WhatsApp recently introduced a new feature called message reactions that allows you to quickly react to messages with emojis. This can make conversations more interactive and expressive. However, message reactions are disabled by default so you need to turn them on in your WhatsApp settings before you can start using them.
What are message reactions?
Message reactions allow you to react to a message sent in any chat by tapping and holding on that message. This will bring up the reaction picker with 6 emoji options – thumbs up, heart, laughter, surprise, sadness, and thanks. You can pick any emoji to react to that message. The emoji will appear below the message.
This is similar to reactions or emojis you can add on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram comments. It provides a quick and easy way to provide feedback or express emotions without having to type out a text response.
Why use message reactions?
Here are some benefits of using WhatsApp message reactions:
- Faster feedback – You can quickly react to any message instead of typing a text response.
- Express emotions – Emojis allow you to express emotions and feelings more visually.
- Enhanced conversations – Reactions make chats and conversations more interactive.
- Improve engagement – Adds a fun element to conversations and keeps users engaged.
- Reduce clutter – Prevents cluttering up chats with single word texts like “Lol”, “Nice”, etc.
How to turn on message reactions
Message reactions are off by default on WhatsApp. To start using them, you need to enable the feature in your WhatsApp settings using these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Go to the Settings menu by tapping on the 3 dots or 3 line icon in the top right (for iOS it’s at the bottom right).
- Tap on Settings.
- Select Chats.
- Under the Chats section, enable Message reactions by tapping on the toggle next to it.
That’s it! Message reactions will now be turned on and you can start reacting to any new messages in your chats.
How to use message reactions
Once you’ve enabled the feature, using message reactions is very easy:
- Open any chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap and hold on the message you want to react to. This will bring up the reaction picker.
- Select your chosen emoji reaction from the picker.
The emoji will be immediately added below that message as your reaction. Other users in the chat can also tap and hold on that message to add their own reactions.
Things to note
- You can add only one reaction per message.
- To change your reaction, just tap and hold again to pick another emoji.
- Anyone in a chat can react to a message.
- You can remove your reaction anytime by tapping and holding again and picking the ‘remove’ icon.
Fun ways to use reactions
Beyond just expressing emotions, reactions can be used creatively in chats:
- Play games – React in sequence to play games like chess, tic-tac-toe, etc.
- Polls – Ask questions and poll friends using reactions.
- Voting – React to cast votes or tally opinions in group chats.
- Mark favorite messages – Use a particular emoji like star or heart to bookmark important messages.
Troubleshooting tips
If you are unable to use message reactions even after enabling the feature, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Confirm reactions are turned on in your chat settings.
- Check if you’re on the latest version of WhatsApp – update if needed.
- Force close and relaunch the app if reactions still don’t show up.
- Reboot your phone if the issue persists after relaunching WhatsApp.
- Clear WhatsApp cache and data and try again if nothing else works.
FAQs
Does the other person need to have reactions enabled to see and react?
No, you do not need both parties to have reactions enabled. Anyone in a chat can use reactions regardless of the other person’s settings.
Can I react to really old messages?
You can react to old messages but only if you have not deleted them and can still see them in the chat history.
Do message reactions work in group chats?
Yes, message reactions work in both private and group chats. Anyone who’s part of the group chat can react to messages.
Can I use custom emojis for reactions?
No, WhatsApp has limited reactions to only the 6 default emoji options. You cannot use custom WhatsApp stickers or emojis for reactions currently.
Conclusion
Message reactions are a fun new way to make your WhatsApp chats more engaging. Simply turn on the feature in Settings > Chats and start reacting away. Use them to express emotions, give quick feedback, play games, or just make conversations more dynamic. With creative use, reactions can truly enhance your overall WhatsApp experience.