Watch Out: Emoji Reactions Invading Your Work Inbox!

Google introduced emoji reactions to personal Gmail accounts over two years ago, but many users may have forgotten about this feature. The option to use emoji reactions is hidden behind a small smiley face icon next to the Forward button. However, starting on February 9th, Google will make emoji reactions available to all Workspace users by default.

By clicking on the smiley face button, users can choose from a variety of emojis to express their reactions instead of typing out a response. If the recipient is also a Gmail user, they will see the emoji reaction at the bottom of the email and as an update in their inbox. For users on other email platforms or those who have disabled emoji reactions, they will receive a separate email notification stating that the sender reacted via Gmail.

For emails sent to multiple recipients, the number of people who reacted to the message and the specific emojis used will be displayed. Users can hover over each reaction to see who it was from. However, there are limitations to this feature, such as not being able to use emoji reactions for group emails, messages with more than 20 recipients, or if the sender has already sent more than 20 reactions to the same message.

Despite the convenience of using emoji reactions in emails, some users may still be hesitant to adopt this feature. While choosing an emoji may be quicker than typing out a response like “Thanks,” some users may not be ready to blur the lines between formal emails and casual text messages.

In conclusion, Google’s introduction of emoji reactions to Workspace users adds a fun and convenient way to express reactions in emails. Whether users choose to embrace this feature or stick to traditional written responses is a personal preference that may vary among individuals.