iPhone users get to have an optimized messaging exchange with iMessage. Encrypted conversation with the ability to see read receipts, typing indicators, and much more. Two iPhone users converse with each other through iMessage where the conversation shows text bubbles in blue color.
iMessage works when the sender and receiver both are iOS users. It informs the people conversing with each other about when was the message delivered, read, and gives a typing awareness indicator.
If you are an Apple user, you would be aware of how iMessage work and how it facilitates iPhone users. Ordinary SMS or text messages do not come with such lucrative features. Many iPhone users are not quite familiar with how it works and expect to get a typing indicator when communicating with other cellular providers. Do they see a typing awareness indicator when texting an Android user? Well, let us get into details
Can iPhone users see when someone is typing?
If you have communicated with a friend via iMessage, you must have come across the ‘typing awareness indicator’, the three dots that appear when the person on the other end of the conversation is typing a reply.
However, this typing awareness indicator appears only when messaging an iPhone user via iMessage. Text messages via SMS do not support such features.
When texting anyone with another cellular provider, the features supported by iMessage would not work because it would be a simple text message, not an iMessage.
Can iPhone users see when Android users are typing?
The answer, unfortunately, is no. Mostly text messages sent by Android are through RCS and SMS/MMS protocols. These protocols do not support typing indicator, delivered, and read receipts.
If communicating through a chatting app like Whatsapp, both Android and iPhone users can see the typing indicator but not via text messages. The typing awareness indicator only appears when two iPhone users are chatting.
Android devices do not come with a texting app that facilitates such features. If Android and iPhone users are communicating via an online chatting app, both users can see the typing awareness indicator.
Can Android users see iPhone message effects?
Android developers have failed to develop an equivalent to iMessage. It does not come with an in-built texting app equipped with chat-friendly features.
When a message is sent from iPhone to Android, it is not sent via iMessage rather a simple text message. So, the Android users can not see different message effects provided to the iPhone users.
However, Android users can see Animojis sent by iPhone users as Animoji is a simple video or a gif of sorts. When texting without any online app, both Android and iPhone users can not see when the other person is typing.
Why can not Android and iPhone users see each other typing?
Android phones support an open standard called Rich Communication Services (RCS). Apple does not and likely will not get support from RCS.
Both RCS and iMessage are not compatible with each other, therefore, both Android and iOS users communicate with each other via SMS. SMS does not support typing indicators and read receipts that is why Android and iPhone users can not see each other typing.
This feature is not available in text messaging therefore even if you send text messages from Android to iPhone or Android to Android, you can not see the other person typing.
Putting it all together, when it comes to different mobile features the comparison between iPhone and Android seems inevitable. The debate is never-ending as to which one is better but the iPhone users feel an edge over the Android users. When Android and iPhone users communicate with each other via SMS, they do not get to see typing indicators and read receipts.