> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cometchat-22654f5b-docs-ios-ui-kit-sdk-fixes.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Typing Indicators

> Guide to sending and receiving typing indicators using the CometChat iOS SDK for real-time typing status.

<Info>
  **Quick Reference for AI Agents & Developers**

  * **Start typing:** `CometChat.startTyping(indicator:)` — pass `TypingIndicator(receiverID:receiverType:)`
  * **End typing:** `CometChat.endTyping(indicator:)`
  * **Listen for typing:** `onTypingStarted(_:)`, `onTypingEnded(_:)` in message listener delegate
  * **Receiver types:** `.user`, `.group`
  * **Related:** [Send Message](/sdk/ios/send-message) · [Receive Message](/sdk/ios/receive-message) · [Messaging Overview](/sdk/ios/messaging-overview)
</Info>

## Key Characteristics

| Characteristic    | Description                            |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Fire-and-forget   | No success/failure callbacks           |
| Transient         | Not persisted, receiver must be online |
| Real-time only    | No history or missed events            |
| Supports metadata | Can send custom data with indicator    |

***

## Send a Typing Indicator

*In other words, as a sender, how do I let the recipient(s) know that I'm typing?*

### Start Typing (User)

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    let typingIndicator = TypingIndicator(receiverID: "cometchat-uid-2", receiverType: .user)
    CometChat.startTyping(indicator: typingIndicator)
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Objective C">
    ```objc theme={null}
    TypingIndicator *typingIndicator = [[TypingIndicator alloc]initWithReceiverID:@"cometchat-uid-2" receiverType:ReceiverTypeUser metadata:nil];
    [CometChat startTypingWithIndicator:typingIndicator];
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - Start Typing (User)">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Request">
      **Method:** `CometChat.startTyping(indicator:)`

      | Parameter    | Type                     | Value               |
      | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`                 | `"cometchat-uid-2"` |
      | receiverType | `CometChat.ReceiverType` | `.user`             |
      | metadata     | `[String: Any]?`         | `nil`               |
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Sent">
      **Indicator Sent:**

      | Parameter    | Type     | Value               |
      | ------------ | -------- | ------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String` | `"cometchat-uid-2"` |
      | receiverType | `String` | `"user"`            |

      **Receiver Will Get:**

      | Delegate Method       | Description                        |
      | --------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
      | `onTypingStarted(_:)` | Called with TypingIndicator object |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

### Start Typing (Group)

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    let typingIndicator = TypingIndicator(receiverID: "group-guid-1", receiverType: .group)
    CometChat.startTyping(indicator: typingIndicator)
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - Start Typing (Group)">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Request">
      **Method:** `CometChat.startTyping(indicator:)`

      | Parameter    | Type                     | Value            |
      | ------------ | ------------------------ | ---------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`                 | `"group-guid-1"` |
      | receiverType | `CometChat.ReceiverType` | `.group`         |
      | metadata     | `[String: Any]?`         | `nil`            |
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Sent">
      **Indicator Sent:**

      | Parameter    | Type     | Value            |
      | ------------ | -------- | ---------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String` | `"group-guid-1"` |
      | receiverType | `String` | `"group"`        |

      **Receiver Will Get:**

      | Delegate Method       | Description                        |
      | --------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
      | `onTypingStarted(_:)` | Called with TypingIndicator object |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

### Start Typing with Metadata

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    let typingIndicator = TypingIndicator(receiverID: "cometchat-uid-2", receiverType: .user)
    typingIndicator.metadata = ["isVoiceTyping": true, "language": "en"]
    CometChat.startTyping(indicator: typingIndicator)
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - Start Typing with Metadata">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Request">
      **Method:** `CometChat.startTyping(indicator:)`

      | Parameter    | Type                     | Value                                       |
      | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`                 | `"cometchat-uid-2"`                         |
      | receiverType | `CometChat.ReceiverType` | `.user`                                     |
      | metadata     | `[String: Any]`          | `["isVoiceTyping": true, "language": "en"]` |
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Sent">
      **Indicator Sent:**

      | Parameter    | Type            | Value                                       |
      | ------------ | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`        | `"cometchat-uid-2"`                         |
      | receiverType | `String`        | `"user"`                                    |
      | metadata     | `[String: Any]` | `["isVoiceTyping": true, "language": "en"]` |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

<Note>
  You can use the `metadata` field of the `TypingIndicator` class to pass additional data along with the typing indicators. This data will be received at the receiver end and can be obtained using the `metadata` property.
</Note>

***

### End Typing (User)

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    let typingIndicator = TypingIndicator(receiverID: "cometchat-uid-2", receiverType: .user)
    CometChat.endTyping(indicator: typingIndicator)
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Objective C">
    ```objc theme={null}
    TypingIndicator *typingIndicator = [[TypingIndicator alloc]initWithReceiverID:@"cometchat-uid-2" receiverType:ReceiverTypeUser metadata:nil];
    [CometChat endTypingWithIndicator:typingIndicator];
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - End Typing (User)">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Request">
      **Method:** `CometChat.endTyping(indicator:)`

      | Parameter    | Type                     | Value               |
      | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`                 | `"cometchat-uid-2"` |
      | receiverType | `CometChat.ReceiverType` | `.user`             |
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Sent">
      **Indicator Sent:**

      | Parameter    | Type     | Value               |
      | ------------ | -------- | ------------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String` | `"cometchat-uid-2"` |
      | receiverType | `String` | `"user"`            |

