“Can iPhone users see when Android users are typing”? Is a question whose answer will help describe the features of texting between Android and iPhone devices. Texting on iPhones and androids is done in different ways. The iPhone utilizes the iMessage, a completely proprietary platform which can only be used on an iPhone or a MacBook. While the Android utilizes the SMS or the newly developed RCS(Rich Communication Services) messaging.
Even though iPhone and Android users can send and receive texts from each other, it is not as seamless as expected. And because both devices use different platforms for texting, it is not possible for iPhone users to see when Android users are typing. However, there are several options available to both types of users that can help to show when either of the Android or iPhone users are typing. These options will be discussed in the course of this article.
Key points:
- The iPhone uses iMessage as its default option for text messages between iPhone users.
- The RCS (Rich communication services) was launched recently to provide Android users with text features like read receipts and typing indicators. It is the Android equivalent of iMessage.
- iPhone users cannot see when Android users are typing because they utilize the SMS option for texting. However, it can be possible when other instant messaging platforms are used.
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Can iPhone Users See when Android Users Are Typing?
The short answer to the above question is NO! This is because texting between iPhone and Android devices is done using SMS text messages. SMS text messages do not require the use of the internet as it can be carried out using a Sim card with a cellular network and airtime. The SMS service only shows when a message is sent and delivered. It does not show if a user is typing or has read a message.
Normally, the iPhone uses iMessage as its default texting option. iMessage is a much more sophisticated option than SMS and is only available on iOS devices. iMessage contains features such as; typing indicators and read receipts. This means that two iPhone users texting each other can see when the other person is typing, and also know when a message is received and read.
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Using Other Instant Messaging Platforms
When Android and iPhone users are texting using instant messaging platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. It is possible for both parties to see when the other is typing. But unlike SMS, these options use the internet rather than just cellular airtime. With the presence of these options, the answer to the question, “can iPhone users see when Android users are typing?“, Changes from a NO to a YES.
WhatsApp is probably the best of these instant messaging apps as users can connect with other people on their contact list and also see when these contacts are typing, receive a message, and read the message. Whether the person is using an iPhone or an Android device. For people that don’t like WhatsApp, there are other options like Skype, signal, Facebook, telegram, etc. All these platforms show when Android users are typing.
How Can You Tell when Someone Is Typing on Android?
Google recently launched the RCS (Rich communication service) as an Android alternative to the iOS’ iMessage. Unlike the traditional SMS, the RCS provides features such as typing indicators and read receipts. This means that two Android users texting each other can see when the other person receives a message or is typing. It basically encompasses all the advantages of the iMessage and presents them to Android users.
The only disadvantage of the Rich Communication Service (RCS) is that it is not available in every country. As of now, it is only available in Canada, The United Kingdom, the United States, and a few other countries. Also, the RCS platform is not supported by a lot of network service providers, even in the countries where it is available.
There are different steps to be taken when using the RCS to turn on the typing indicator feature and see when other people are typing. These steps include;
- Downloading Google messages from the play store.
- Updating the existing message after signing up on Google messages.
- Rebooting the device and clearing storage for both carrier services and messages.
- Installing and opening the activity launcher.
- Choosing all activity by typing the up menu bar.
- Clicking the set RCS flags on the message section.
- Closing all opened apps and opening only messages.
- After following the process above it should show the pop-up “update now”.
- Messages will soon start enrolling in your phones.
To make sure that the job is done, the status can be checked on the chat feature option. If it shows “connected”, it means it has been correctly set. Apart from turning on the typing indicator, most users would also want to turn on read receipts to know exactly when their messages are read. To turn on the read receipt on Android, the following steps should be followed.
- Firstly, as mentioned earlier, only the newly launched RCS platforms allow this feature so it has to be gotten first.
- Open the updated messages app and tap the menu icon which is usually at the right top corner. It is usually represented by three horizontal dots or lines.
- Go to settings, click on advanced, and turn on the reading receipts.
It is essential to know that in order to see the read receipt of another Android user, both users have to be using the same texting platform (RCS).
How Do You Turn Off the Typing Indicator on Android?
Most people like to turn off the typing indicators, mostly for privacy reasons. The typing indicator can be turned off by;
- Going to the messages app on the Android device
- Selecting more options from the drop-down menu
- Selecting chat features.
- To turn the typing indicator off, choose “hide typing indicator”.
For other instant messaging apps, the typing indicator can be turned off by going to the privacy section. For example, on signal, the following steps can be taken to turn off the typing indicator.
- Open the Signal messenger app.
- Select the profile icon at the top left corner.
- Click on privacy. Here, locate the typing indicator button under communications and toggle it to disable it.
Turning of the typing indicator for Skype follows the following procedure;
- Open the Skype app.
- Select the tools from the bars at the top of the screen.
- Click on options on the drop-down menu.
- Select IM and SMS from the menu at the left
- Select advanced options on the top right.
- Choose to unselect the “show when I’m typing option.
Conclusion
The answer to the question “can iPhone users see when Android users are typing?” Has two answers. When the texting is done using SMS, iPhone users cannot see when android users are typing because SMS does not support that feature. But in a case where the users are using other instant messaging options like WhatsApp and Skype, iPhone users can totally see when Android users are typing.
