Major redo with respect to chats/contacts -- read desc

Waiting for chats & contacts is hella unreliable, so I've put them as events 1. receive chats via the `chats-received` event. If new chats are found, the flag for that is sent as well 2. receive contacts via the `contacts-received` event 3. When WA sends older messages, the `chats-update` or `chat-update` event is triggered 4. Baileys keeps track of all the changed conversations between connects Connects almost always take less than 10 seconds!
2025-10-13 00:32:22 +00:00 · 2020-11-13 23:15:16 +05:30
parent eace0c1795
commit 6d02d405a7
10 changed files with 232 additions and 196 deletions
--- a/Example/example.ts
+++ b/Example/example.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ async function example() {
    conn.logger.level = 'debug' // set to 'debug' to see what kind of stuff you can implement
    // attempt to reconnect at most 10 times in a row
    conn.connectOptions.maxRetries = 10
+    conn.connectOptions.waitForChats = false
    conn.chatOrderingKey = waChatKey(true) // order chats such that pinned chats are on top

    conn.on ('credentials-updated', () => {
@@ -26,6 +27,12 @@ async function example() {
        const authInfo = conn.base64EncodedAuthInfo() // get all the auth info we need to restore this session
        fs.writeFileSync('./auth_info.json', JSON.stringify(authInfo, null, '\t')) // save this info to a file
    })
+    conn.on('chats-received', ({ hasNewChats }) => {
+        console.log(`you have ${conn.chats.length} chats, new chats available: ${hasNewChats}`)
+    })
+    conn.on('contacts-received', () => {
+        console.log(`you have ${Object.keys(conn.contacts).length} chats`)
+    })

    // loads the auth file credentials if present
    fs.existsSync('./auth_info.json') && conn.loadAuthInfo ('./auth_info.json')
@@ -33,9 +40,7 @@ async function example() {
    //conn.connectOptions.agent = ProxyAgent ('http://1.0.180.120:8080')
    await conn.connect()

-    console.log('oh hello ' + conn.user.name + ' (' + conn.user.jid + ')')
-    console.log('you have ' + conn.chats.length + ' chats & ' + Object.keys(conn.contacts).length + ' contacts')
-    
+    console.log('oh hello ' + conn.user.name + ' (' + conn.user.jid + ')')    
    // uncomment to load all unread messages
    //const unread = await conn.loadAllUnreadMessages ()
    //console.log ('you have ' + unread.length + ' unread messages')
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Create and cd to your NPM project directory and then in terminal, write:
 1. stable: `npm install @adiwajshing/baileys`
 2. stabl-ish w quicker fixes & latest features: `npm install github:adiwajshing/baileys` 

-Do note, the library will most likely vary if you're using the NPM package, read that [here](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@adiwajshing/baileys)
+Do note, the library will likely vary if you're using the NPM package, read that [here](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@adiwajshing/baileys)

