Server rendering

What happens on the server

Server rendering opens no socket. The provider's effect never runs, so hooks render from inactive snapshots:

Hook	Server value
useConnectionState	"disconnected"
useChannelStatus	{ state: "detached", error: null, recovered: false }
useChannel	nothing; the callback does not run

Hydration begins from those same snapshots, so the first client render matches the server markup. The connection starts afterwards, in an effect.

The native client is null on the server and during the first hydration render. Guard against null before using provider methods in handlers or effects.

React Server Components

The published bundles preserve "use client", so the provider and hooks can be imported from a server component tree without extra configuration. They still have to be used from client components, because they are stateful and subscribe to a socket.

Isolate requests

A client owns mutable connection and channel state. Do not share an actively connected client across server requests or users. Create request-specific state where a server framework requires it, and start the browser session only after hydration. A browser-only module-scoped client is appropriate for a single application instance.

React Native

See React Native and Expo for installation, application background transitions, and the native example. Browser devtools require a DOM.