Some time ago, in a beta version of WhatsApp, there were indications that users could react directly to text messages with emojis in the future, as “WABetainfo” reported.
This function is already part of everyday life on Twitter, Instagram and Microsoft Teams: With an emoji you can tell the author of a message what you think of the latter. In the future, these emoji reactions will now also be introduced in WhatsApp chats.
In the meantime, WABetaInfo has also published initial insights into the new function. As usual from the competition, the reaction appears on the lower right edge of the message. If you initially only assumed three emoji reactions, it is now clear that WhatsApp even provides six options: a thumbs up, a heart, a laughing, a surprised and a crying emoji and two folded hands.
A few months ago it was also announced that all users can see who reacted to which messages and how.
WhatsApp: Further steps for the emoji function announced
In addition, WhatsApp is currently working on an automatic message that a user who has not yet installed the new update will receive. “You have received a reaction. Update your version of WhatsApp and see the reaction” can be read in gray letters in the chat. The update itself is also linked.
WhatsApp promises further steps to follow this first automated text message in the coming weeks. It is unclear whether the emoji reactions in the final version of the messenger will look like the screenshot above. In principle, it would be conceivable that WhatsApp would make one or the other change based on user reactions. Later updates will reveal more about it.
It’s also clear by now that the emoji reactions will be coming to both Android and iOS. That wasn’t confirmed for a long time.