Jitsi Meet Plugin: Can't Leave Meetings?

Hey guys! 👋 Having trouble escaping a Jitsi Meet meeting when using the Capacitor plugin? You're not alone! It looks like you're experiencing a couple of frustrating issues: you can't go back after hitting the close button on the join meeting page, and you're stuck when trying to leave a meeting as a non-moderator. Don't worry, we'll dive into what might be going wrong and how to fix it. This guide is all about helping you troubleshoot and optimize your Jitsi Meet plugin experience. We'll explore potential solutions and point out areas in your code where improvements can be made. Let's get started!

Understanding the Problem: Navigating the Jitsi Meet Plugin

Firstly, let's get a handle on what might be causing these issues. The core of your problem likely lies within how the Jitsi Meet plugin interacts with your app's navigation and the plugin's own lifecycle events. When you hit the close button on the join meeting page, the plugin might not be correctly triggering the necessary events to redirect you back to the previous screen. Similarly, the 'leave' button behavior, especially for non-moderators, is often tied to the plugin's internal logic and how it handles user permissions.

Your provided code gives us a good starting point. You're using the Capacitor plugin in a cordova environment, which is awesome! You've correctly initialized the Jitsi Meet external API and are setting up event listeners to manage the conference lifecycle. However, let's break down the code to find potential issues, and optimize it. For instance, the onJitsiUnloaded callback is critical, as it's designed to handle what happens when the conference ends or is left. Make sure this callback correctly removes all event listeners and redirects the user. The crucial aspect is the proper handling of onConferenceTerminated and onConferenceLeft events; these are the keys to a smooth exit.

Let's get even more granular. Examine the event listeners attached in your useEffect hook. Are you correctly removing these listeners when the component unmounts? If not, you could be running into memory leaks or unexpected behavior, and this could manifest as the inability to leave a meeting. Specifically, ensure that all the event listeners, such as onConferenceJoined, onConferenceTerminated, onConferenceLeft, onChatMessageReceived, and onParticipantsInfoRetrieved, are correctly removed in the return function of your useEffect hook.

Now, let's consider the scenario where a non-moderator tries to leave a meeting. The Jitsi Meet plugin probably has specific permission checks. Ensure that your app's user interface correctly reflects the user's role and that the 'leave' button is only enabled when appropriate. Furthermore, investigate the plugin's documentation to see if there's any specific API call or setting that controls how non-moderators can exit the meeting. It might be that you need to adjust the way you call the leaveConference function based on the user's role.

In essence, the solution involves a meticulous review of your event handling, the correct unmounting of the plugin, and consideration of user permissions. Don't worry, we will give more examples and codes to enhance it.

Troubleshooting the 'Close Button' Issue: Navigating Backwards

So, you're stuck on the join meeting page, and the close button isn't doing its job. This often means that the plugin isn't correctly handling the close action or that the necessary navigation logic isn't in place. Let's look at a potential fix and give you some useful code examples.

First, pinpoint what action triggers the close event. Is it a direct button press, or does it occur when the conference ends or is terminated? Inspect the Jitsi Meet plugin's documentation to find out how the plugin's close button works. Make sure the event for closing a meeting is correctly dispatched. You need to ensure the appropriate events are being listened for and handled correctly.

Second, implement the correct navigation logic in your onJitsiUnloaded function. This function should be called when the conference ends and is the most probable area where you want to navigate back. The code currently redirects to /Webinar, but you might want to redirect to a different route. So adjust this accordingly.

const onJitsiUnloaded = useCallback(() => {
  console.log("Jitsi: unloaded Jitsi");
  if (isPlatform("cordova")) {
    window.removeEventListener("onConferenceLeft", onJitsiUnloaded);
    window.removeEventListener("onConferenceTerminated", onJitsiUnloaded);
  }
  history.push("/your-previous-page"); // Change this to your desired route
}, [history]);

In this example, replace /your-previous-page with the route you want to go to after closing the meeting. This could be the home screen, a list of meetings, or any other appropriate page.

