Gmail: Smartphone users can reply to emails using emojis

In most messaging apps, it is already possible to reply to messages using emojis. In the future, this should also work for email traffic. Google is currently working on integrating emoji interactions into the Gmail apps for Android and iOS.

The function could soon also appear in the web version. Early adopters of the Android and iOS apps will now see a smiley icon next to the author of a received message. There is also an option to add emoji interaction in the three-dot menu.

It is not possible to reply to the message using emojis per email. Tokens cannot be used if the user is only placed in the BCC of the email. Additionally, the feature does not work with encrypted chats or messages directed to large groups.

In order to quickly select a reaction, five pre-defined emojis are displayed in the corresponding list. In addition to emojis, any symbol can also be added so that it can respond to all the emojis provided by the smartphone. The advantage of emoji interactions is that you don’t need to write a separate reply email to agree to a proposed date, for example.

Application required

This feature can be used in conjunction with the service’s Android and iOS apps. Once a user sends the reaction to a contact who is also using the Gmail mobile app, the reaction appears at the bottom of the message. However, if the recipient is using another client, a separate email will be sent containing a reference to the emoji interaction.

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