ChattyPals 💬

A Real-Time Chat Application with MERN Stack

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🚀 About the Project

ChattyPals is a real-time chat application built using the MERN stack. It allows users to seamlessly communicate with instant messaging, secure authentication, and a responsive UI for an engaging experience.

✨ Features

✅ Real-time Messaging – Powered by WebSockets for instant communication
✅ Secure Authentication – Implemented JWT authentication to ensure data security
✅ User Presence Indicator – Displays online/offline status in real time
✅ Responsive UI – Designed with Tailwind CSS for seamless experience across devices
✅ MongoDB Storage Optimization – Faster message retrieval for better performance

🛠 Tech Stack

🔹 Frontend: React, Tailwind CSS
🔹 Backend: Node.js, Express.js
🔹 Database: MongoDB, Mongoose
🔹 Authentication: JWT, bcrypt
🔹 Real-time Communication: WebSockets (Socket.io)

📸 Screenshots

Add relevant screenshots here

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Make sure you have Node.js, MongoDB, and npm/yarn installed on your system.

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/ChattyPals.git
   cd ChattyPals

2. Install Dependencies

   npm install

3. Set Up Environment Variables
   Create a .env file in the root directory and add:

   MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_uri
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

4. Run the Server

   npm start

5. Run the Client

   cd client
   npm start

🚀 Deployment

To deploy, you can use Vercel/Netlify for frontend and Render/Heroku for backend.

🤝 Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss your ideas.

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

📬 Contact

For any queries, feel free to reach out:
📧 Email: komalmeena170312@gmail.com

Let me know if you'd like any modifications! 🚀