Get to Know MQTT: The Instant Messaging Protocol for Chat App
Published On December 13th, 2024 Tech Talks
Building a chat application from scratch has many important aspects attached to it. One of the most important things to consider is what messaging protocol you are going to use. MQTT, XMPP, DDS are some of the most common messaging protocols that are leveraged for developing chat applications. In this article, we are going to discuss the MQTT protocol in detail and find out if it’s suitable for chat app development. Stay with us and keep reading.
Table of Contents
What is MQTT Protocol?
MQTT stands for MQ Telemetry Transport. It was earlier known as Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. It is lightweight, simple, and easy to implement.
To provide you with a little bit of background, we would like to mention that the MQTT protocol was invented back in 1999 by Andy Stanford Clark and Arlen Nipper. It is especially designed for high latency, low bandwidth, and unreliable networks. MQTT messaging protocol is generally used in an embedded environment for machine to machine communication.
Some of the most popular industries in which it is often used are telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, and many others. One more important aspect of MQTT architecture is that it utilizes a publish/subscribe messaging architecture.
Build Instant Messaging App with MQTT Protocol -Know How It Works
Now, the MQTT architecture consists of two parts – MQTT clients and MQTT brokers. Broker can be described as the server that distributes the information to the clients connected to the server. On the other hand, a client can be described as the device that connects to the broker to send or receive information. With MQTT, multiple clients can easily connect to the same broker. In this section, we shall discuss some of the best features of MQTT protocol that makes it the most viable option to build a real-time messaging app.
1. Quality of Service
Quality of Service (QoS) can be defined as the set of technologies that work on a particular network to ensure its ability to run high-priority applications. The number of QoS levels is directly proportional to the reliability of the protocol. More the QoS levels, the more reliable the protocol is. With MQTT, you get three levels of QoS.
- At most once (0) : It is the lowest QoS level in which the recipient does not acknowledge receiving the message. Also, there is no guarantee of a message.
- At least once (1) : In this, the delivery of a message is guaranteed. The sender gets to store the message until the receiver gets notified of the delivery.
- Exactly once (2) : This is the highest QoS level that MQTT has to offer. In fact, it is the safest level too. In this the recipient receives the message just once.
2. Consistent Sessions
This particular MQTT protocol feature makes MQTT one of the best options if you’re planning to build a custom chat platform. With this functionality, there can be persistent sessions between the client and the broker. In case the connection breaks for some reason, the broken can retain the information that is required to reconnect with the client. It is done automatically.
3. Retained message
This feature allows the broker to retain the last message on a given topic in case the client subscribes to a new message topic. Hence, it totally makes sense to build a chat app leveraging MQTT protocol.
5 Reasons: Choose MQTT Protocol for Your Chat App Developement.
Have you been planning to build white label messaging app of your own? Wondering if you should choose the MQTT messaging protocol or not? Fret not! We have got your back. We shall provide you with some of the top reasons as to why you should go for MQTT protocol for chat application formation.
- It is a lightweight protocol that supports different types of devices be them small, cheap, or low-powered. Moreover, MQTT requires the minimum resources to run.
- MQTT offers three QoS levels to support reliable messaging. It can transfer data even with unstable connections.
- It is an open messaging protocol and has a standard defined documentation. The best part about MQTT is that it has a set of ready-made libraries of Java, Python, C++, and other programming languages.
- As MQTT has open-source libraries, it tends to minimize your development costs. Moreover, it is super easy to implement. Thanks to its free available documentation.
- It supports security through TLS and other common authentication protocols.
DID YOU KNOW : Popular Apps That Use MQTT Communication Protocol
Trust us when we say that choosing MQTT to build a real time chat app will be a good decision. It is quite popular in the market and has been leveraged by many leading messaging apps. In this section, we are going to discuss some of them. Keep reading.
Do you know Facebook Messenger uses MQTT messaging protocol for its mobile chat functionality? Yes! Every chat has a generated topic and all the chat members subscribe and publish to that generated topic. Well, the reason Facebook chose MQTT was its low bandwidth and battery usage.
Another big app that uses the MQTT protocol is none other than Instagram. Instagram’s direct message function leverages MQTT. Thanks to its smooth implementation process!
Some giant cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, and Amazon Web Services also use the MQTT messaging protocol.
There’s no denying that MQTT can be the best option for your chat app development too. It requires little implementation efforts and is the most ideal for machine-to-machine communication. It also allows efficient transmission of data and is a good choice for networks that experience different levels of latency.
Comparison Between MQTT Vs.XMPP
Whether you build a chat app for Android, iOS, or the web, choosing the right messaging protocol is very essential. In this section, we are going to draw a major comparison between two leading protocols namely, MQTT and XMPP.
