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When someone is typing, three little circles pop up. They grow bigger and smaller, move higher and lower, and fade in and out, indicating that the other person is typing. While waiting for the message to arrive, the typing indicator, with its fast pace, slow pace, or the way it disappears and reappears seems to perform nonverbal communication. It reveals enthusiasm, doubt, or a thoughtful, considerate response. Article on type indicators history.

As (AI) chatbots become a regular part of digital conversations, typing/waiting indicators have also made their way into non-human interactions. Often, the familiar three dots appear, mimicking the act of typing. In other cases, different visualizations are used. Sometimes resembling a waiting indicator, other times explicitly describing what the bot is doing or (my favorite) coming up with a metaphor as ‘working’ or ‘thinking’.

This collection shows an overview of typing indicators that I've come across. It’s a growing collection that, for me, raises the question how chatbots are intended to be perceived by us. Ranging from human like entities too abstract computers.

Thijmen Peters
Updated 2025.06.09