Apple users have long enjoyed iMessage’s rich features, so much so that some Android users may feel a bit jealous. Thankfully Google’s been pretty active in updating the Google Messages app so that it functions and feels more like iMessage. In fact, it just ripped one of the best iMessage features — and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Similar to how you can add an emoji effect animation in iMessage by long pressing a message and then selecting your reaction, Google Messages can now do the same thing. Some keen-eyed users uncovered the unexpected feature, which overlays an animation on messages in the app to correspond to your emoji selection.
For example, if you select the laughing emoji, you’ll see a pair of air dancers (those inflatables you see at car dealerships) animate over the message. It’s a small detail that makes the Google Messages experience a bit more dynamic, which iMessage users have come to appreciate.
There’s a total of 10 emoji reactions to choose from, consisting of thumbs up, thumbs down, red heart, party popper, enraged face, crying face, angry face, face with tears of joy, face with open mouth, and the timeless classic — the poop emoji. You’ll want to give the latter a shot because it’s not what you’d expect to see.
If you’re not seeing these animated effects, then make sure you head over to the Google Play Store to make sure you have the most up-to-date version of the app. We’ve tried them on a Google Pixel 8 Pro and these animations appear to other Google Messages users. However, if you’re sending them to an iPhone user, they won’t see an animation effect, but rather, the usual text message notification of your emoji reaction.
Google actually promised to bring these emoji reaction effects to Android devices last fall, but it looks like the roll out is finally going out to everyone running the latest version of the app. That promised roll out also included the ability to create a "photomoji" from pictures you’ve taken, along with Voice Moods when you record voice messages.
Of course, there’s still a lot of work to have these features run seamlessly between the platforms, but RCS is one step in bridging the gap. Just earlier this week, Google rolled out a feature to beta testers for RCS messages that lets them choose custom color options with threaded messages.
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