WhatsApp to soon let you send heart emojis on Status updates
India Today
WhatsApp has been working on giving users the ability to send emoji reactions for Status updates. It will be similar to how emoji reactions work on Instagram.
WhatsApp may soon allow you to reply to stories aka the status of your friends and family using emojis. Emojis are a fun way to let your friends know you have seen their status and what you feel about the vacation photo they posted. Emojis are also easier to send and more engaging than texts. But emojis on WhatsApp are limited to chats and status updates currently. That may change soon.
According to a report by the WhatsApp watchdog, WABetaInfo, the Meta-owned messaging app has been working on giving users the ability to send emoji reactions for Status updates. It will be similar to how emoji reactions work on Instagram. You see a Status, which is WhatsApp’s term for Stories, but instead of just the text box, you might also see emojis above the box.
WhatsApp may call it “Quick Reactions” and the emojis that may be available as a part of it include folded hands, claps, party popper, and heart. The screenshot shared by the publication shows the emojis will sit right above the text box and tapping on one will send your reaction to the particular Status. However, it is not clear if users will be able to add or replace emojis to this set.
The screenshot is of a beta version of the WhatsApp Desktop app, which means there is a good chance that the emoji reaction feature will come to the mobile. Both WhatsApp for Android and iOS are expected to support the emoji reaction feature.
Instagram recently rolled out the emoji reaction feature for its users amid huge anticipation. Before the feature arrived, you had to type the emoji in the text box and then send it to the person through their Instagram Story. However, now, you see a list of emojis next to the text box and tapping one alerts your Instagram contact about your reaction. It could be a heart emoji or an angry face emoji. When your contact checks the prompt, the emoji will fill the screen and just fly away. But I am not sure if WhatsApp would also support the same animation.
