What you need to know
- Google Messages now supports iMessage reactions properly.
- Some users are seeing reactions come through as...reactions.
- Previously, reactions would come through as separate messages.
If you've ever had to deal with reactions from an iPhone user when using Google Messages, your day is about to get a lot better.
Last week, code found within the latest beta of Google Messages on Android pointed to the possibility that the app would work more seamlessly with iMessage when someone on an iPhone reacted to a message.
In the newest beta update to Google Messages, version 10.7, we've found that Google may be preparing a more clever way of handling incoming iMessage reactions. According to a newly discovered preference (not yet live in the app), Google Messages should be able to intercept incoming iMessage reactions and instead show them as "emoji."
Today, 9to5Google confirmed that some users are already seeing the difference. While the app used to display the reaction as a separate message, some users are now finding that reactions from someone on an iPhone now show up as a reaction on their Android phone.
It appears Google has already slowly begun rolling out Messages' ability to interpret iMessage reactions to its own reactions. Courtesy of screenshots given to 9to5Google by reader Jvolkman, we found that reactions sent from an iPhone were correctly interpreted by Google Messages just like reactions sent via RCS.
It's still unclear what Google Messages will do with all of the different reactions available from iMessage. Not all of the reactions are consistent across the two messaging services so it's unclear how Google will handle reactions it does not offer. Regardless, it's a good step for all of us who live in an iMessage and RCS world.
Bottom line: The iPhone 13 is the best iPhone for most people, with impressive new cameras and notable improvements to battery life. Without all the bells and whistles of the Pro line, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are still powerhouses that'll keep owners happy for years to come.
