WhatsApp has been working on adding support for emoji message reactions for quite a while now. We first learned about the feature back in August last year, and it has since been spotted in various stages of completion in WhatsApp beta releases for iOS and Android. Last month, WhatsApp finally started rolling out Message Reactions to some beta users. But it doesn't seem like the company is done tweaking the feature just yet. A new report from WABetaInfo reveals that WhatsApp is now working on adding a new option that will let users add custom emoji reactions to the Message Reactions panel.
When WhatsApp recently rolled out Message Reactions to beta users, the feature only supported six emoji reactions -- thumbs up, red heart, face with tears of joy, face with open mouth, crying face, and folded hands. Unlike Message Reactions on Instagram and Messenger, the feature did not give users the option to add more emoji reactions on WhatsApp. However, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android adds a plus sign icon to the emoji reactions panel, suggesting that WhatsApp might soon let users add more emoji reactions to the panel.
As you can see in the attached screenshot, the emoji reactions panel in WhatsApp beta for Android v2.22.9.4 includes a new plus sign icon. Tapping on this new icon will likely let users add more emoji reactions to the panel. But the button doesn't appear to work in the current beta release, so we can't confirm which new emoji reactions WhatsApp might add upon release.
This new version of the Message Reactions panel could roll out with a future WhatsApp beta release. But WhatsApp is yet to share an official release date. We'll make sure to let you know as soon as the feature rolls out with an upcoming beta/stable release.
Source: WABetaInfo