WhatsApp’s previous reaction feature was limited to six emojis. A major update should now allow access to the entire emoji library for reactions. A big win for fans of the imagery.
For an upcoming update of the application, WhatsApp is working on the ability to respond to messages with any emoji. This is currently only possible with six of the more than 3000 emojis – including the “Thumbs up”, the heart or, for example, the crying emoji.
The emoji reactions on WhatsApp
If that’s too little leeway to give enough expression to your reactions, you’ll be happy. In the future it should be possible to react with any emoji, according to the news on the website WABetaInfo. After the extension of the feature was already discussed for Android and the desktop version of WhatsApp, it is now also being presented for the iPhone, to the delight of iOS users.
Since the new function is currently still in development, it is uncertain when a release can be expected. Beta testers will likely be the first users to enjoy the full range of emoji reactions.
TECHBOOK already reported emoji reactions to WhatsApp messages in May 2022. The editors already suspected that the function could be expanded – the colorful icons are too popular as non-verbal communication aids.
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Emojis often convey feelings better than text
In real togetherness we express our feelings through our voice or the intonation of words. We lack this level in written communication. Some statements are quickly misunderstood as a result. Frustration and anger are often the result.
Emojis, and with them the extended functionality of WhatsApp reactions, help to communicate more clearly and avoid misunderstandings by allowing us to convey the emotions that are otherwise missing. Not only communication scientists are interested in the effects that the icons have on our written communication, but also researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering examine emojis for their ability to convey mood and emotion. The widespread interest in science shows that emojis are a communication phenomenon that must be taken seriously. TECHBOOK will continue to follow the emoji trend.