Typing indicator

Typing indicators show users when someone is composing a message. This feature:

• Increases engagement - Users see activity in group chats
• Sets expectations - Users know when to expect a response in 1:1 conversations

You can use PubNub's functionality via Blueprints or directly in C++ code.

• In Blueprints, you can access PubNub from any Widget or Actor. Start by initializing chat using InitChat on UPubnubChatSubsystem. Afterwards, you can use the returned UPubnubChat object reference to call all Chat SDK functions.

Blueprint functions

The Blueprints provided in the documentation show how you can structure your application and may contain utility methods and elements like buttons that are not part of the Unreal Chat SDK and are meant to serve as guidance.

• In C++, you can use UPubnubChatSubsystem as any other Game Instance Subsystem.

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  Chat now allows you to call all Chat SDK functions, for example, Chat->GetChannel("my_channel").

Usage in Blueprints and C++

Asynchronous and synchronous method execution

Most PubNub Unreal SDK methods are available in both asynchronous and synchronous variants.

• Asynchronous methods (Async suffix) return void and take an optional delegate parameter that fires when the operation completes.

  1Channel->StartTypingAsync(OnStartTypingResponseDelegate);

  You can also use native callbacks that accept lambdas instead of dynamic delegates. Native callback types have the Native suffix (for example, FOnPubnubChatOperationResponseNative).

• Synchronous methods (no suffix) block the main game thread until the operation completes and return a result struct directly.

  1FPubnubChatOperationResult Result = Channel->StartTyping();

Not available for public chats

Typing indicator is disabled in public chats. If you try implementing this feature in a public channel type, you'll get the Typing indicators are not supported in Public chats error.

Start typing

StartTyping() activates the typing indicator on a channel.

The method uses a debounce mechanism: signals are sent at intervals rather than on every keystroke. The default timeout is 5000 ms (5 seconds), with a 1000 ms buffer to prevent rapid re-triggering.

Custom timeout

Set a custom timeout with the typingTimeout parameter during initialization.

Method signature

C++ / Input parameters

1Channel->StartTyping();

Output

Type	Description
FPubnubChatOperationResult	Result of the operation. Check Error for failure.

Sample code

Reference code

This example is a self-contained code snippet ready to be run. Set up your Unreal project and follow the instructions in the lines marked with ACTION REQUIRED before running the code. Use it as a reference when working with other examples in this document.

Start a typing indicator on the incident-management channel.

Actor.h

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Actor.cpp

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Stop typing

StopTyping() deactivates the typing indicator on a channel.

Use this method to disable the typing indicator immediately (for example, when a user deletes a draft message) without waiting for the typingTimeout to end.

Method signature

C++ / Input parameters

1Channel->StopTyping();

Output

Type	Description
FPubnubChatOperationResult	Result of the operation. Check Error for failure.

Sample code

Reference code

This example is a self-contained code snippet ready to be run. Set up your Unreal project and follow the instructions in the lines marked with ACTION REQUIRED before running the code. Use it as a reference when working with other examples in this document.

Stop a typing indicator on the incident-management channel.

Actor.h

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Actor.cpp

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Stream typing events

StreamTyping() adds a signal events listener underneath to get all events of type typing. Run it once on a given channel to start listening to typing signals. Users bind the OnTypingChanged multicast delegate before calling StreamTyping(). To stop receiving typing events, call StopStreamingTyping().

Method signature

1Channel->StreamTyping();

Bind the channel's OnTypingChanged delegate before calling StreamTyping() to receive typing events.

Output

Type	Description
FPubnubChatOperationResult	Result of the operation. Check Error for failure.

Sample code

Get a list of user IDs currently typing on the support channel.

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Other examples

Stop receiving typing signals on the support channel.

Actor.h

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Actor.cpp

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