What does “sent” mean on a messaging service?¶

“Sent” usually means the sender's application accepted the message into its outgoing process. It may not yet have reached the provider, recipient account or any receiving device.

Sending has several stages¶

An offline device can queue a message and display a provisional state before later transmission. The provider may then accept, process and attempt delivery, each producing a different timestamp or indicator.

Preserve the exact symbol or label, message ID, application, displayed time and device connectivity. Product semantics vary and change, so use the relevant service definition rather than interpreting familiar ticks from another platform.

Keep later states separate¶

A sent event can exist without delivery; delivery without a read event; and a read event without proving personal comprehension. Replies and later status changes can corroborate progression but do not change what the original sent indicator established.

Report that the application displayed the message as sent or that the service accepted it at the defined stage. Do not translate this into recipient receipt or awareness.