Responding to text messages is about to get a lot easier for Google users.
Instead of having to search for an emoji response, a new feature that’s appearing in beta version of Google Messages allows users to double tap a message they’ve received to send a quick thumbs-up reply instead.
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If you accidentally voice your approval, double tapping the message again takes away the thumbs up.
While other chat apps like WhatsApp and Signal use a long press to like, long-pressing on a text in Google Messages brings up a tray at the top to copy or delete, as well as a tray of emoji reactions at the bottom. It’s possible that even more functionality is coming to long press in the future, which is why Google kept the double tap for a quick response.
The feature is available for both RCS and SMS messaging, meaning it should work on all platforms. It joins several social media platforms, including Telegram, who has rolled out a similar quick response option recently.
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This marks the latest in a series of upgrades, including a major security update, that Google has pushed out for its messaging app over the past few months. Other features, like AI integration and the ability to edit a message, are reportedly in the works.
“Double tap to react” is expected to roll out to all users in the near future, but if you’d like to get in on the beta, you can test it now. Just go to the Google Messages app listing in the Play Store and scroll down until you see “Join the beta.”