- Now, MQTT is a machine to machine internet of things connectivity protocol. It is an extremely lightweight publish/subscribe messaging transport. It is extremely useful for connections with remote locations. On the other hand, XMPP is an open XML technology for real-time communication. It allows instant messaging, multi-party chat, and routing of XML data.
- MQTT is a transport protocol while XMPP is an instant messaging protocol and clearly defines all the message formats. XMPP protocol transmits XML fragments between the server and client.
- MQTT has different levels of quality of service. But this kind of flexibility is not available in XMPP.
- On one hand, where MQTT has a very low keep-alive traffic, XMPP has a very high overhead in handling present messages among the clients.
- It is easier to determine the message size in MQTT. But when it comes to XMPP, it is difficult to determine the message size as it totally depends on encryption and compression.
Recommended Reading
Conclusion
We hope our article helped you understand all the beneficial aspects revolving around the MQTT messaging protocol. If you are planning to build a chat app of your own, you can certainly use MQTT as your messaging protocol. So, wait no more! Leverage MQTT today. Also, if you want readymade chat solutions for your business, you can always opt for Apphitect Messaging API Contact us to know more!
How does MQTT work in a chat application?
In a chat app, MQTT works by using a publish-subscribe system. Users send their messages to a central hub called a "broker," and other users can subscribe to specific topics to get those messages. The broker makes sure the messages are sent to the right people, making communication fast and easy, even on slow or unreliable networks.
What are the Quality of Service (QoS) levels in MQTT?
MQTT has three levels of message delivery reliability, called Quality of Service (QoS):
- QoS 0 (At most once): Messages are sent without any guarantee they’ll arrive. This is good for non-important, fast updates where speed matters more than accuracy.
- QoS 1 (At least once): Messages are guaranteed to arrive, but they might show up more than once. This works well for important data where a few duplicates are okay.
- QoS 2 (Exactly once): Messages are delivered one time only - no duplicates, no losses. This is best for critical information that needs to be 100% accurate.
Subscribers can pick whichever QoS level fits their needs, but higher levels of reliability use more network resources.
Why choose MQTT for chat app development?
MQTT is great for building chat apps because it sends messages reliably, uses very little data, and works well even on poor networks. It’s lightweight, secure, and lets you choose how reliable you want messages to be, making it a solid choice for creating fast and efficient communication tools.
Which popular apps use MQTT for communication?
Popular apps like Facebook Messenger and Instagram use MQTT, along with major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. It’s also used in smart car systems and medical devices to ensure fast and reliable communication.
How does MQTT compare to XMPP in chat applications?
MQTT and XMPP are designed for different purposes. MQTT is all about lightweight and efficient messaging, which makes it perfect for IoT devices. On the other hand, XMPP is built for real-time communication and comes with more features. MQTT uses less data, so it works better on limited or slow networks.
What are the core components of the MQTT protocol?
MQTT has three main components: the client, the broker, and the messages. The client can send (publish) or receive messages. The broker handles routing messages and making sure users are authenticated. Messages follow a structured format with some fixed and flexible parts. MQTT uses a publish-subscribe system, making it great for efficient communication between devices in IoT and machine-to-machine networks.
What are the advantages of using MQTT in real-time messaging apps?
MQTT is perfect for real-time messaging apps because it’s lightweight, saves battery, and works efficiently. It uses very little data, lets you choose how reliable message delivery should be with QoS levels, and can handle lots of users. Its publish-subscribe system and central broker make it especially great for IoT devices and apps that need reliable and low-resource messaging.
How does MQTT handle message retention?
MQTT can save the last message for a topic on the broker using a feature called message retention. If a client sends a message with the "retained" flag turned on, the broker stores it and sends it automatically to anyone who subscribes to that topic later. This way, new subscribers or clients that reconnect can always get the latest information.
What are the limitations of the MQTT protocol?
MQTT has some drawbacks when it comes to security, scalability, and performance. It doesn’t have built-in features for encryption (protecting data) or authentication (verifying users). As networks grow larger, it can run into problems handling the extra traffic. It also doesn’t support error handling or things like video streaming. Since it uses asynchronous messaging, it can sometimes slow things down, making it less ideal for certain IoT projects. Plus, different versions of MQTT might not work smoothly together, which can lead to compatibility issues.
Does Facebook Messenger use MQTT?
Facebook Messenger uses MQTT to power its mobile chat feature. This protocol helps send messages in real-time while using very little data, making it great for mobile devices. It’s designed to be fast and efficient, while still keeping communication secure
Get Started with MirrorFly’s Instant Messaging Features
Drive 1+ billions of conversations on your apps with highly secure 250+ real-time Communication Features.
