Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

You can soon react to WhatsApp messages with emojis, but it’s broken right now

By Tushar Mehta Published March 2, 2022

Amid the backdrop of Facebook renaming itself Meta, WhatsApp added a new way for users to get away with not indulging in small talk. As part of the company’s vision to unify the experience in all its apps, Facebook-owned WhatsApp might now allow users to respond to messages with emojis, just like on Instagram and Facebook Messenger. The only barrier, however, is that the feature is not fully functional yet.

After being spotted in August by WABetaInfo, emoji reactions are now rolling out to certain WhatsApp users. The feature is now available starting with WhatsApp’s 2.21.22.17 beta update and is apparently limited to the app’s Android version at the moment.

Just like on the other Facebook — err, Meta — apps, you can long press on a certain message bubble to choose from the six designated emojis and share reactions such as approval, love, humor, amazement, sadness, and gratitude. However, it is worth noting while you can select an emoji, the registered reaction is not visible to the person you’re sending it to at the moment. In short, the feature is only either partially implemented or broken.

I am running the latest version of the WhatsApp Beta on my phone and tried to test this feature with my colleague, Prakhar. As you can see from the screenshots below, while I can choose from one of the six emojis, the reactions are not visible to him.

whatsapp emoji reactions — Image used with permission by copyright holder

So, we can either expect the company to fix this unfinished feature in the coming updates or remove it until a finalized version is rolled out.

If you would still like to try reacting to WhatsApp messages with emojis, you can sign up for WhatsApp beta on the Google Play Store, wait a few minutes for a new version to become available, and then update the app.

Topics

Tushar has a passion for consumer tech and likes to tinker with smartphones, laptops, wearables, smart home devices, and…

Mobile

If you can’t stand ads on Instagram, you’re going to hate this update

Samsung Galaxy S23 showing Instagram

Instagram has been ruffling the feathers of many users as of late with how many ads and suggested posts it shows from unfollowed accounts. Despite the frequent criticism of the app's near-constant ads, Meta announced in a recent blog post that Instagram will now feature an additional two new types of ads to clutter the feeds of all users.

One place where Instagram remained relatively ad-free was in the search results, as the app devoted that space entirely to directing people to the photos, reels, or other users that you're looking for. Now, users can expect to see ads popping up in the search results — making the results a little more padded and a little less helpful.

Mobile

You’ll soon be able to use WhatsApp on more than one phone

WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging services in Europe and parts of Asia, is about to close a major flaw. As spotted by the sleuths over on WABetainfo, the company is planning an update that will allow the use of a secondary device -- including another phone or tablet. Currently, WhatsApp only allows phone users to link their account via its web or desktop clients.

The new feature is dubbed companion mode. Once it rolls out, you'll have a workflow that's quite similar to setting up WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp on the desktop. Rather than entering a number, you'll be able to scan a QR code with your main phone to log in to your existing WhatsApp account.

Mobile

AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.