instagram: How WhatsApp is adopting Instagram’s message reactions feature – Times of India

A few weeks ago, WhatsApp started to roll out a message reaction feature for a few beta users on the Android platform. The feature has been in the works for quite a while now. References for the feature were first spotted in August last year. For those who do not know, the feature is quite similar to the message reaction feature on Facebook Messenger and Instagram. Users on these platforms can react to a message with emojis.
When the message reactions were rolled out for beta users, it was rumoured that the company will soon roll out the feature for all users with the upcoming update. However, a report by WABetaInfo suggests that WhatsApp is adding a few more functionalities to the feature. According to the report, WhatsApp is planning to add a ‘+’ button in the message reactions emoji bar that will allow users to choose the emoji of their choice. Till now, only 6 emojis were available for the message reaction feature – Like, Love, Laugh, Surprised, Sad, and Thanks.
It appears that WhatsApp is adopting the message reactions feature from Instagram. The feature works in a similar way on the photo-sharing platform and it also allows you to pick different emojis to react.
WhatsApp is also reportedly working on a new feature that will make it easier for you to message unsaved contacts. Currently when you tap on a phone number in the chat bubble, WhatsApp takes you directly to your default dialler app. With the coming updates, the platform may show you more options after tapping on a phone number.
As per a report, WhatsApp has started to roll out a new beta update for Android users. With the update, the Facebook owned platform lets you use some shortcuts when selecting phone numbers in chat bubbles. According to the screenshots shared in the report, WhatsApp shows Android users new options such as Add to contacts and Dial after the beta update.