New Gmail Update Allows Users to React with Emojis to Emails

In a recent update to Gmail, Google has introduced a new feature that allows users to react to emails with emojis right from their inbox. This feature is designed to enhance communication by providing a quick and expressive way to respond to emails before typing out a formal reply.

The new emoji reaction feature is already available for Android users and offers a high degree of personalization. Unlike other platforms that limit users to a predefined set of emojis, Gmail allows users to choose from a wide range of emojis, enabling them to convey their feelings and opinions accurately.

According to Google, the primary aim of this feature is to facilitate quick expression and response to emails. However, this doesn’t mean that email senders will receive only smiling emojis or thumbs-up reactions in response to their messages. Similar to platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, senders will be notified of the reactions to their emails.

Google has integrated this feature seamlessly into the Gmail app, placing it at the bottom of email messages, alongside the “Reply,” “Reply All,” and “Forward” buttons, in the form of a special emoji-shaped icon.

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To use this emoji reaction feature with emails, users should follow these steps:

1. Open the Gmail app on their Android device. Please note that this feature is not available on the web version of Gmail at this time.

2. Open the email to which they want to react.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the email text.

4. Tap the button with the emoji-shaped icon to open the emoji selection tab. A popup window will appear, providing access to the full emoji keyboard for selecting the desired reaction.

In case users accidentally send an emoji reaction, they can remove it within a specified time frame, which can be configured between 5 and 30 seconds, in the Account Settings option.

Furthermore, once a user sends a personal emoji reaction, others who are part of the recipient group can also join in by selecting the emoji that best represents their reaction. These reactions will accumulate, and the number of “votes” for each emoji will be displayed next to the reactions.

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While Gmail is rolling out this feature to all users, there are certain restrictions on its availability, including:

• Having a school or work account.

• The email was sent to a mailing list.

• The email was sent to more than 20 recipients.

• The email was sent as a “Bcc” (Blind Carbon Copy).

• The email was opened in another email client like Outlook or Apple Mail.

• The sender used an additional external service to encrypt and protect the email’s content.

Currently, this feature is not available for iOS devices or the web version of Gmail. However, Google has indicated that they are actively working on implementing this feature for these platforms.

Since the rollout of this feature is gradual, users should keep an eye on their Gmail app for updates from the Google Play Store. All it takes is a quick search to determine if the primary button indicates “Open” or “Update.” Stay tuned for more exciting developments in Gmail’s ongoing evolution.