Google Messages finally shows iMessage reactions on Android devices

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

A recent Google Messages update has finally fixed the way that Android devices display iMessage reactions. Now, Android devices will show reactions from iMessage devices in a way that makes a lot more sense.

Thanks to a new report from 9to5Google, it looks like Google has finally addressed the issues with reactions from iPhones and other Apple devices that use iMessage. Android devices that use Google Messages will now see iMessage reactions displayed as emojis on their device.

So, the new update from Google doesn’t exactly match the reactions that Apple offers on iMessage. iMessage reactions include a “heart” icon, a “ha ha” icon, plus thumbs up and thumbs down alongside a few other punctuations. Google will convert those reactions to emojis on Android devices.

Fortunately, there is a plethora of emojis that can be drawn from to translate an iPhone’s reaction. The “heart eyes” emoji will replace the “heart” reaction, and the “laughing face” can be used in place of “ha ha.” While this isn’t an exact translation of Apple’s reactions, it definitely gets the point across.

Not to mention how much better it is than before this update. Previously, Google would display iPhone reactions in text form (shown in the image at the top).

An iPhone user would like your message sent from Android and then you’d get a message back saying, “So and so ‘liked’ your message saying…blah blah blah.” It was a subpar answer to the platforms’ differences that will hopefully be rectified by this new update.

The update is currently being rolled out to some users, so it will likely be making its way to everyone with the Google Message app on Android soon, Hopefully, this update helps to bridge the gap between the two smartphone OS competitors.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google Meet’s new backgrounds make it seem like you’re actually in a coffee shop, local weather and all
• DuckDuckGo is offering an iPhone-like feature for Android that stops companies from tracking you
• Netflix games are finally here and Android users get first dibs
• This new Apple patent wants your iPhone and Mac to be completely wrapped in glass