL)quitGroup
                    config:(nullable RCQuitGroupConfig *)config
                   success:(void (^)(void))successBlock
                     error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameters

You can choose whether to leave the group after transferring ownership (quitGroup). If set to YES, you can also use the config parameter (type RCQuitGroupConfig) to control whether to remove followed users, allowlist users, and member mute status. If config is not set, all will be removed by default when leaving the group.

Parameter	Type	Description
groupId	NSString	The targetId of the group.
newOwnerId	NSString	The userId of the new group owner.
quitGroup	BOOL	Whether to leave the group after transfer.
config	RCQuitGroupConfig	You can set the `config` parameter (type RCQuitGroupConfig) when quitting to control whether to remove followed users, allowlist users, and member mute status. If not set, all will be removed by default.
successBlock	Block	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Example Code

// Group ID
NSString *groupId = @"groupId";
// New owner ID
NSString *newOwnerId = @"newOwnerId";
// Leave group after transfer
BOOL quitGroup = YES;

// Configure as needed, this is just for demonstration
RCQuitGroupConfig *config = [[RCQuitGroupConfig alloc] init];
// Disable removing followed users (default: YES)  
config.removeFollow = NO;
// Disable removing allowlist (default: YES)  
config.removeWhiteList = NO;
// Disable removing mute status (default: YES)  
config.removeMuteStatus = NO;

// Transfer ownership
[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] transferGroupOwner:groupId newOwnerId:newOwnerId quitGroup:quitGroup config:nil success:^{
    // Transfer successful  
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Transfer failed  
}];

Group Alias

Feature Description

Group aliases only take effect for the user who sets them. When new messages are generated in the group and the user is offline, the push title will display the group alias if set. If no alias is set, the group name will be displayed by default.
After successfully setting or removing an alias, other devices will receive the multi-device sync callback onGroupRemarkChangedSync.

Set Group Alias

You can call the setGroupRemark method to set a group alias.

To remove a group alias, pass nil or @"" for the remark parameter.

Method Signature

- (void)setGroupRemark:(NSString *)groupId
                remark:(nullable NSString *)remark
               success:(void (^)(void))successBlock
                 error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameter	Type	Description
groupId	NSString	The targetId of the group.
remark	NSString	Group alias.
successBlock	Block	Success callback.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Sample Code

// Set group alias
[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] setGroupRemark:@"groupId" remark:@"remark" success:^{
    // Success
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Failure
}];

// Remove group alias
// Pass nil or @"" for remark
[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] setGroupRemark:@"groupId" remark:nil success:^{
    // Success
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Failure
}];

Query Group Alias

Use the getGroupsInfo method to retrieve group information, which includes the remark field.

Method Signature

- (void)getGroupsInfo:(NSArray<NSString *> *)groupIds
              success:(void (^)(NSArray<RCGroupInfo *> *groupInfos))successBlock
                error:(void (^)(RCErrorCode errorCode))errorBlock;

Parameter Description

Parameter	Type	Description
groupIds	NSArray	List of group targetIds.
successBlock	Block	Success callback, returns queried group information RCGroupInfo list.
errorBlock	Block	Failure callback.

Sample Code

[[RCCoreClient sharedCoreClient] getGroupsInfo:@[@"groupId"] success:^(NSArray<RCGroupInfo *> * _Nonnull groupInfos) {
    RCGroupInfo *groupInfo = groupInfos.firstObject;
    NSString *remark = groupInfo.remark;
    // Success
} error:^(RCErrorCode errorCode) {
    // Failure
}];

RCGroupInfo

IMLib

Global Chat UIKit

push notification

IMLib

Global Chat UIKit

CallLib

RTCLib

Chat Server

Chat Server SDK

Audio & Video Server

Enabling the Service​

Group Events​

Sample Code​

Group Management​

Create Group​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

groupInfo Parameters​

inviteeUserIds Parameter Description​

Code Example​

Update Group Information​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

Example​

Remove Group Members​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

Code Example​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

Example Code​

Dismiss Group​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

Example Code​

Transfer Group Ownership​

Method Signature​

Parameters​

Example Code​

Group Alias​

Feature Description​

Set Group Alias​

Method Signature​

Sample Code​

Query Group Alias​

Method Signature​

Parameter Description​

Sample Code​

Enabling the Service

Group Events

Sample Code

Group Management

Create Group

Method Signature

Parameters

`groupInfo` Parameters

`inviteeUserIds` Parameter Description

Code Example

Update Group Information

Method Signature

Parameters

Example

Remove Group Members

Method Signature

Parameters

Code Example

Method Signature

Parameters

Example Code

Dismiss Group

Method Signature

Parameters

Example Code

Transfer Group Ownership

Method Signature

Parameters

Example Code

Group Alias

Feature Description

Set Group Alias

Method Signature

Sample Code

Query Group Alias

Method Signature

Parameter Description

Sample Code