      **Receiver Will Get:**

      | Delegate Method     | Description                        |
      | ------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
      | `onTypingEnded(_:)` | Called with TypingIndicator object |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

### End Typing (Group)

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    let typingIndicator = TypingIndicator(receiverID: "group-guid-1", receiverType: .group)
    CometChat.endTyping(indicator: typingIndicator)
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - End Typing (Group)">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Request">
      **Method:** `CometChat.endTyping(indicator:)`

      | Parameter    | Type                     | Value            |
      | ------------ | ------------------------ | ---------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String`                 | `"group-guid-1"` |
      | receiverType | `CometChat.ReceiverType` | `.group`         |
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Sent">
      **Indicator Sent:**

      | Parameter    | Type     | Value            |
      | ------------ | -------- | ---------------- |
      | receiverID   | `String` | `"group-guid-1"` |
      | receiverType | `String` | `"group"`        |

      **Receiver Will Get:**

      | Delegate Method     | Description                        |
      | ------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
      | `onTypingEnded(_:)` | Called with TypingIndicator object |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

***

## Real-time Typing Indicators

*In other words, as a recipient, how do I know when someone is typing?*

To receive typing indicators, implement `CometChatMessageDelegate`:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Swift">
    ```swift theme={null}
    extension YourViewController: CometChatMessageDelegate {
        
        func onTypingStarted(_ typingDetails: TypingIndicator) {
            print("User started typing")
            print("Sender UID: \(typingDetails.sender?.uid ?? "")")
            print("Sender Name: \(typingDetails.sender?.name ?? "")")
            print("Receiver ID: \(typingDetails.receiverID)")
            print("Receiver Type: \(typingDetails.receiverType)")
            print("Metadata: \(typingDetails.metadata ?? [:])")
        }
        
        func onTypingEnded(_ typingDetails: TypingIndicator) {
            print("User stopped typing")
            print("Sender: \(typingDetails.sender?.name ?? "")")
        }
    }

    // Register the delegate:
    CometChat.messagedelegate = self
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Objective C">
    ```objc theme={null}
    @interface ViewController ()<CometChatMessageDelegate>
    @end

    @implementation ViewController

    - (void)viewDidLoad {
        [super viewDidLoad];
        CometChat.messagedelegate = self;
    }

    - (void)onTypingStarted:(TypingIndicator *)typingDetails {
        NSLog(@"Typing started received successfully");
    }

    - (void)onTypingEnded:(TypingIndicator *)typingDetails {
        NSLog(@"Typing ended received successfully");
    }

    @end
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - Receive Typing Started">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Delegate Payload">
      **Method:** `onTypingStarted(_ typingDetails: TypingIndicator)`

      **TypingIndicator Object:**

      | Parameter     | Type             | Value                              |
      | ------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------- |
      | sender.uid    | `String`         | `"cometchat-uid-1"`                |
      | sender.name   | `String`         | `"John Doe"`                       |
      | sender.avatar | `String`         | `"https://example.com/avatar.png"` |
      | receiverID    | `String`         | `"cometchat-uid-2"`                |
      | receiverType  | `ReceiverType`   | `.user`                            |
      | metadata      | `[String: Any]?` | `nil`                              |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Sample Payloads - Receive Typing Ended">
  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Delegate Payload">
      **Method:** `onTypingEnded(_ typingDetails: TypingIndicator)`

      **TypingIndicator Object:**

      | Parameter    | Type           | Value               |
      | ------------ | -------------- | ------------------- |
      | sender.uid   | `String`       | `"cometchat-uid-1"` |
      | sender.name  | `String`       | `"John Doe"`        |
      | receiverID   | `String`       | `"cometchat-uid-2"` |
      | receiverType | `ReceiverType` | `.user`             |
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Accordion>

***

## TypingIndicator Object Properties

| Property       | Type             | Description                      |
| -------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------- |
| `sender`       | `User?`          | User object of the person typing |
| `receiverID`   | `String`         | UID of user or GUID of group     |
| `receiverType` | `ReceiverType`   | `.user` or `.group`              |
| `metadata`     | `[String: Any]?` | Custom data sent with indicator  |

***

## Receiver Types

| Type  | Value    | Description             |
| ----- | -------- | ----------------------- |
| User  | `.user`  | One-on-one conversation |
| Group | `.group` | Group conversation      |

***

## Delegate Methods

| Method                | Description                    |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `onTypingStarted(_:)` | Called when user starts typing |
| `onTypingEnded(_:)`   | Called when user stops typing  |

<Note>
  Typing indicators are transient and not persisted. The receiver must be online to receive them.
</Note>