Emoji have become a ubiquitous form of expression, appearing in text messages, on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and even in professional settings like Slack. Now, emoji are making their way to Gmail. According to a recent post on the Google support site, this feature is currently rolling out gradually for Android users and will soon be available for iOS and web users in the coming months.Using Emoji Reactions in GmailThe process for using emoji reactions in Gmail is straightforward. Once the feature is available to you, follow these steps:

  • Open the Gmail app and select the message to which you want to respond.
  • Below the message, you will find an option to “add emoji reaction.” Click on it to reveal a list of emoji options.
  • Choose the emoji that best represents your reaction. The selected emoji will appear at the bottom of the email.
    • You’ll have access to the entire emoji library, and if there are more options than what’s initially displayed, you can tap “more” to see additional choices. Notably, the party-popper emoji will feature a brief, full-page animation when sent and when first opened. Some other select emoji will also include short animations.

    Checking Emoji Senders

    To find out who sent a specific emoji reaction, simply touch and hold the emoji, and it will display the sender’s information. You can either reuse an emoji reaction that someone else added to the email or choose a different one to include.

    Removing Emoji Reactions

    If you mistakenly added an emoji reaction and want to remove it, you have a limited window to do so. Google allows you to tap “undo” at the bottom of the message within 5 to 30 seconds after adding the emoji to delete it. You can adjust the send cancellation period for Gmail messages in your settings if needed.

    Emoji Reactions in Email

    It’s important to note that emoji reactions in email may not appear the same way as they do in other messaging apps. Some recipients may see the emoji reactions as an email with a link that says “[Name of sender] reacted via Gmail.” This discrepancy may occur for users with older Gmail versions, those without a Gmail address, individuals who have disabled conversation view, users on work or school accounts, or those using different email programs such as Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook. The impact of this on email volume and user experience remains to be seen.

    Limitations of Emoji Reactions

    The support post also mentions certain limitations for emoji reactions:Emoji reactions may not be available when using a work or school account. They may not be possible when sending to a group email list.Emoji reactions may not function when sending to more than 20 recipients.They may not apply when using BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).Emoji reactions may not work if the email is received via another email provider.They may not be supported if the message is encrypted with Client-side encryption.Custom reply-to addresses may also affect emoji reactions.

    In summary, while Gmail’s introduction of emoji reactions adds a new dimension to email communication, users should be aware of the feature’s limitations and variations in how emoji reactions may appear to different recipients based on their email settings and clients.

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    Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No NY Flash News journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

    Topics #emoji #Emoji Reactions #features #Gmail #news