WhatsApp is rolling out animated emoji reactions on Android, making communication in the app more expressive than ever. This feature adds animation to certain emojis when users react to a message. Those who prefer static emojis can turn off the animation in the app’s settings.
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What happened before
In a previous post, we reported that WhatsApp had released an update for animated emojis in messages. Thanks to this feature, some of them play a short animation when users send them in chats. Note that WhatsApp supports animation only for a limited set of emojis. This means that some emojis are animated, while others are displayed as before. WhatsApp created these animations using the Lottie library, the same technology used for animated stickers.
What’s next?
Previously, animated emojis were only available in messages. Users who reacted to a message with the same emoji would see it without animation. Now, WhatsApp is improving this feature by introducing animated reactions. Specifically, the messaging app is gradually rolling out animated emoji reactions to some beta testers. With this update, emojis now play their animations even when used as reactions. As a result, they look the same as emojis, regardless of whether users send them in a message or as a reaction.
How it works
When users tap and hold a message to react, they see a reaction panel. After selecting an emoji, WhatsApp places it on the message. Animated reactions work the same way as animated emojis in messages. If the selected emoji has an animated version available for use as a reaction and this feature is enabled in the account, WhatsApp displays it in motion rather than as a static image. WhatsApp plays the animation once, after which the emoji stops moving. If the animated version isn’t available, users will see the reaction in the same way as before.
How to check
WhatsApp automatically enables animated reactions by default. This means you don’t need to enable any special setting to use them. People can react to a message with any emoji that has an animated version. The feature is available if users see an animation after reacting to a message. If the emoji appears as a static image, the feature is not yet available on their account. Since WhatsApp is rolling out this feature gradually, the experience may vary among users even if they have the same version of the app.
What if you don’t want this feature?
Users who find animated emojis distracting can turn them off in the app settings using the slider in the chat settings. When this feature is disabled, all emojis are displayed in their standard form, including reactions. Users who prefer a simple interface can turn off this option to keep everything static, without losing the ability to react to messages.
Which emojis will “come to life”?
Currently, WhatsApp offers a limited selection of animated emojis. However, the messaging app will continue to expand this selection. As shown in the attached screenshot, users who want to try animated reactions can start with “Thumbs Up,” “Red Heart,” “Face with Tears of Joy,” and “Hands Clasped,” since animated versions of all these emojis are already available.
Note that other emojis also support animation, but they will become available later. For example, “Fire,” “Two Hearts,” “Smiling Face with Hearts for Eyes,” “Angry Face,” and “Rolling on the Floor Laughing” will support animations in a future update. Users can simply react to a message using different symbols to see which ones are already working.
What’s next
Overall, WhatsApp has big plans for reactions. For example, developers are testing them for WhatsApp Plus users. This feature will allow users to replace the six standard emojis in the reaction panel with ones they prefer. Given the availability of both customized and animated versions, users can see that WhatsApp has various plans to improve how these features work, and these two features are just the beginning of a long journey.
When will it be available?
Animated emoji reactions are currently available to some beta testers who have installed the latest WhatsApp beta update from the Google Play Store. WhatsApp is rolling out this feature gradually, so not all beta testers will see the animations after installing this update. If the reactions appear static after the update, the feature should become available to more accounts over the coming weeks. However, WhatsApp has not yet announced when this feature will be available to everyone.
Conclusion
WhatsApp has taken another step toward getting closer to its users. This new feature will enhance the messaging experience, making it better and more enjoyable.
Here at GREEN-API, we keep up with the latest news and will keep you informed about all significant updates. We’re also constantly working on integrating new features into our service to make your work more convenient. Follow our blog to stay informed about new and useful features on WhatsApp!