Detecting That The Peers Browser Was Closed In A Webrtc Videochat

Did you know that in a WebRTC video chat, it's crucial to be able to detect when a peer's browser window has been closed? This functionality can help enhance the user experience by handling scenarios when one of the participants abruptly leaves the video call. In this article, we'll explore how to implement a reliable method to detect if a peer's browser has been closed during a WebRTC video chat.

One common approach to detecting if a peer's browser has been closed is by utilizing the WebRTC `oniceconnectionstatechange` event. This event is triggered whenever the ICE connection state changes, allowing us to monitor the status of the peer's connection in real-time. By checking the ICE connection state, we can infer if the peer has abruptly disconnected from the video chat session.

To begin implementing this feature, you can listen for the `oniceconnectionstatechange` event on the RTCPeerConnection object. When this event is triggered, you can inspect the `iceConnectionState` property to determine the current state of the ICE connection. If the state transitions to `disconnected` or `closed`, it indicates that the peer's browser has been closed or the connection has been lost.

Here's a snippet of code demonstrating how to listen for the `oniceconnectionstatechange` event:

peerConnection.oniceconnectionstatechange = function(event) {
  if (peerConnection.iceConnectionState === 'disconnected' || peerConnection.iceConnectionState === 'closed') {
    // Handle peer browser closure
    alert('Peer browser was closed');
  }
};

In the above code, we assign a function to be executed whenever the ICE connection state changes. Inside the function, we check if the connection state is `disconnected` or `closed`, and then we can perform any necessary actions, such as notifying the user that the peer's browser was closed.

Additionally, you can also implement a heartbeat mechanism to regularly send ping messages between peers to ensure the connection is still active. If a peer stops responding to the ping messages, it could indicate that their browser has been closed or the connection has been interrupted.

By combining the `oniceconnectionstatechange` event with a heartbeat mechanism, you can build a robust solution for detecting when a peer's browser has been closed during a WebRTC video chat. This approach can improve the overall user experience by handling unexpected disconnections gracefully and providing clear feedback to users.

In conclusion, incorporating mechanisms to detect when a peer's browser has been closed is essential for maintaining a seamless WebRTC video chat experience. By leveraging events like `oniceconnectionstatechange` and implementing additional checks, you can enhance the reliability and robustness of your WebRTC applications.