Google has launched a new feature that allows users to react to emails with emojis in Gmail. This change aims to make email communication feel more like chatting on popular messaging platforms such as Google Chat, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.

Google explained that the introduction of emoji reactions is designed to help users quickly respond, recognize receipt of an email, and share emotions in a manner that circumvents the conventional email etiquette. In other words, it streamlines interactions, particularly in mass email threads allowing for quick acknowledgments without the need to reply to it, and also lets them express their feelings freely.

For example, you could use a gratitude emoji to thank a teammate, vote for a team dinner with a food emoji, or congratulate someone for reaching a milestone with a celebratory emoji.

However, it’s important to note that the feature is deactivated by default, probably because not everyone may like the option. Administrators can restrict the feature in their organization. The setting is available in the Admin console > Apps > Gmail > End User Access > Emoji reactions.

Users who are not utilizing Gmail, those with conversation view disabled, or individuals using outdated versions of the Gmail app may face some limitations. Google has published a support document to outline the feature, and issues that users may encounter with it. Emoji reactions will appear as separate emails formatted to indicate the reaction. This slight hiccup could impact seamless communication across different platforms, potentially stalling the feature's full rollout.

The emoji reactions will gradually become available across all Google Workspace accounts, individual subscribers, and personal Google accounts, starting with rapid release domains and scheduled release domains beginning on May 13, 2025.

Source: Android Central