WhatsApp Is Reportedly Testing Message Reactions

In recent months, WhatsApp has been doing a lot of work to add new features to its app. The Meta-owned social media app doesn’t want to lag behind Telegram. The latest information spotted by WABetaInfo reveals that WhatsApp intends to bring iMessage-like Message Reactions to its app.

According to xda-developers (via WABetaInfo), the Message Reactions in WhatsApp will have a dedicated setting section. This section has appeared in the latest beta build on iOS. The feature allows users to react to a message with emoji. Now, almost all messaging platforms have this feature.

As per the leaked image by WABetaInfo, a Reactions Notifications toggle is added to version 22.2.72 of WhatsApp on iOS. Of course, this feature is only visible to beta users for now, and the company may add it to the app later. We still don’t know when Reactions Notifications came to the original app, and WhatsApp has been conservative about it.

However, this is not the first time that we are hearing about adding Message Reactions to WhatsApp. In August 2021, the WABetainfo again revealed a screenshot from a beta version of WhatsApp that showcased a message that received reactions and asked the users to update its app for seeing it.

Since there is now a special toggle in the settings, maybe the feature is just around the corner, and it will be available to all users during the coming months.

Message Reactions is coming to WhatsApp

Adding Message Reactions to WhatsApp is a part of Meta’s plans for merging the messaging systems of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Dates back to 2020, the Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company plans for merging messaging systems. Of course, he also said that this wouldn’t happen before 2022. Since the deadline for the Meta plan has now arrived, we should see this merging in the coming months.

Meta has previously merged its messaging platform with Instagram DMs, and the result was somehow satisfying. For now, WhatsApp is waiting to join the trend. However, the messaging features of WhatsApp have a long way ahead to become similar to Meta and Instagram.

One of the criticisms that always comes to WhatsApp is that it offers fewer features and is less creative than its traditional competitor, Telegram. Telegram has recently released a major update and added many great features to its app. Of course, WhatsApp also tries not to lag behind. For example, WhatsApp now allows users to hide their last seen status.