WhatsApp rolling out a new double-tap message reaction feature for Android beta

After releasing an AR feature for call effects and filters with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.16.7 update, WhatsApp is now developing a new feature to allow users to quickly react to messages with a double-tap. This feature is under development and it will be available in the future.

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.11.16 update, we announced that WhatsApp was rolling out a new media reaction shortcut. This feature enhances interaction by allowing users to quickly react to photos, videos, and GIFs directly from the media viewer screen. It offers a more efficient way to express emotions through emojis and respond to multimedia content without navigating back to the chat view. It appears that WhatsApp is now focused on developing additional tools to make it faster for users to react to messages. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.16.7 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a double-tap reaction feature!

As you can see from the attached video capture, WhatsApp is exploring new ways to enhance user interaction by allowing users to simply double-tap on a message to react, scheduled for release in a future update of the app. This feature aims to significantly speed up the reaction process, making it even more convenient for users to express their feelings quickly. The double-tap reaction feature is designed to save time and enhance communication through a default heart emoji, ensuring users can always stay engaged in conversations without interruption.

By double-tapping on a message, users will be able to instantly react to messages with a default heart emoji, saving time as they no longer need to open the reaction tray. Users will only need to open the reaction tray when they want to react with a different emoji than the default heart emoji, adding flexibility while maintaining efficiency. It is important to note that an option to disable this feature is not currently planned, and we understand it can cause inconvenience for some users who might accidentally react to old messages while scrolling through their chat history. If a toggle to disable this feature is developed in the future, we will keep you informed.

A double-tap reaction feature is under development and it will be available in a future update. We will provide an additional article with more details about this feature as soon as they become available