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New addition to Gmail Android app might make you dread your inbox a little less

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Sep 30, 2023, 4:58 PM

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New addition to Gmail Android app might make you dread your inbox a little less

It's 2023. Some think there are no conventions to be followed anymore, which is why you see people sharing deeply personal stories on LinkedIn. So it's only fitting that Gmail is bringing emoji reactions to email, a means of communication that is primarily used for formal conversations nowadays. But who says you can't loosen up a little and respond to your boss or your teacher with a smiley emoji instead of sophisticated words strung together?

Gmail users will soon be able to react to emails with emojis and 9to5Google reports that the feature can now be enabled on the Android Gmail app.

Your email may or may not have found me well, but here's an emoji <3

According to TheSpAndroid's AssembleDebug, Gmail will show you a smiley icon before the three-dot menu to let you access emoji reactions as a way to "respond quickly and add personality." If someone has already reacted before you, you will be able to react by just tapping on emojis.

The app will allow users to react to emails with any emoji of their choice, and a single email can have as many as 50 reactions. Android and iOS Gmail users will see the reaction in their original email, while others will receive it as a reply.

It's not clear yet whether the web version of Gmail will also get emoji reactions, but it's quite likely, as Google would want to provide a consistent experience across the web and mobile.

Gmail is not the first app to introduce emoji reactions. Microsoft Outlook and some other email apps already have the functionality. Since Gmail is the most popular email service provider, support for emoji reactions might encourage more people to react to emails with emojis.

Whether the feature will prove to be an effective way of communication for times when words are not needed or make things awkward and way too casual remains to be seen.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.