The React feature in WhatsApp will be updated two months after its first launch. While users were initially limited to only 6 comments – like, love, laugh, surprise, sad and thank you – they can now use any emoji when replying to a message. WhatsApp Meta's parent company CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post on Instagram on Monday that the launch has begun.
As a reminder, WhatsApp's reply feature was first launched in early May, after at least 4 years of testing by WhatsApp. Instant messaging is taking over Telegram, iMessage, Slack and even Instagram. In his post announcing the release of the Reaction update, Mark Zuckerberg also shared some of his favorite emojis, including a robot face, french fries, a man surfer, sunglasses, a smiley face, a 100 percent icon and a Fists included.
The ability to use any emoji as a response was mentioned on WhatsApp before the launch of this feature, in April of this year, and more recently. To use an emoji in a reply, press and hold the message and tap the "+" button in the emoji popup - an emoji picker will open (as shown below).
According to beta testers, WhatsApp has tested many features in the recent past. It includes a chat sync feature for Android phones that allows users to sign in from other devices, as well as the ability to hide your online status from specific contacts.
In June, WhatsApp began offering users detailed privacy controls, allowing them to choose who can see their status, last seen, and profile picture in their contacts. Zuckerberg also announced in June that the ability to easily transfer WhatsApp data from an Android smartphone to an iPhone would be rolling out soon. According to recent reports, it is still under investigation.
