Google is in the process of enabling Gmail users to respond to emails with a single emoji on their iOS and Android devices, but there’s a catch.
Speculation about the introduction of emoji reactions in Gmail has been circulating for several weeks. However, apart from a few screenshots, the feature had not been seen in action until recently. An industry insider, AssembleDebug, successfully tested the feature on their Android device and shared their insights on TheSpAndroid blog.
According to the report, a new button will appear “to the right of the email,” next to the three-dot menu. When tapped, it opens a small menu offering a choice of five default emojis: a sparkling heart, a party popper, a thumbs-up, a laughing face, praying hands (used to express gratitude), and a regular smiley face. Once selected, the chosen emoji appears in a reaction bar below the message, similar to messaging platforms.
TheSpAndroid notes that there will be two other locations where users can react to an email: an “Add Reaction” option in the three-dot menu and an additional button at the bottom of an email, next to “Reply,” “Reply All,” and “Forward.”
This feature is said to work in email threads involving multiple people, allowing users to react to emojis added by others. Additionally, users can send any emoji by tapping the plus symbol in the small window that appears, giving them access to the entire emoji library.
However, there are limitations to this feature. If recipients do not use the official mobile app, they will receive emoji reactions as separate emails, potentially leading to spammy inboxes. Google is aware of this issue and will not allow reactions on emails sent to large groups. Emoji reactions cannot be sent to encrypted emails or those received via BCC. The limit for reactions is 20 for a single person and 50 for a group.
The rollout date for this update is currently unknown, but it is expected to happen gradually, with batches of users receiving it first. To address potential spam issues, Google may need to implement additional measures or release a browser version of Gmail with emoji support.
It’s worth noting that while Gmail is widely used, some users may find its security features lacking.