 Then import in your code using:
 ``` ts 
@@ -43,14 +43,29 @@ import { WAConnection } from '@adiwajshing/baileys'

 async function connectToWhatsApp () {
    const conn = new WAConnection() 
-    
-    await conn.connect ()
-    console.log ("oh hello " + conn.user.name + " (" + conn.user.id + ")")
-    // every chat object has a list of most recent messages
-    console.log ("you have " + conn.chats.all().length + " chats")
+    // called when WA sends chats
+    // this can take up to a few minutes if you have thousands of chats!
+    conn.on('chats-received', async ({ hasNewChats }) => {
+        console.log(`you have ${conn.chats.length} chats, new chats available: ${hasNewChats}`)

-    const unread = await conn.loadAllUnreadMessages ()
-    console.log ("you have " + unread.length + " unread messages")
+        const unread = await conn.loadAllUnreadMessages ()
+        console.log ("you have " + unread.length + " unread messages")
+    })
+    // called when WA sends chats
+    // this can take up to a few minutes if you have thousands of contacts!
+    conn.on('contacts-received', () => {
+        console.log('you have ' + Object.keys(conn.contacts).length + ' contacts')
+    })
+
+    await conn.connect ()
+    conn.on('chat-update', chatUpdate => {
+        // `chatUpdate` is a partial object, containing the updated properties of the chat
+        // received a new message
+        if (chatUpdate.messages && chatUpdate.count) {
+            const message = chatUpdate.messages.all()[0]
+            console.log (message)
+        } else console.log (chatUpdate) // see updates (can be archived, pinned etc.)
+    })
 }
 // run in main file
 connectToWhatsApp ()
@@ -59,12 +74,7 @@ connectToWhatsApp ()

 If the connection is successful, you will see a QR code printed on your terminal screen, scan it with WhatsApp on your phone and you'll be logged in!

-If you don't want to wait for WhatsApp to send all your chats while connecting, you can set the following property to false:
-``` ts
-conn.connectOptions.waitForChats = false
-``` 
-
-Do note, the `chats` object returned is now a [KeyedDB](https://github.com/adiwajshing/keyed-db). This is done for the following reasons:
+Do note, the `conn.chats` object is a [KeyedDB](https://github.com/adiwajshing/keyed-db). This is done for the following reasons:
 - Most applications require chats to be ordered in descending order of time. (`KeyedDB` does this in `log(N)` time)
 - Most applications require pagination of chats (Use `chats.paginated()`)
 - Most applications require **O(1)** access to chats via the chat ID. (Use `chats.get(jid)` with `KeyedDB`)
@@ -87,28 +97,19 @@ The entire `WAConnectOptions` struct is mentioned here with default values:
 ``` ts
 conn.connectOptions = {
    /** New QR generation interval, set to null if you don't want to regenerate */
-    regenerateQRIntervalMs?: 30_000
+    regenerateQRIntervalMs?: 30_000,
    /** fails the connection if no data is received for X seconds */
-    maxIdleTimeMs?: 15_000
+    maxIdleTimeMs?: 15_000,
    /** maximum attempts to connect */
-    maxRetries?: 5
-    /** should the chats be waited for; 
-     * should generally keep this as true, unless you only care about sending & receiving new messages 
-     * & don't care about chat history
-     * */
-    waitForChats?: true
-    /** if set to true, the connect only waits for the last message of the chat
-     * setting to false, generally yields a faster connect
-     */
-    waitOnlyForLastMessage?: false
+    maxRetries?: 5,
    /** max time for the phone to respond to a connectivity test */
-    phoneResponseTime?: 10_000
+    phoneResponseTime?: 10_000,
    /** minimum time between new connections */
-    connectCooldownMs?: 3000
+    connectCooldownMs?: 3000,
    /** agent used for WS connections (could be a proxy agent) */
-    agent?: Agent = undefined
+    agent?: Agent = undefined,
    /** agent used for fetch requests -- uploading/downloading media */
-    fetchAgent?: Agent = undefined
+    fetchAgent?: Agent = undefined,
    /** always uses takeover for connecting */
    alwaysUseTakeover: true
 } as WAConnectOptions
@@ -200,8 +201,14 @@ on (event: 'user-presence-update', listener: (update: PresenceUpdate) => void):
 on (event: 'user-status-update', listener: (update: {jid: string, status?: string}) => void): this
 /** when a new chat is added */
 on (event: 'chat-new', listener: (chat: WAChat) => void): this
+/** when contacts are sent by WA */
+on (event: 'contacts-received', listener: () => void): this
+/** when chats are sent by WA */
+on (event: 'chats-received', listener: (update: {hasNewChats: boolean}) => void): this
+/** when multiple chats are updated (new message, updated message, deleted, pinned, etc) */
+on (event: 'chats-update', listener: (chats: (Partial<WAChat> & { jid: string })[]) => void): this
 /** when a chat is updated (new message, updated message, deleted, pinned, etc) */
-on (event: 'chat-update', listener: (chat: WAChatUpdate) => void): this
+on (event: 'chat-update', listener: (chat: Partial<WAChat> & { jid: string }) => void): this
 /** when a message's status is updated (deleted, delivered, read, sent etc.) */
 on (event: 'message-status-update', listener: (message: WAMessageStatusUpdate) => void): this
 /** when participants are added to a group */
--- a/src/Tests/Common.ts
+++ b/src/Tests/Common.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export const testJid = process.env.TEST_JID || '1234@s.whatsapp.net' // set TEST

 export const makeConnection = () => {
    const conn = new WAConnection()
-    conn.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs = 45_000
+    conn.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs = 15_000
    conn.logger.level = 'debug'

    let evCounts = {}
--- a/src/Tests/Tests.Connect.ts
+++ b/src/Tests/Tests.Connect.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as assert from 'assert'
 import {WAConnection} from '../WAConnection/WAConnection'
-import { AuthenticationCredentialsBase64, BaileysError, ReconnectMode, DisconnectReason } from '../WAConnection/Constants'
+import { AuthenticationCredentialsBase64, BaileysError, ReconnectMode, DisconnectReason, WAChat } from '../WAConnection/Constants'
 import { delay } from '../WAConnection/Utils'
 import { assertChatDBIntegrity, makeConnection, testJid } from './Common'

