To add live video chat with a custom UI, you usually combine:

1. A real-time video backend/service for media transport
2. Your own frontend UI for layout, controls, and styling
3. Signaling/auth to connect users into a room

Common ways to build it

Option 1: Use a managed SDK

Fastest path. Examples:

• Twilio Video
• Agora
• Daily
• Vonage
• AWS Chime SDK

These give you:

• WebRTC infrastructure
• room management
• participant streams
• screen sharing
• device selection
• stats and reconnection support

You build the UI yourself, but the SDK handles the hard real-time parts.

Option 2: Build with raw WebRTC

More control, more work. You need:

• signaling server (WebSocket, Socket.IO, etc.)
• STUN/TURN servers
• peer connection logic
• media track management
• reconnection/error handling

This is best if you need deep customization and have WebRTC experience.

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Typical architecture for a custom UI

Frontend

Your UI usually has:

• local camera preview
• remote video tiles
• mute/unmute button
• camera toggle
• screen share
• leave call
• device picker
• chat panel optional

Backend

Usually provides:

• authentication
• room creation/joining
• token generation
• signaling or SDK session setup

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Example approach with a managed SDK

If you want a custom UI, the pattern is:

1. User opens your app
2. Backend creates/returns an access token
3. Frontend connects to a room
4. SDK provides tracks/streams
5. You render them in your own components

Example UI structure

<div class="call">
  <div id="remote-grid"></div>
  <div class="controls">
    <button id="muteBtn">Mute</button>
    <button id="camBtn">Camera</button>
    <button id="shareBtn">Share Screen</button>
    <button id="leaveBtn">Leave</button>
  </div>
</div>

You then attach remote video streams to elements inside #remote-grid.

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Example with WebRTC basics

If you build it yourself, flow looks like:

1. Get user media

   const localStream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({
     video: true,
     audio: true
   });
   

2. Show local preview

   localVideo.srcObject = localStream;
   

3. Create peer connection

   const pc = new RTCPeerConnection({
     iceServers: [{ urls: "stun:stun.l.google.com:19302" }]
   });
   

4. Add local tracks

   localStream.getTracks().forEach(track => pc.addTrack(track, localStream));
   

5. Handle remote tracks

   pc.ontrack = (event) => {
     remoteVideo.srcObject = event.streams[0];
   };
   

6. Signal offer/answer through your backend

   • send SDP offer
   • send SDP answer
   • exchange ICE candidates

You’ll need a signaling layer like Socket.IO.

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Custom UI tips

Use separate components for:

• LocalVideo
• RemoteParticipantTile
• ControlsBar
• DeviceSelector
• ConnectionStatus

Useful UI features:

• active speaker highlight
• mute state badges
• network quality indicator
• avatar fallback when video is off
• full-screen mode
• draggable/resizable tiles
• mobile responsive layout

---

If you want the simplest implementation

Use a provider like Daily or Agora and build your own React/Vue/Next.js interface on top of their tracks/events.

That gives you:

• custom look and feel
• much less engineering effort
• better reliability than rolling your own

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Recommended stack

If you’re building a web app:

• Frontend: React / Next.js
• Video: Daily / Agora / Twilio
• State: Redux / Zustand / React Context
• Styling: Tailwind / CSS Modules / styled-components
• Backend: Node.js + Express
• Realtime/signaling: WebSockets or SDK tokens

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Security considerations

• use HTTPS/WSS
• authenticate users before joining rooms
• issue short-lived tokens
• restrict room access
• validate media permissions
• use TURN servers for NAT traversal
• handle abusive users/reporting if public-facing

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If you want, I can give you one of these next:

1. a React example with a custom video chat UI
2. a raw WebRTC + Socket.IO implementation
3. a Twilio/Agora/Daily example
4. a mobile app version