Change Member Scope

Update group member roles and permissions using the Android SDK

Quick Reference for AI Agents & Developers

// Change member scope (admin only)
CometChat.updateGroupMemberScope(
    "UID", 
    "GUID", 
    CometChatConstants.SCOPE_MODERATOR,
    object : CallbackListener<String>() {
        override fun onSuccess(message: String) { }
        override fun onError(e: CometChatException) { }
    })

Available Scopes:

• SCOPE_ADMIN - Full control over group
• SCOPE_MODERATOR - Can moderate members and content
• SCOPE_PARTICIPANT - Regular member (default)

Note: Only group admins can change member scopes.

Available via: SDK | REST API | UI Kits

Change Scope of a Group Member

To change the scope of a group member, use the changeGroupMemberScope() method.

Java

private String GUID = "GUID";
private String UID = "UID";
private String scope = CometChatConstants.SCOPE_ADMIN;

CometChat.updateGroupMemberScope(UID, GUID, scope, new CometChat.CallbackListener<String>() {
  @Override
  public void onSuccess(String successMessage) {
    Log.d(TAG, "User scope updated successfully");
  }

  @Override
  public void onError(CometChatException e) {
    Log.d(TAG, "User scope update failed with exception: " + e.getMessage());
  }
});

Kotlin

val GUID: String = "GUID"
val UID: String = "UID"
val scope: String = CometChatConstants.SCOPE_ADMIN

CometChat.updateGroupMemberScope(UID, GUID, scope, object:CometChat.CallbackListener<String>(){
  override fun onSuccess(p0: String?) {
    Log.d(TAG, "User scope updated successfully")
  }

  override fun onError(p0: CometChatException?) {
    Log.d(TAG, "User scope update failed with exception: " + p0?.message)
  }
})

This method takes the below parameters:

Parameter	Description
UID	The UID of the member whose scope you would like to change
GUID	The GUID of the group for which the member’s scope needs to be changed
scope	the updated scope of the member. This can be either of the 3 values: 1.CometChatConstants.SCOPE_ADMIN (admin) 2.CometChatConstants.SCOPE_MODERATOR (moderator) 3.CometChatConstants.SCOPE_PARTICIPANT (participant)

The default scope of any member is participant. Only the Admin of the group can change the scope of any participant in the group.

Real-Time Group Member Scope Changed Events

How do I know when someone’s scope is changed while my app is running?

To receive real-time events whenever a group member’s scope changes, override the onGroupMemberScopeChanged() method of the GroupListener class.

Java

CometChat.addGroupListener(YourActivity.class.getSimpleName(), new CometChat.GroupListener() {
  @Override
  public void onGroupMemberScopeChanged(Action action, User updatedBy, User updatedUser, String scopeChangedTo, String scopeChangedFrom, Group group) {

  }
});

Kotlin

CometChat.addGroupListener("ListenerID", object : CometChat.GroupListener() {
  override fun onGroupMemberScopeChanged(action: Action, updatedBy: User, updatedUser: User, scopeChangedTo: String, scopeChangedFrom: String, group: Group) {

  }
})

Missed Group Member Scope Changed Events

How do I know when someone’s scope is changed while my app is not running?

When you retrieve the list of previous messages, if a member’s scope has been changed for any group that the logged-in user is a member of, the list of messages will contain an Action message. An Action message is a sub-class of the BaseMessage class.

For the group member scope changed event, in the Action object received, the following fields can help you get the relevant information-

1. action - scopeChanged
2. actionOn - User object containing the details of the user whos scope has been changed
3. actionBy - User object containing the details of the user who changed the scope of the member
4. actionFor - Group object containing the details of the group in which the member scope was changed
5. oldScope - The original scope of the member
6. newScope - The updated scope of the member

Always remove group listeners when they’re no longer needed (e.g., in onDestroy() or when navigating away). Failing to remove listeners can cause memory leaks and duplicate event handling.

Best Practices

Limit Admin Count

Keep the number of admins small (2-3) to maintain clear ownership and control. Too many admins can lead to conflicts and management issues.

Promote Trusted Members to Moderator

Use the moderator role for trusted members who help manage the group without full admin privileges. This provides a middle tier of authority.

Confirm Before Scope Changes

Prompt admins to confirm before changing member scopes, especially when promoting to admin or demoting from admin/moderator roles.

Track Scope Changes

Listen for scope change events to maintain an audit log of permission changes for security and accountability.

Troubleshooting

Scope Change Failed - Insufficient Permissions

Symptom: updateGroupMemberScope() fails with “Insufficient permissions” error.

Cause: User is not an admin of the group.

Solution: Only group admins can change member scopes. Moderators cannot change scopes. Check the user’s scope before showing this option.

Cannot Change Own Scope

Symptom: Admin cannot change their own scope.

Cause: Admins cannot demote themselves to prevent accidental loss of admin access.

Solution: Have another admin change your scope, or use transfer-group-ownership if you want to step down.

Invalid Scope Value

Symptom: Scope change fails with “Invalid scope” error.

Cause: Scope value is not one of the valid constants.

Solution: Use only CometChatConstants.SCOPE_ADMIN, SCOPE_MODERATOR, or SCOPE_PARTICIPANT.

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Next Steps

Add Members

Add new members with specific scopes

Kick Member

Remove members from groups

Transfer Ownership

Transfer group ownership to another admin

Retrieve Members

Fetch list of group members