@@ -291,14 +291,11 @@ describe ('Pending Requests', () => {
    it ('should correctly send updates', async () => {
        const conn = makeConnection ()
        conn.pendingRequestTimeoutMs = null
-
        conn.loadAuthInfo('./auth_info.json')
+
+        const task = new Promise(resolve => conn.once('chats-received', resolve))
        await conn.connect ()
-
-        conn.close ()
-
-        const result0 = await conn.connect ()
-        assert.deepEqual (result0.updatedChats, {})
+        await task

        conn.close ()

@@ -306,19 +303,18 @@ describe ('Pending Requests', () => {
        oldChat.archive = 'true' // mark the first chat as archived
        oldChat.modify_tag = '1234' // change modify tag to detect change

-        // close the socket after a few seconds second to see if updates are correct after a reconnect
-        setTimeout (() => conn['conn'].close(), 5000) 
+        const promise = new Promise(resolve => conn.once('chats-update', resolve))

        const result = await conn.connect ()
        assert.ok (!result.newConnection)

-        const chat = result.updatedChats[oldChat.jid]
+        const chats = await promise as Partial<WAChat>[]
+        const chat = chats.find (c => c.jid === oldChat.jid)
        assert.ok (chat)
        
        assert.ok ('archive' in chat)
-        assert.equal (Object.keys(chat).length, 2)
-
-        assert.equal (Object.keys(result.updatedChats).length, 1)
+        assert.strictEqual (Object.keys(chat).length, 3)
+        assert.strictEqual (Object.keys(chats).length, 1)

        conn.close ()
    })
--- a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const logger = pino({ prettyPrint: { levelFirst: true, ignore: 'hostname', trans

 export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
    /** The version of WhatsApp Web we're telling the servers we are */
-    version: [number, number, number] = [2, 2045, 15]
+    version: [number, number, number] = [2, 2045, 19]
    /** The Browser we're telling the WhatsApp Web servers we are */
    browserDescription: [string, string, string] = Utils.Browsers.baileys ('Chrome')
    /** Metadata like WhatsApp id, name set on WhatsApp etc. */
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
    state: WAConnectionState = 'close'
    connectOptions: WAConnectOptions = {
        regenerateQRIntervalMs: 30_000,
-        maxIdleTimeMs: 40_000,
+        maxIdleTimeMs: 15_000,
        waitOnlyForLastMessage: false,
-        waitForChats: true,
+        waitForChats: false,
        maxRetries: 10,
        connectCooldownMs: 4000,
        phoneResponseTime: 15_000,
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
    maxCachedMessages = 50
    loadProfilePicturesForChatsAutomatically = true

+    lastChatsReceived: Date
    chats = new KeyedDB (Utils.waChatKey(false), value => value.jid)
    contacts: { [k: string]: WAContact } = {}

--- a/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,13 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
        this.emit ('connection-validated', this.user)

        if (this.loadProfilePicturesForChatsAutomatically) {
-            const response = await this.query({ json: ['query', 'ProfilePicThumb', this.user.jid], waitForOpen: false, expect200: false, requiresPhoneConnection: false, startDebouncedTimeout: true  })
+            const response = await this.query({ 
+                json: ['query', 'ProfilePicThumb', this.user.jid], 
+                waitForOpen: false, 
+                expect200: false, 
+                requiresPhoneConnection: false, 
+                startDebouncedTimeout: true 
+            })
            this.user.imgUrl = response?.eurl || ''
        }
        
