Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
IF YOU USE Apple’s iMessage, then you know about the ”typing awareness indicator” — the three dots that appear on your screen to show you when someone on the other end of your text is typing.
Or so you thought.
The bubble, in fact, doesn’t always appear when someone is typing, or disappear when someone stops typing.
It’s a bit more complicated than that.
For example, the bubble doesn’t show up if you haven’t texted with the person who’s texting you for awhile.
And the indicator don’t always disappear when someone stops typing.
Making a difference A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.
Last year, Slate did a series of tests to find out exactly how the dots work. It turns out that if you start typing something, but stop before sending the text (and don’t delete what you’ve entered), the bubbles remain. The other person may think you’re typing, but you could have just entered some text and then decided not to send it.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
COMMENTS (29)