# Reactions, typing & read receipts

> The three signals that make a conversation feel human. Beam sends the real thing, not a simulation.

## Why this matters

People decide within two messages whether they are talking to a person or a machine, and they stop replying to machines. Typing bubbles, read receipts, and tapback reactions are the three signals phones use to show a live human on the other end. Beam sends all three, for real, on blue-bubble conversations.

## Typing indicator

Start typing a reply in the inbox and the lead's phone shows the typing bubbles. Stop typing and they fade, just like a real conversation. Nothing to configure.

## Read receipts

When your team opens a thread with new messages, Beam sends a real read receipt. The lead sees "Read" under their message. Combined with the typing indicator, the lead watches you read their message and start replying, seconds apart, which is exactly what a fast human on an iPhone looks like.

## Reactions

Hover a lead's message in the inbox and pick a tapback:

  
| Reaction | What lands on their phone | 
  
| ❤️ love | A heart on their message | 
  
| 👍 like | A thumbs up | 
  
| 👎 dislike | A thumbs down | 
  
| 😂 laugh | A "HAHA" | 
  
| ‼️ emphasize | An exclamation emphasis | 
  
| ❓ question | A question mark | 

Reacting with a ❤️ to a lead saying "sounds great" keeps the conversation warm without another message. It is also available in the API so your automations can do it.
Blue bubbles onlyThese three features are part of the iMessage channel. Texting (SMS) does not support them, so Beam only offers them on blue-bubble threads.