Contact Sales
200+ Happy Clients-
Topic-based Chat
-
Multi-tenancy Support
Building a chat application from scratch has many important aspects attached to it. One of the most important things to consider is what messaging protocol you are going to use. MQTT, XMPP, DDS are some of the most common messaging protocols that are leveraged for developing chat applications. In this article, we are going to discuss the MQTT protocol in detail and find out if it’s suitable for chat app development. Stay with us and keep reading.
Table of Contents
What is MQTT Protocol?
MQTT stands for MQ Telemetry Transport. It was earlier known as Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. It is lightweight, simple, and easy to implement.
To provide you with a little bit of background, we would like to mention that the MQTT protocol was invented back in 1999 by Andy Stanford Clark and Arlen Nipper. It is especially designed for high latency, low bandwidth, and unreliable networks. MQTT messaging protocol is generally used in an embedded environment for machine to machine communication.
Some of the most popular industries in which it is often used are telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, and many others. One more important aspect of MQTT architecture is that it utilizes a publish/subscribe messaging architecture.
Build Instant Messaging App with MQTT Protocol -Know How It Works
Now, the MQTT architecture consists of two parts – MQTT clients and MQTT brokers. Broker can be described as the server that distributes the information to the clients connected to the server. On the other hand, a client can be described as the device that connects to the broker to send or receive information. With MQTT, multiple clients can easily connect to the same broker. In this section, we shall discuss some of the best features of MQTT protocol that makes it the most viable option to build a real-time messaging app.
1. Quality of Service
Quality of Service (QoS) can be defined as the set of technologies that work on a particular network to ensure its ability to run high-priority applications. The number of QoS levels is directly proportional to the reliability of the protocol. More the QoS levels, the more reliable the protocol is. With MQTT, you get three levels of QoS.
- At most once (0) : It is the lowest QoS level in which the recipient does not acknowledge receiving the message. Also, there is no guarantee of a message.
- At least once (1) : In this, the delivery of a message is guaranteed. The sender gets to store the message until the receiver gets notified of the delivery.
- Exactly once (2) : This is the highest QoS level that MQTT has to offer. In fact, it is the safest level too. In this the recipient receives the message just once.
2. Consistent Sessions
This particular MQTT protocol feature makes MQTT one of the best options if you’re planning to build a custom chat platform. With this functionality, there can be persistent sessions between the client and the broker. In case the connection breaks for some reason, the broken can retain the information that is required to reconnect with the client. It is done automatically.
3. Retained message
This feature allows the broker to retain the last message on a given topic in case the client subscribes to a new message topic. Hence, it totally makes sense to build a chat app leveraging MQTT protocol.
5 Reasons: Choose MQTT Protocol for Your Chat App Developement.
Have you been planning to build white label messaging app of your own? Wondering if you should choose the MQTT messaging protocol or not? Fret not! We have got your back. We shall provide you with some of the top reasons as to why you should go for MQTT protocol for chat application formation.
- It is a lightweight protocol that supports different types of devices be them small, cheap, or low-powered. Moreover, MQTT requires the minimum resources to run.
- MQTT offers three QoS levels to support reliable messaging. It can transfer data even with unstable connections.
- It is an open messaging protocol and has a standard defined documentation. The best part about MQTT is that it has a set of ready-made libraries of Java, Python, C++, and other programming languages.
- As MQTT has open-source libraries, it tends to minimize your development costs. Moreover, it is super easy to implement. Thanks to its free available documentation.
- It supports security through TLS and other common authentication protocols.
DID YOU KNOW : Popular Apps That Use MQTT Communication Protocol
Trust us when we say that choosing MQTT to build a real time chat app will be a good decision. It is quite popular in the market and has been leveraged by many leading messaging apps. In this section, we are going to discuss some of them. Keep reading.
Do you know Facebook Messenger uses MQTT messaging protocol for its mobile chat functionality? Yes! Every chat has a generated topic and all the chat members subscribe and publish to that generated topic. Well, the reason Facebook chose MQTT was its low bandwidth and battery usage.
Another big app that uses the MQTT protocol is none other than Instagram. Instagram’s direct message function leverages MQTT. Thanks to its smooth implementation process!
Some giant cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, and Amazon Web Services also use the MQTT messaging protocol.
There’s no denying that MQTT can be the best option for your chat app development too. It requires little implementation efforts and is the most ideal for machine-to-machine communication. It also allows efficient transmission of data and is a good choice for networks that experience different levels of latency.
Comparison Between MQTT Vs.XMPP
Whether you build a chat app for Android, iOS, or the web, choosing the right messaging protocol is very essential. In this section, we are going to draw a major comparison between two leading protocols namely, MQTT and XMPP.
