Gtalk is terrible for Android

spooksmcgee

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Jun 24, 2010
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I have a real problem with the way it doesn't sync with your desktop. When I'm logged into gmail, I get some chat messages on my phone, and some through the desktop application in gmail. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Very annoying. Also, the mobile indicator doesn't work. Despite being signed in on my phone, gchat still shows me simply as "available" and doesn't indicate to people that I'm logged in on my cell phone, so I always have people sending me chats asking me why I'm up at 3 AM or whatever. I want to show up as logged in 24/7 on my phone so I can use it like BBM, I want to be invisible to my friends who view it on their computer.

I could solve all of this if Android would let me add a new gtalk account, so that way I could set up a gmail account that I only use for gtalk, and just give people that address, however it won't let you add accounts or change your default gtalk account. Is the only way to accomplish this to reset your phone and reinstall everything? What a hassle.
 

GlitchZero

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Feb 4, 2010
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I have a real problem with the way it doesn't sync with your desktop. When I'm logged into gmail, I get some chat messages on my phone, and some through the desktop application in gmail. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Very annoying. Also, the mobile indicator doesn't work. Despite being signed in on my phone, gchat still shows me simply as "available" and doesn't indicate to people that I'm logged in on my cell phone, so I always have people sending me chats asking me why I'm up at 3 AM or whatever. I want to show up as logged in 24/7 on my phone so I can use it like BBM, I want to be invisible to my friends who view it on their computer.

I could solve all of this if Android would let me add a new gtalk account, so that way I could set up a gmail account that I only use for gtalk, and just give people that address, however it won't let you add accounts or change your default gtalk account. Is the only way to accomplish this to reset your phone and reinstall everything? What a hassle.

...Wow. Mobile indicator in Settings. Problem solved. It won't show "HEY YOU'RE ON A MOBILE DEVICE" on your end, but on other ends under your name it will show a little Android / cellphone.

Also, research. You should have checked into what it would take to change GMail accounts before you got an Android device.
 

spooksmcgee

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...Wow. Mobile indicator in Settings. Problem solved. It won't show "HEY YOU'RE ON A MOBILE DEVICE" on your end, but on other ends under your name it will show a little Android / cellphone.

Also, research. You should have checked into what it would take to change GMail accounts before you got an Android device.

I don't understand. I have always had mobile indicator turned on in settings on my phone account. I'm looking at my phone account right now from another desktop account and it does not show that I'm mobile, it shows that I'm available. What does my actual status have to be on my cell phone? Does it have to be available or can I set the status to invisible on my phone for that to work? I think the confusion I'm having is that I also use this same account on gmail for my desktop. I just want it so it never shows up as available in Gmail, but people can always gtalk me and the messages will go through to my phone.
 

GlitchZero

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It may be because you keep signing into your desktop and your phone at the same time, so it keeps you as available in gtalk because your status never changes. Kind of like MSN where it keeps you signed in on a desktop until you sign in on Mobile, and it switches?

Try signing out of both, then JUST signing into your phone (not your desktop) and ask someone on your gtalk (preferably someone with an Android phone, I'm not sure if other phones show the little "mobile" or "Android" icon) if it shows the cellphone / Android under / next to your name. And regardless of whether you're 'Available' 'Busy' 'Away' etc, it should still show the icon underneath your name.

You should not be using your desktop to check your own status though, because then you're changing your own 'status' from mobile to Desktop, or whatever.
 

spooksmcgee

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Okay I signed out of both my desktop and phone, and watched it from another desktop gmail account. When I signed out, it changed my status to offline. I then signed onto my phone and checked what it did from the second desktop gtalk account I was watching it from, and my status changed to the regular green "available" dot next to my name, just like it keeps doing. If I change my status to invisible on my phone, it takes the green dot away and just shows me offline. At no time though does it change to the mobile indicator next to my name. That's the problem. When I turn on my phone and it automatically signs on, everyone on their desktop will see the green available dot and think I'm sitting at my computer and try to send me chats. I'm thinking the only option I have is to change my status to "busy" all the time since people will still be able to send me messages that way, but most people who I don't talk to a lot, will not want to disturb me. I cannot find any way to do "everything I complained about" like Iowa said I could.
 

IOWA

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Okay I signed out of both my desktop and phone, and watched it from another desktop gmail account. When I signed out, it changed my status to offline. I then signed onto my phone and checked what it did from the second desktop gtalk account I was watching it from, and my status changed to the regular green "available" dot next to my name, just like it keeps doing. If I change my status to invisible on my phone, it takes the green dot away and just shows me offline. At no time though does it change to the mobile indicator next to my name. That's the problem. When I turn on my phone and it automatically signs on, everyone on their desktop will see the green available dot and think I'm sitting at my computer and try to send me chats. I'm thinking the only option I have is to change my status to "busy" all the time since people will still be able to send me messages that way, but most people who I don't talk to a lot, will not want to disturb me. I cannot find any way to do "everything I complained about" like Iowa said I could.

Look in the settings menu. There's an option that says "Mobile Indicator", make sure it's checked.

Open Gtalk, Hit menu > more > settings. It's right in your face, you really can't miss it.
 

bhughes1uga

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Sep 2, 2010
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Gtalk Mobile Indicator

I am having the same problem as spooksmcgee! I have the mobile indicator selected yet I still show up as just "available"... Also when i unclick sign me in automatically, it still signs me in... HELP!!!!
 

Jeffrey2480

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Aug 7, 2010
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Okay I signed out of both my desktop and phone, and watched it from another desktop gmail account. When I signed out, it changed my status to offline. I then signed onto my phone and checked what it did from the second desktop gtalk account I was watching it from, and my status changed to the regular green "available" dot next to my name, just like it keeps doing. If I change my status to invisible on my phone, it takes the green dot away and just shows me offline. At no time though does it change to the mobile indicator next to my name. That's the problem. When I turn on my phone and it automatically signs on, everyone on their desktop will see the green available dot and think I'm sitting at my computer and try to send me chats. I'm thinking the only option I have is to change my status to "busy" all the time since people will still be able to send me messages that way, but most people who I don't talk to a lot, will not want to disturb me. I cannot find any way to do "everything I complained about" like Iowa said I could.
I could be wrong, but if I remember correctly, I think having the little android guy show up in your chat list, to indicate you being on a mobile device, is a setting in google labs (within gmail on the computer).

Has that been enabled on the second account you're monitoring your status with?
 

groundkontrol

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I think you all have it wrong haha. Mobile indicator shows people who have other android phones with gchat on that you are on your android on gchat. Sign into gchat on your phone then look at yourself on a friend's phone on gchat.
 

Jeffrey2480

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I think you all have it wrong haha. Mobile indicator shows people who have other android phones with gchat on that you are on your android on gchat. Sign into gchat on your phone then look at yourself on a friend's phone on gchat.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I enabled the setting in google labs such that when I have chat open on my computer, through the web-based gmail page, people on android devices have a little android guy next to them instead of the blue or orange dot. Go into Labs and look for this one:

Green Robot!
by Chad Y

Chat buddies show up as robot icons if they are currently using Android. Helpful to determine if you are chatting with someone on a computer or someone on an Android device.
 

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