--- a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import * as Utils from './Utils'
-import { WAMessage, WAChat, WANode, KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_MS, BaileysError, WAConnectOptions, DisconnectReason, UNAUTHORIZED_CODES, WAContact, TimedOutError, CancelledError, WAOpenResult, DEFAULT_ORIGIN, WS_URL } from './Constants'
+import { KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_MS, BaileysError, WAConnectOptions, DisconnectReason, UNAUTHORIZED_CODES, CancelledError, WAOpenResult, DEFAULT_ORIGIN, WS_URL } from './Constants'
 import {WAConnection as Base} from './1.Validation'
 import Decoder from '../Binary/Decoder'
 import WS from 'ws'
-import KeyedDB from '@adiwajshing/keyed-db'

 const DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX = 'CB:'
 const DEF_TAG_PREFIX = 'TAG:'
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {

        let tries = 0
        let lastConnect = this.lastDisconnectTime
-        var updates
+        let updates: any
        while (this.state === 'connecting') {
            tries += 1
            try {
@@ -48,9 +47,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                if (!willReconnect) throw error
            }
        }
-
-        const updatedChats = !!this.lastDisconnectTime && updates
-        const result: WAOpenResult = { user: this.user, newConnection, updatedChats }
+        const result: WAOpenResult = { user: this.user, newConnection, ...(updates || {}) }
        this.emit ('open', result)
        
        this.logger.info ('opened connection to WhatsApp Web')
@@ -73,7 +70,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                                            !this.connectOptions.alwaysUseTakeover
                const reconnectID = shouldUseReconnect && this.user.jid.replace ('@s.whatsapp.net', '@c.us')

-                this.conn = new WS(WS_URL, null, { 
+                this.conn = new WS(WS_URL, null, {
                    origin: DEFAULT_ORIGIN, 
                    timeout: this.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs, 
                    agent: options.agent,
@@ -90,12 +87,12 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                
                this.conn.on ('open', async () => {
                    this.logger.info(`connected to WhatsApp Web server, authenticating via ${reconnectID ? 'reconnect' : 'takeover'}`)
-                    let waitForChats: Promise<{[k: string]: Partial<WAChat>}>
+                    let waitForChats: Promise<any>
                    // add wait for chats promise if required
                    if (typeof options?.waitForChats === 'undefined' ? true : options?.waitForChats) {
-                        const {wait, cancelChats} = this.receiveChatsAndContacts(this.connectOptions.waitOnlyForLastMessage)
+                        const {wait, cancellations} = this.receiveChatsAndContacts(this.connectOptions.waitOnlyForLastMessage)
                        waitForChats = wait
-                        rejections.push (cancelChats)
+                        rejections.push (...cancellations)
                    }
                    try {
                        const [, result] = await Promise.all (
@@ -116,7 +113,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                })
                this.conn.on('error', rejectAll)
                this.conn.on('close', () => rejectAll(new Error(DisconnectReason.close)))
-            }) as Promise<void | { [k: string]: Partial<WAChat> }>
+            }) as Promise<void | any>
        )

        this.on ('ws-close', rejectAll)
@@ -140,135 +137,30 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
     * Must be called immediately after connect
     */
    protected receiveChatsAndContacts(waitOnlyForLast: boolean) {
-        const chats = new KeyedDB(this.chatOrderingKey, c => c.jid)
-        const contacts = {}
-
-        let receivedChats = false
-        let receivedContacts = false
-        let receivedMessages = false
-
-        let resolveTask: () => void
-        let rejectTask: (e: Error) => void
-        const checkForResolution = () => receivedContacts && receivedChats && receivedMessages && resolveTask ()
-        // wait for messages to load
-        const messagesUpdate = json => {
-            this.startDebouncedTimeout () // restart debounced timeout
-    
-            const isLast = json[1].last || waitOnlyForLast
-            const messages = json[2] as WANode[]
-
-            if (messages) {
-                messages.reverse().forEach (([,, message]: ['message', null, WAMessage]) => {
-                    const jid = message.key.remoteJid
-                    const chat = chats.get(jid)
-                    if (chat) {
-                        const fm = chat.messages.all()[0]
-                        
-                        const prevEpoch = (fm && fm['epoch']) || 0
-                       
-                        message['epoch'] = prevEpoch-1
-                        chat.messages.insert (message)
-                    }
+        const rejectableWaitForEvent = (event: string) => {
+            let rejectTask = (_: Error) => {}
+            const task = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+                this.once (event, data => {
+                    this.startDebouncedTimeout() // start timeout again
+                    resolve(data)
                })
-            }
-            if (isLast) receivedMessages = true
-            // if received contacts before messages
-            if (isLast && receivedContacts) checkForResolution ()
-        }
-        const chatUpdate = json => {
-            if (json[1].duplicate || !json[2]) return
-            this.startDebouncedTimeout () // restart debounced timeout
-
-            json[2]
-            .forEach(([item, chat]: [any, WAChat]) => {
-                if (!chat) {
-                    this.logger.warn (`unexpectedly got null chat: ${item}`, chat)
-                    return
-                }
-
-                chat.jid = Utils.whatsappID (chat.jid)
-                chat.t = +chat.t
-                chat.count = +chat.count
-                chat.messages = Utils.newMessagesDB()
-
-                // chats data (log json to see what it looks like)
-                !chats.get (chat.jid) && chats.insert (chat) 
+                rejectTask = reject
            })
-            
-            this.logger.info (`received ${json[2].length} chats`)
-            receivedChats = true
-
-            if (json[2].length === 0) receivedMessages = true
-            checkForResolution ()
+            return { reject: rejectTask, task }
        }
-        const contactsUpdate = json => {
-            if (json[1].duplicate || !json[2]) return
-            this.startDebouncedTimeout () // restart debounced timeout
+        const events = [ 'chats-received', 'contacts-received', 'CB:action,add:last' ]
+        if (!waitOnlyForLast) events.push('CB:action,add:before', 'CB:action,add:unread')

