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What is xmppframework?

robbiehanson/xmppframework — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

5,889Objective-CAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

In one sentence

An Objective-C library for iOS and Mac developers that implements the XMPP messaging protocol, handling real-time chat, presence tracking, and contact lists so you can add messaging to your app without building the networking layer from scratch.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((xmppframework))
    What it does
      Real-time chat
      Presence tracking
      Group chat rooms
    Tech stack
      Objective-C
      Grand Central Dispatch
      CocoaPods Carthage
    Use cases
      iOS messaging app
      Mac chat client
      Contact list sync
    Extensions
      File transfer
      User presence
      Modular XEPs
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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Add real-time one-on-one or group chat to an iOS or Mac app using an open messaging standard.

USE CASE 2

Track which contacts are online or offline in a social or messaging feature.

USE CASE 3

Sync a user contact list with an XMPP server and receive presence updates in real time.

USE CASE 4

Enable file transfer between users in a mobile messaging app.

What is it built with?

Objective-CSwiftCocoaPodsCarthageGrand Central Dispatch

How does it compare?

robbiehanson/xmppframeworkforkingdog/fdfullscreenpopgesturegsdios/sdautolayout
Stars5,8895,8925,873
LanguageObjective-CObjective-CObjective-C
Setup difficultymoderateeasyeasy
Complexity3/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires an XMPP server to connect to, Swift files must be kept in a separate folder and expose Objective-C-compatible interfaces.

So what is it?

XMPPFramework is an Objective-C library for Mac and iOS developers who need to add XMPP-based messaging to their apps. XMPP, or Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is an open standard for real-time chat and presence tracking. This library implements the core XMPP specification and handles the low-level details of sending and receiving XML-based messages, so developers do not have to build that infrastructure from scratch. The library is built around a modular design, meaning you can include only the pieces your app needs. Beyond the core messaging layer, it ships with a set of official XMPP extensions called XEPs, which cover common functionality like group chat, contact lists, user presence, file transfer, and more. Each extension is a separate module that can be added or left out depending on what the app requires. Performance and thread safety are central to how the framework is designed. It uses Apple's Grand Central Dispatch system to run its work in the background without ever blocking the main interface thread. According to the README, it performs well on both older iPhones and high-core-count Mac hardware. Installation is available through two widely used package managers, CocoaPods and Carthage, both of which pull the framework into an Xcode project with a few lines of configuration. The library supports both Objective-C and Swift projects. Swift code must be kept in a separate folder, and any public Swift interfaces must be compatible with Objective-C. The project welcomes contributions. Developers looking to help can add test coverage, annotate existing code for Swift nullability, or update the included example projects. Security issues should be reported privately via email to one of the maintainers rather than through public GitHub issues. A GitHub wiki provides setup guides for Mac and iOS along with a full list of supported XMPP extensions.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I am building an iOS app with XMPPFramework. Write Swift code to connect to an XMPP server, authenticate with a JID and password, and send a text message to another JID.
Prompt 2
Show me how to add XMPPFramework to my iOS project using CocoaPods and configure the stream to connect to a Jabber server.
Prompt 3
Using XMPPFramework for iOS, write code to join a multi-user chat room and receive incoming messages.
Prompt 4
Help me implement user presence tracking with XMPPFramework so my app shows when contacts are online or offline.
Prompt 5
How do I enable the file transfer XEP module in XMPPFramework and send a file to another user?

Frequently asked questions

What is xmppframework?

An Objective-C library for iOS and Mac developers that implements the XMPP messaging protocol, handling real-time chat, presence tracking, and contact lists so you can add messaging to your app without building the networking layer from scratch.

What language is xmppframework written in?

Mainly Objective-C. The stack also includes Objective-C, Swift, CocoaPods.

How hard is xmppframework to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is xmppframework for?

Mainly developer.

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