A discovery by insiders found that Google is planning to add emoji reactions to Gmail, so that users may send a quick acknowledgment of an email using the animated faces and objects. While many regard emails as formal and meant for business, this may be more applicable to some who are using them for personal or casual setups, allowing users to react immediately to messages.
However, this feature is not yet officially launched by Google, and there is a catch to use and see these reactions, with a requirement for users.
Gmail to Add Emojis to React to Emails
TheSpAndroid, a.k.a. @AssembleDebug on X, has shared the latest discovery on Gmail that would allow users to use emojis in reacting to emails instead of composing replies.
Assemble Debug has managed to get this feature to work on their Android device, showing what Gmail will offer soon and giving users an expectation of the new feature. Steve Moser also corroborates this finding, saying as early as August that this feature is still "in development and not yet available to the public."
This feature will reportedly appear "to the right of the email," and it will be beside the three-dot menu. This will lead users to five react emojis to choose from including a thumbs up, sparkling heart, party popper, praying hands (high-five or thank you for some), and the laughing face emoji.
It would also be available next to the Reply, Reply to All, and Forward buttons at the bottom of the email. This would appear in the reaction bar below the message.
— AssembleDebug (Shiv) (@AssembleDebug) September 29, 2023
There is a Catch to Gmail's Emojis
However, there is a catch on Gmail's emoji reaction feature, as it would only be available in mobile apps including iOS and Android. It is unknown if Google would not develop it to appear on the web or desktop versions, but for now, as per the insiders, it is only accessible via the app.
Gmail and its Features
Among the many developments of Google for the Gmail app is the addition of artificial intelligence, with the company leveraging its LLM training on Bard and more of Google AI. In the mobile app Gmail experience, users were recently given the chance to utilize AI in searching for emails or messages, helping them scour the inbox better, with detailed information and summaries available.
Moreover, Google also added a feature called "Help Me Write," with the AI-powered generative experience aiding users in composing a reply or an email to send to recipients. With Google's massive focus on AI, apps like Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, and more from the Workspace suite are seeing more of its technology arrive now, offering an assisted experience.
Gmail may be focusing on advancements thanks to AI now, but other features that are simple and old are still coming to the platform. This recent discovery shows the latest feature of emojis on Gmail, allowing for a faster and easier way to react to emails without the need to compose a reply, with only the animated icons in the mobile apps to be seen.