Third, ensure that your useEffect hook correctly sets up and cleans up these event listeners. The return function in useEffect is critical for cleaning up resources, like removing event listeners. Incorrectly handling these can result in lingering event listeners and unpredictable navigation behavior.

useEffect(() => {
  initialiseJitsi();

  window.addEventListener('onConferenceJoined', onJitsiLoaded);
  window.addEventListener('onConferenceTerminated', onJitsiUnloaded);
  window.addEventListener('onConferenceLeft', onJitsiUnloaded);
  window.addEventListener('onChatMessageReceived', onChatMessageReceived);
  window.addEventListener("onParticipantsInfoRetrieved", onParticipantsInfoRetrieved);
  
  return () => {
    jitsi?.dispose();
    window.removeEventListener('onConferenceJoined', onJitsiLoaded);
    window.removeEventListener('onConferenceTerminated', onJitsiUnloaded);
    window.removeEventListener('onConferenceLeft', onJitsiUnloaded);
    window.removeEventListener('onChatMessageReceived', onChatMessageReceived);
    window.removeEventListener("onParticipantsInfoRetrieved", onParticipantsInfoRetrieved);
  }
}, [initialiseJitsi, jitsi, onChatMessageReceived, onJitsiLoaded, onJitsiUnloaded, onParticipantsInfoRetrieved]);

Verify that jitsi?.dispose() is called to properly dispose of the Jitsi instance and to release any resources it holds. This will prevent unexpected behavior. These steps together should resolve the close button issue.

Fixing the 'Leave Button' Problem: User Permissions and Plugin Behavior

Now, let's address the issue where non-moderators can't leave the meeting. This problem typically stems from how the Jitsi Meet plugin handles user roles and permissions. Let's see how to troubleshoot this and offer practical solutions.

Firstly, consider how your app handles user roles. Is the user role, such as moderator or participant, being correctly passed to the plugin? Check your code to see if the correct permissions are being set when joining the meeting. Ensure the plugin recognizes the user's role to determine whether they can leave the meeting. The plugin may have specific methods to identify the user's role.

Secondly, check the Jitsi Meet plugin's documentation for specific functions related to leaving the meeting. Does the plugin require specific API calls for non-moderators? The plugin may have a specific function designed for users to leave a meeting. Review the documentation to ensure you're using this function correctly. Here's a basic example. Remember, the actual implementation may vary depending on the Jitsi plugin.

const leaveMeeting = async () => {
  try {
    if (isPlatform('cordova')) {
      await Jitsi.leaveConference();
    } else {
      jitsi?.executeCommand('hangup'); // Or the appropriate command
    }
    // Handle navigation after leaving
    onJitsiUnloaded();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error leaving meeting:', error);
    // Handle the error (e.g., show an error message)
  }
};

In this example, the leaveMeeting function calls Jitsi.leaveConference() for cordova platforms or jitsi?.executeCommand('hangup') for others. The crucial step is the onJitsiUnloaded() call, which navigates the user after leaving the meeting.

Thirdly, ensure that your UI correctly handles the user's role. If a user is not a moderator, the leave button should be displayed or disabled appropriately. Consider showing a message instead of the button. The leave button should only be enabled if the user has permission to leave.

  {isModerator ? (
    <Button onClick={leaveMeeting}>Leave Meeting</Button>
  ) : (
    <p>Waiting to leave...</p>
  )}

In this example, the leaveMeeting function is only available if the user is a moderator. This can prevent unexpected behavior.

By carefully checking user roles, using the correct plugin functions, and properly handling UI elements, you can resolve the leave button issue. Remember, this is about making your app user-friendly.

Additional Tips and Best Practices

Alright, let's wrap up with some extra tips and best practices to ensure your Jitsi Meet plugin integration goes smoothly. These points will help you enhance the robustness and user-friendliness of your application. Let's make sure it's the best it can be!

• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling. Wrap your API calls in try...catch blocks to catch errors and display meaningful messages to the user. This improves the user experience. Always inform the user if something goes wrong.

• Logging: Use console.log statements to track the flow of events and debug issues. This makes identifying problems quicker. Make sure you use comprehensive logging.

• Testing: Test your plugin thoroughly on different devices and platforms. This will help you catch any platform-specific issues. Check every scenario and platform.

• Plugin Documentation: Regularly check the Jitsi Meet plugin's documentation for updates. The API may change, or new features may be added. Staying up-to-date will keep your integration working smoothly.

• Version Control: Always use version control (e.g., Git) to track changes in your code. Version control is your friend. It's essential for collaboration and to revert to previous versions if needed.

• User Feedback: Always collect user feedback. Gather information from your users to improve your app and make it user-friendly. Collect user feedback and make changes.

By following these tips, you can make sure your Jitsi Meet plugin integration is reliable and easy to use. Remember to keep learning and testing. Good luck!