Add Messaging, Voice, and Authentication to your apps with Vonage Communications APIs
Visit the Vonage API Developer PortalThe OpenTok.js library lets you use Vonage Video API-powered video sessions on the web.
This page covers the following topics:
Important notes:
Chrome M136 on Windows – audio device detection issue We are aware of a Chrome M136 issue on Windows where the browser may intermittently respond slowly or fail when retrieving audio device information. This is a known issue and has been addressed in Chrome version 137.0.7150.0, with the fix also merged into an upcoming patch of Chrome 136 expected to be released shortly. In the meantime, if you encounter this issue, we recommend either rolling back to Chrome 135 and pinning it, or using an alternate browser. Please contact support if you need help implementing a workaround.
Issues fixed in Safari 15.4 and 15.5. Safari versions 15.4 and 15.5 (which ship with iOS 15.4 and 15.5 and macOS 12.3 and 12.4) fix the following issues, which could affect apps that use OpenTok.js (in Safari):
End-to-end encryption — In OpenTok.js 2.27.0, end-to-end encryption will not work with clients using an earlier version of OpenTok.js. When you upgrade your app to use OpenTok.js 2.27.0+, make sure all clients are using OpenTok.js 2.27.0+ if the app uses end-to-end encryption..
All applications that use the Vonage Video API are composed of two parts:
The client SDK for building web-based applications that use the Vonage Video API is OpenTok.js. This JavaScript library provides most of the core functionality for your app, including:
Client SDKs are also available for iOS and Android. All OpenTok client SDKs can interact with one another. You can learn more about the basics of OpenTok clients, servers, sessions and more on our Video API Basics page.
The current version of the OpenTok.js library can interoperate with OpenTok apps written with version 2.32+ of the OpenTok client SDKs:
The best way to learn how to use the OpenTok.js library is to follow our Basic Video Chat tutorial for web:
View tutorialOnce you understand the basics of building with OpenTok.js, you can get more detailed information and learn how to customize your application with our Developer Guides. To investigate specific API classes and methods, you can review the OpenTok.js Reference.
To load OpenTok.js in your web page, add the following script tag:
<script src="https://static.opentok.com/v2/js/opentok.min.js"></script>
In addition to installing from the npm registry, the Client SDK packages are also available through GitHub Packages' NPM registry. This provides an alternative distribution channel for enterprise environments that require GitHub-based package management.
The following package is published to GitHub Packages:
@opentok/client - Available at GitHub Packages (OpenTok org)To install packages from GitHub Packages' NPM registry, you need to configure npm to authenticate with GitHub:
1. Create a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT)
Generate a personal access token with read:packages scope from your GitHub account settings.
2. Configure your .npmrc file
Add the following configuration to your project's .npmrc file or your user-level ~/.npmrc file:
//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN
@vonage:registry=https://npm.pkg.github.comReplace YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN with your GitHub personal access token.
3. Install the package
Once configured, you can install the package using the standard npm install command:
npm install @opentok/clientBoth the traditional npm registry and GitHub Packages registry are kept in sync. You can choose either distribution method based on your organization's package management preferences. The traditional npm installation method (via npm install @opentok/client from the default registry) remains fully supported and requires no additional configuration.
For more information about working with GitHub Packages' NPM registry, see the GitHub Packages documentation.
The OpenTok.js library is currently supported in:
Important: OpenTok.js version 2.16 was the last version to support the OpenTok Plugin for Internet Explorer. OpenTok.js version 2.16 was deprecated in May 2020 for the Standard environment and June 2020 for the Enterprise environment.
For reliable video streaming in modern browsers, ensure your device meets these recommended specs:
These recommendations ensure stable playback, lower CPU usage, and smooth performance when streaming video.
You can include the OpenTok.js library in your web page using a <script> tag:
<script src="https://static.opentok.com/v2/js/opentok.min.js"></script>
The OpenTok.js version number consists of three parts:
For example, v2.4.0 is major version 2, minor version 4 (of major version 2), and revision 0 (of v2.4). As revision versions are released, changes are included in the root minor revision. For example, when v2.2.3 is released, its changes are included in v2.2.
To reference a specific revision, you can include the complete version number (such as "v2.4.0")
in the src attribute. However, we recommend that you specify only the major version
number. Vonage officially supports the current version of the library. If you are loading an older
version, we ask that you upgrade to take advantage of the latest bug fixes and features in the
OpenTok platform.
Important: Always use the libraries we provide unmodified. This ensures that you use the latest up-to-date, tested code. The Vonage Video API does not support the use of modified libraries.
For more information on specific versions of OpenTok.js, see the OpenTok release notes. To learn when new versions of OpenTok.js become available, go to the Video API - New Releases page and click the Follow button.