-            receivedContacts = true
-            
-            json[2].forEach(([type, contact]: ['user', WAContact]) => {
-                if (!contact) return this.logger.info (`unexpectedly got null contact: ${type}`, contact)
-                
-                contact.jid = Utils.whatsappID (contact.jid)
-                contacts[contact.jid] = contact
+        const cancellations = []
+        const wait = Promise.all (
+            events.map (ev => {
+                const {reject, task} = rejectableWaitForEvent(ev)
+                cancellations.push(reject)
+                return task 
            })
-            this.logger.info (`received ${json[2].length} contacts`)
-            checkForResolution ()
-        }
-        const registerCallbacks = () => {
-            // wait for actual messages to load, "last" is the most recent message, "before" contains prior messages
-            this.on(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:last', messagesUpdate)
-            this.on(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:before', messagesUpdate)
-            this.on(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:unread', messagesUpdate)
-            // get chats
-            this.on(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'response,type:chat', chatUpdate)
-            // get contacts
-            this.on(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'response,type:contacts', contactsUpdate)
-        }
-        const deregisterCallbacks = () => {
-            this.off(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:last', messagesUpdate)
-            this.off(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:before', messagesUpdate)
-            this.off(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'action,add:unread', messagesUpdate)
-            this.off(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'response,type:chat', chatUpdate)
-            this.off(DEF_CALLBACK_PREFIX + 'response,type:contacts', contactsUpdate)
-        }
-        // wait for the chats & contacts to load
-        const wait = (async () => {
-            try {
-                registerCallbacks ()
-
-                await new Promise ((resolve, reject) => {
-                    resolveTask = resolve
-                    rejectTask = reject
-                })
-
-                const oldChats = this.chats
-                const updatedChats: { [k: string]: Partial<WAChat> } = {}
-
-                chats.all().forEach (chat => {
-                    const respectiveContact = contacts[chat.jid]
-                    chat.name = respectiveContact?.name || respectiveContact?.notify || chat.name
-                    
-                    const oldChat = oldChats.get(chat.jid)
-                    if (!oldChat) {
-                        updatedChats[chat.jid] = chat
-                    } else if (oldChat.t < chat.t || oldChat.modify_tag !== chat.modify_tag) {
-                        const changes = Utils.shallowChanges (oldChat, chat)
-                        delete changes.messages
-                        updatedChats[chat.jid] = changes
-                    }
-                })
-                
-                this.chats = chats 
-                this.contacts = contacts
-
-                return updatedChats
-            } finally {
-                deregisterCallbacks ()
-            }
-        })()
-        return { wait, cancelChats: () => rejectTask (CancelledError()) }
+        ).then(([update]) => update as { hasNewChats: boolean })
+        
+        return { wait, cancellations }
    }
    private onMessageRecieved(message: string | Buffer) {
        if (message[0] === '!') {
--- a/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/4.Events.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as QR from 'qrcode-terminal'
 import { WAConnection as Base } from './3.Connect'
-import { WAMessageStatusUpdate, WAMessage, WAContact, WAChat, WAMessageProto, WA_MESSAGE_STUB_TYPE, WA_MESSAGE_STATUS_TYPE, PresenceUpdate, BaileysEvent, DisconnectReason, WAOpenResult, Presence, AuthenticationCredentials, WAParticipantAction, WAGroupMetadata, WAUser } from './Constants'
-import { whatsappID, unixTimestampSeconds, isGroupID, GET_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_ID, waMessageKey, newMessagesDB } from './Utils'
+import { WAMessageStatusUpdate, WAMessage, WAContact, WAChat, WAMessageProto, WA_MESSAGE_STUB_TYPE, WA_MESSAGE_STATUS_TYPE, PresenceUpdate, BaileysEvent, DisconnectReason, WAOpenResult, Presence, AuthenticationCredentials, WAParticipantAction, WAGroupMetadata, WAUser, WANode } from './Constants'
+import { whatsappID, unixTimestampSeconds, isGroupID, GET_MESSAGE_ID, WA_MESSAGE_ID, waMessageKey, newMessagesDB, shallowChanges } from './Utils'
 import KeyedDB from '@adiwajshing/keyed-db'
 import { Mutex } from './Mutex'

