It looks like
is on an emoji spree. Recently, the company added emoji icons for Maps list, then it brought emoji reactions to Meet, Docs and several other services. Now it seems that it is planning to bring emoji reactions to
Gmail
. The new feature appears to allow users to react to emails in the inbox.
New hidden code for Gmail reveals emoji reactions
Hidden code for the Gmail app for iOS (spotted by Steve Moser) and Android (spotted by TheSpAndroid) suggest that Google is reportedly planning to bring emoji reactions to Gmail inbox. The report says that the codes reveal that an
emoji reaction
feature is in development for the email service.
Emoji reactions in Gmail are “coming soon” according to the hidden code found within the Android app. Also, some strings suggest that Google is also planning to show users a message “You’re among the first Gmail users to get an emoji reaction. Soon you’ll be able to send emoji reactions yourself”. This suggests that Google is soon planning to introduce this feature in Gmail, but in beta first with select users before the final rollout.
It is yet to be seen how Google is planning to implement emoji reactions in Gmail. And, even the choice of emojis users will have for the reaction. We expect a little flexibility here – at least.
That’s not it. The strings from the hidden code also include some restrictions. Here’s a list according to the report.
- Emails received via BCC won’t support reactions
- Encrypted messages won’t support reactions
- Email threads with “large groups” will not support reactions
- There’s a currently unspecified limit on how much you can use a single emoji reaction
- Messages can only support up to 20 emoji reactions from a single person
- Messages can only support up to 50 unique emoji reactions
- There’s a currently unspecified limit on how much you can use a single emoji reaction
- Messages can only support up to 20 emoji reactions from a single person
- Messages can only support up to 50 unique emoji reactions
At first glance, emoji reactions in Gmail seem like a weird idea, but realistically it could be quite useful as mentioned above. Currently, though, it’s unclear when Google plans to roll the feature out, as there’s been no official announcement or tease.
Emoji reactions aren’t new for emails
There are several email services that allow users to react to an email using emojis, including Outlook. Microsoft’s email client lets users react to an email with emojis. Although it does not show them as a complete email reply, the feature comes in handy in case an email is only about acknowledgement.