# Chat Announcements

## Overview

The **Chat Announcement** feature enables administrators to broadcast real-time notifications to all authenticated users logged into Launcher and the BlueFletch Chat app. Managed via **Portal > Chat Manager** page, these broadcasts ensure critical information reaches the workforce instantly through designated channels.

#### Announcement Urgency Levels

To ensure information is handled with the appropriate level of attention, announcements are categorized into three urgency tiers. Each tier triggers a specific system behavior:

* **General:** Intended for routine updates and non-urgent information. These notifications behave like standard system alerts and auto-dismiss after a brief period.
* **Important:** Prioritized for high-interest updates requiring user interaction. These notifications remain visible until the user manually swipes them away or clicks to view the message history.
* **Emergency:** Reserved for critical alerts and safety protocols. These notifications trigger a persistent blocking dialog that appears over Launcher or any active application, restricting device interaction until the user clicks the OK button.

***

## Feature Configuration

{% hint style="info" %}
Beginning in version 2.8.x, Chat Announcements is automatically implemented in BlueFletch Chat without Launcher configuration change.
{% endhint %}

### Customizing Notification Sounds

{% hint style="info" %}
Administrators can customize the audible alerts associated with each urgency level via Launcher configuration.
{% endhint %}

To modify notification tones, map the local file paths within the `assets` object and reference them inside `appConfig`. 

**Configuration Example:**

```json
"assets": {
    "chatNotifSoundGeneral": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_general.mp3",
    "chatNotifSoundImportant": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_important.mp3",
    "chatNotifSoundEmergency": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_emergency.mp3"
},
"appConfig": {
    ...
    "bfChat": {
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementGeneral": "assets:chatNotifSoundGeneral",
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementImportant": "assets:chatNotifSoundImportant",
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementEmergency": "assets:chatNotifSoundEmergency"
    }
    ...
}
```

Alternatively, you can directly set the audio file path in the `bfChat` configuration for notification sound announcements.

```json
"appConfig": {
    ...
    "bfChat": {
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementGeneral": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_general.mp3",
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementImportant": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_important.mp3",
        "notificationSoundAnnouncementEmergency": "/sdcard/Download/ems/tone_emergency.mp3"
    }
    ...
}
```

***

## Channel Widget Setup

The Channel Widget lets admins pin specific channel announcements to the Launcher home screen. This ensures users see the latest updates immediately without needing to open the full chat app.

**Configuration Example:**

```json
"layouts": {
    "AssociateApps": [
        ...
        {
            "widgetId": "channel-widget-id",
            "widgetType": "app",
            "columnSpan": 3,
            "rowSpan": 2,
            "widgetParams": {
                "package": "com.bluefletch.chat",
                "componentName": "com.bluefletch.chat.widget.ChannelWidgetProvider",
                "customExtras": {
                    "channelId":"channel-id",
                    "channelName":"Channel Name"
                }
            }
        }
        ...
    ]
}
```

#### Parameter Details

| **Parameter**            | **Description**                                             |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| `columnSpan` / `rowSpan` | Defines the grid size of the widget on the Launcher screen. |
| `channelId`              | Chat channel ID to be displayed in the Launcher widget.     |
| `channelName`            | Name of the chat channel.                                   |

***

{% hint style="info" %}
Chat Announcement is available in BlueFletch Chat version 2.8.x.
{% endhint %}


---

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