@@ -9,6 +9,123 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {

    constructor () {
        super ()
+        // chats received
+        this.on('CB:response,type:chat', json => {
+            if (json[1].duplicate || !json[2]) return
+            const chats = new KeyedDB(this.chatOrderingKey, c => c.jid)
+
+            json[2].forEach(([item, chat]: [any, WAChat]) => {
+                if (!chat) {
+                    this.logger.warn (`unexpectedly got null chat: ${item}`, chat)
+                    return
+                }
+                chat.jid = whatsappID (chat.jid)
+                chat.t = +chat.t
+                chat.count = +chat.count
+                chat.messages = newMessagesDB()
+                // chats data (log json to see what it looks like)
+                !chats.get (chat.jid) && chats.insert (chat) 
+            })
+            this.logger.info (`received ${json[2].length} chats`)
+
+            const oldChats = this.chats
+            const updatedChats = []
+            let hasNewChats = false
+
+            chats.all().forEach (chat => {
+                const respectiveContact = this.contacts[chat.jid]
+                chat.name = respectiveContact?.name || respectiveContact?.notify || chat.name
+                
+                const oldChat = oldChats.get(chat.jid)
+                if (!oldChat) {
+                    hasNewChats = true
+                } else {
+                    chat.messages = oldChat.messages
+                    if (oldChat.t !== chat.t || oldChat.modify_tag !== chat.modify_tag) {
+                        const changes = shallowChanges (oldChat, chat)
+                        delete changes.messages
+                        updatedChats.push({ jid: chat.jid, ...changes })
+                    }
+                }
+            })
+            this.chats = chats 
+            this.lastChatsReceived = new Date()
+
+            updatedChats.length > 0 && this.emit('chats-update', updatedChats)
+
+            this.emit('chats-received', { hasNewChats })
+        })
+        // we store these last messages
+        const lastMessages = {}
+        // messages received
+        const messagesUpdate = (json, style: 'prepend' | 'append') => {
+            const messages = json[2] as WANode[]
+            if (messages) {
+                const updates: { [k: string]: KeyedDB<WAMessage, string> } = {}
+                messages.reverse().forEach (([,, message]: ['message', null, WAMessage]) => {
+                    const jid = message.key.remoteJid
+                    const chat = this.chats.get(jid)
+                    const mKeyID = WA_MESSAGE_ID(message)
+                    if (chat && !chat.messages.get(mKeyID)) {
+                        if (style === 'prepend') {
+                            const fm = chat.messages.get(lastMessages[jid])
+                            if (!fm) return
+                            const prevEpoch = fm['epoch']
+                            message['epoch'] = prevEpoch-1
+                        } else if (style === 'append') {
+                            const lm = chat.messages.all()[chat.messages.length-1]
+                            const prevEpoch = (lm && lm['epoch']) || 0
+                            message['epoch'] = prevEpoch+100 // hacky way to allow more previous messages
+                        }
+                        chat.messages.insert (message)
+                        
+                        updates[jid] = updates[jid] || newMessagesDB()
+                        updates[jid].insert(message)
+
+                        lastMessages[jid] = mKeyID
+                    } else if (!chat) this.logger.debug({ jid }, `chat not found`)
+                })
+                if (Object.keys(updates).length > 0) {
+                    this.emit ('chats-update', 
+                        Object.keys(updates).map(jid => ({ jid, messages: updates[jid] }))
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        this.on('CB:action,add:last', json =>  messagesUpdate(json, 'append'))
+        this.on('CB:action,add:before', json => messagesUpdate(json, 'prepend'))
+        this.on('CB:action,add:unread', json => messagesUpdate(json, 'prepend'))
+
+        // contacts received
+        this.on('CB:response,type:contacts', json => {
+            if (json[1].duplicate || !json[2]) return
+            const contacts: { [_: string]: WAContact } = {}
+            
+            json[2].forEach(([type, contact]: ['user', WAContact]) => {
+                if (!contact) return this.logger.info (`unexpectedly got null contact: ${type}`, contact)
+                
+                contact.jid = whatsappID (contact.jid)
+                contacts[contact.jid] = contact
+            })
+            // update chat names
+            const updatedChats = []
+            this.chats.all().forEach(c => {
+                const contact = contacts[c.jid]
+                if (contact) {
+                    const name = contact?.name || contact?.notify || c.name
+                    if (name !== c.name) {
+                        updatedChats.push({ jid: c.jid, name })
+                    }
+                }
+            })
+            updatedChats.length > 0 && this.emit('chats-update', updatedChats)
+
+            this.logger.info (`received ${json[2].length} contacts`)
+            this.contacts = contacts
+
+            this.emit('contacts-received')
+        })
+        
        // new messages
        this.on('CB:action,add:relay,message', json => {
            const message = json[2][0][2] as WAMessage
@@ -386,6 +503,12 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
    on (event: 'user-status-update', listener: (update: {jid: string, status?: string}) => void): this
    /** when a new chat is added */
    on (event: 'chat-new', listener: (chat: WAChat) => void): this
+    /** when contacts are sent by WA */
+    on (event: 'contacts-received', listener: () => void): this
+    /** when chats are sent by WA */
+    on (event: 'chats-received', listener: (update: {hasNewChats: boolean}) => void): this
+    /** when multiple chats are updated (new message, updated message, deleted, pinned, etc) */
+    on (event: 'chats-update', listener: (chats: (Partial<WAChat> & { jid: string })[]) => void): this
    /** when a chat is updated (new message, updated message, deleted, pinned, etc) */
    on (event: 'chat-update', listener: (chat: Partial<WAChat> & { jid: string }) => void): this
    /** 
@@ -407,7 +530,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
    /** when WA sends back a pong */
    on (event: 'received-pong', listener: () => void): this