- Now, MQTT is a machine to machine internet of things connectivity protocol. It is an extremely lightweight publish/subscribe messaging transport. It is extremely useful for connections with remote locations. On the other hand, XMPP is an open XML technology for real-time communication. It allows instant messaging, multi-party chat, and routing of XML data.
- MQTT is a transport protocol while XMPP is an instant messaging protocol and clearly defines all the message formats. XMPP protocol transmits XML fragments between the server and client.
- MQTT has different levels of quality of service. But this kind of flexibility is not available in XMPP.
- On one hand, where MQTT has a very low keep-alive traffic, XMPP has a very high overhead in handling present messages among the clients.
- It is easier to determine the message size in MQTT. But when it comes to XMPP, it is difficult to determine the message size as it totally depends on encryption and compression.
Recommended Reading
Conclusion
We hope our article helped you understand all the beneficial aspects revolving around the MQTT messaging protocol. If you are planning to build a chat app of your own, you can certainly use MQTT as your messaging protocol. So, wait no more! Leverage MQTT today. Also, if you want readymade chat solutions for your business, you can always opt for Apphitect Messaging API Contact us to know more!
How does MQTT work in a chat application?
In a chat app, MQTT works by using a publish-subscribe system. Users send their messages to a central hub called a "broker," and other users can subscribe to specific topics to get those messages. The broker makes sure the messages are sent to the right people, making communication fast and easy, even on slow or unreliable networks.
What are the Quality of Service (QoS) levels in MQTT?
MQTT has three levels of message delivery reliability, called Quality of Service (QoS):
- QoS 0 (At most once): Messages are sent without any guarantee they’ll arrive. This is good for non-important, fast updates where speed matters more than accuracy.
- QoS 1 (At least once): Messages are guaranteed to arrive, but they might show up more than once. This works well for important data where a few duplicates are okay.
- QoS 2 (Exactly once): Messages are delivered one time only - no duplicates, no losses. This is best for critical information that needs to be 100% accurate.
Subscribers can pick whichever QoS level fits their needs, but higher levels of reliability use more network resources.
Why choose MQTT for chat app development?
MQTT is great for building chat apps because it sends messages reliably, uses very little data, and works well even on poor networks. It’s lightweight, secure, and lets you choose how reliable you want messages to be, making it a solid choice for creating fast and efficient communication tools.
Which popular apps use MQTT for communication?
Popular apps like Facebook Messenger and Instagram use MQTT, along with major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. It’s also used in smart car systems and medical devices to ensure fast and reliable communication.
How does MQTT compare to XMPP in chat applications?
MQTT and XMPP are designed for different purposes. MQTT is all about lightweight and efficient messaging, which makes it perfect for IoT devices. On the other hand, XMPP is built for real-time communication and comes with more features. MQTT uses less data, so it works better on limited or slow networks.
What are the core components of the MQTT protocol?
MQTT has three main components: the client, the broker, and the messages. The client can send (publish) or receive messages. The broker handles routing messages and making sure users are authenticated. Messages follow a structured format with some fixed and flexible parts. MQTT uses a publish-subscribe system, making it great for efficient communication between devices in IoT and machine-to-machine networks.
What are the advantages of using MQTT in real-time messaging apps?
MQTT is perfect for real-time messaging apps because it’s lightweight, saves battery, and works efficiently. It uses very little data, lets you choose how reliable message delivery should be with QoS levels, and can handle lots of users. Its publish-subscribe system and central broker make it especially great for IoT devices and apps that need reliable and low-resource messaging.
How does MQTT handle message retention?
MQTT can save the last message for a topic on the broker using a feature called message retention. If a client sends a message with the "retained" flag turned on, the broker stores it and sends it automatically to anyone who subscribes to that topic later. This way, new subscribers or clients that reconnect can always get the latest information.
What are the limitations of the MQTT protocol?
MQTT has some drawbacks when it comes to security, scalability, and performance. It doesn’t have built-in features for encryption (protecting data) or authentication (verifying users). As networks grow larger, it can run into problems handling the extra traffic. It also doesn’t support error handling or things like video streaming. Since it uses asynchronous messaging, it can sometimes slow things down, making it less ideal for certain IoT projects. Plus, different versions of MQTT might not work smoothly together, which can lead to compatibility issues.
Does Facebook Messenger use MQTT?
Facebook Messenger uses MQTT to power its mobile chat feature. This protocol helps send messages in real-time while using very little data, making it great for mobile devices. It’s designed to be fast and efficient, while still keeping communication secure
Get Started with MirrorFly’s Instant Messaging Features
Drive 1+ billions of conversations on your apps with highly secure 250+ real-time Communication Features.
Contact Sales-
200+ Happy Clients
-
Topic-based Chat
-
Multi-tenancy Support
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