To wonder if this text message accidentally sent to me was actually about me?

[NicoAndTheNiners]

Step mum invited me and dd round for dinner this evening. My dad died a few years ago and we don't see each other often but do try and keep in touch. She married my dad when I was in my 30s so I don't know her that well but we've always got on fine.

So had a nice enough evening. Ate, made small talk and left. Did all the usual stuff of asking how she was, work, her mother, admired new extension, etc. I guess we don't have much in common so we don't get on like a house on fire but I think generally find enough to talk about.

About 5 mins after I left hers I got a gif text which said.

Bored
Bored
Bored
Bored
Bored.

Followed immediately by a text saying "sorry if I've just sent you an odd message, I can't control me new iPhone."

I'm paranoid she meant to send that message to a friend about me/the evening. She wasn't texting me about something else and clicked on a gif by accident as she'd no reason to text me.

I think there is every chance this wasn't about you. I just opened a message I sent earlier today and it's completely garbled. I had no idea.

Sometimes predictive text causes errors and small bugs on iPhone copy and paste repetitively. It happens.

Anyway, you won't know for sure. But I'd prefer to give the benefit of doubt here and not jump straight to negative thoughts.

To be fair I just went into my iMessage and giffs and there are a load of random ones. It could be easy to send one randomly if your just scrolling them for a laugh or even looking for a good one but end up tapping.

I had this with my last iPhone when I done an update. It was sending gifs, changing people in the middle of a FaceTime call, the screen would freeze and I’d be tapping cancel not realise behind it was all working so random friends requests on fb was going on, I’d be in the middle of doing an iMessage and the name would change so people would get half a random message for someone else. I could go on!!

I got a new phone after 2 weeks, i was fed up of apologising!!

It might have been about you but equally might not have been. It would seem odd for her to invite you then complain she was bored. I accidentally replied to my friend who was in hospital with a really inappropriate gif once (some kind of dancing animal).

tough call as she may have got things mixed up - i know i am useless with new technology at first - or it did mean she was bored with you and your evening. I would, personally, give the benefit of the doubt for now but be wary of her.
In my head, at the next meet, i would want to do a big Olivia coleman type grin and go ' i hope this visit wasn't as boring for you' or something like that, but i am a coward mostly and would just ignore but be a bit cool at the next meeting! or arrange a meet up asap and make her squirm a bit - i am sure people on here can give advice on how to do this!!

Don't give it any thought.

Probably a mistake and there's no point in ruining a relationship over it.

I could send a gif by text mistake to somebody on my iphone. touch red magnifying glass then touch the first gif that comes up.

But I couldn't send a gif to the wrong person - to send anything (even to search for a gif) I need to be in the text message trail with the person I want to send to.

I think it sounds like an accident!

Great idea upthread of sending a yawning vid back with "yes. So was I" caption. What a cow.

I think it will have been a mistake. My mum accidentally posted a gif of a dancing cat bum on a thread on Facebook about a very distant relative who had died. She had no idea how she'd done it and didn't know how to delete it in spite of us giving her instructions. My dad then followed this up on the same thread by signing off his message of condolence with a "lol" which he thinks is "lots of love". I can quite easily see how someone your step mum's age could send a random gif by mistake.

How old is she? I’ve had some strange messages from my dad, when he is trying to figure out a new phone!

What is a swollen battery?

Sorry but I would think it was referring to me. Messages have a habit of being conveyed even if the sender didn't consciously mean it!

I would take a step back and see what she does. If it was a genuine mistake she'll be in contact shortly. If not, well.... you'll have your answer.

I would believe her as accident as I have done it, gifs don't sound like her normal mode of communication

I don't think it was avout you because she sent it after you left. Makes no sense.

I'm tech savvy and have put gifs accidentally, I would give her the benefit of the doubt.

I accidentally send GIFs ALL THE TIME! If a phone like mine, if you accidentally click gif it shows all the top ones that day and I have accidentally sent some numerous times.

Also have done the same on WhatsApp.

Agree, it's easy done, I've a friend who sends random gifs that do not pertain to our conversation in any way.

She does it so often she doesn't even bother to apologise any more and we both just ignore it.

As you will never know, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt here.

I'm also quite shocked that some people woild not just jump to the conclusion it was about them, but end the relationship on it. And are encouraging you to do that.

As a pp said, no wonder so many lonely people in the world.

What a non issue