-    on (event: string, listener: (json: any) => void): this
+    on (event: BaileysEvent | string, listener: (json: any) => void): this

    on (event: BaileysEvent | string, listener: (...args: any[]) => void) { return super.on (event, listener) }
    emit (event: BaileysEvent | string, ...args: any[]) { return super.emit (event, ...args) }
--- a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
@@ -79,9 +79,15 @@ export type WAConnectOptions = {
    maxIdleTimeMs?: number
    /** maximum attempts to connect */
    maxRetries?: number
-    /** should the chats be waited for */
+    /** 
+     * @deprecated -- use the `chats-received` & `contacts-received` events
+     * should the chats be waited for 
+     * */
    waitForChats?: boolean
-    /** if set to true, the connect only waits for the last message of the chat */
+    /** 
+     * @deprecated -- use the `chats-received` & `contacts-received` events
+     * if set to true, the connect only waits for the last message of the chat 
+     * */
    waitOnlyForLastMessage?: boolean
    /** max time for the phone to respond to a connectivity test */
    phoneResponseTime?: number
@@ -376,9 +382,7 @@ export interface WAOpenResult {
    /** Was this connection opened via a QR scan */
    newConnection: boolean
    user: WAUser
-    updatedChats?: {
-        [k: string]: Partial<WAChat>
-    }
+    hasNewChats?: boolean
 }

 export enum GroupSettingChange {
@@ -423,6 +427,8 @@ export type BaileysEvent =
    'connection-phone-change' |
    'user-presence-update' |
    'user-status-update' |
+    'contacts-received' |
+    'chats-received' |
    'chat-new' |
    'chat-update' |
    'message-status-update' |
--- a/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Utils.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const isGroupID = (jid: string) => jid?.endsWith ('@g.us')

 export const newMessagesDB = (messages: WAMessage[] = []) => {
    const db = new KeyedDB(waMessageKey, WA_MESSAGE_ID)
-    messages.forEach(m => db.insert(m))
+    messages.forEach(m => !db.get(WA_MESSAGE_ID(m)) && db.insert(m))
    return db
 }