The instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, is actively working on adding more emojis to the ‘Reactions’ feature unveiled in May. The reaction feature has grown immensely popular, spurring WhatsApp developers to add more emojis to the feature. However, what exactly does that mean?
WhatsApp is working on adding 21 new emojis and overhauling eight existing ones, according to a recent report from WABetaInfo. Those using WhatsApp beta on Android may have already noticed new emojis in the reactions feature. However, since these are still in development, they aren’t available for all beta users. As such, if you run WhatsApp Beta and haven’t noticed the new emojis, don’t worry; they’ll be there with the next update.
The overhauled emojis have already been completed and are available to all beta users. Despite being overhauled, there isn’t much visual difference between the original emojis and the eight overhauled ones. In fact, only two show a notable difference – the Pleading Face and the Face Holding Back Tears.
WhatsApp revealed in May, after the release of reactions, that they’re working on adding more emojis and skin tones to the feature, and we’re now starting to see those efforts. The reaction feature was released alongside the Communities feature, which has also seen a few updates since its release.
Reactions aren’t an entirely new feature. Some apps like Skype, Telegram, Slack and iMessage have used this feature successfully for a long while. Even Instagram, which is another Meta-owned platform like WhatsApp, has this feature. In this situation, it seems like the instant messaging app is playing catch up. However, with more than two billion global active users, the app hasn’t suffered much by being late to the game in this regard.
These aren’t the only new features and improvements made by the developers. The update to add more emojis to reactions comes after quite a few other features on the platform. Some of these new features include a new WhatsApp Notes feature, the ability to mute group chats in the WhatsApp desktop version and many others.
We look forward to seeing the new emojis once they’re released to the public. For now, they’re in active development and visible to selected WhatsApp beta users.
