Google Messages now lets you reply with emoji reactions
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Google is adding a number of new features to its Messages app for Android, including the ability to reply to messages with emoji reactions, something that’s long been available in other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and iOS’s built-in Messages app. The feature was first spotted in testing in May, but Google has now officially rolled it out as part of the latest version of its Messages app.
To use an emoji reaction, just tap and hold the message you want to react to and a short list of cute animated emoji will pop up that you can pick from. You’ll only be able to use emoji reactions if you have RCS chat turned on, however.
Here’s a GIF from Google showing how to use emoji reactions and what the emoji will look like: