Google Messages now supports iMessage reactions in beta

It looks like the previously rumored feature has started showing up in some betas.

What you need to know

Google Messages now supports improved iMessage reactions.
Previously, Google Messages would display an awkward text message describing an iMessage reaction.
A new beta of the app now shows actual emoji reactions.

A new beta version of Google Messages appears to have brought with it a new feature that will show iMessage reactions in the app as actual emojis rather than awkward text messages.

From Droid Life:

The days of “LAUGHED AT” or “LIKED” in your Google Messages app when a friend with an iPhone reacts to your text message are almost over. Actually, they very well may already be over if you are running the latest build of Google Messages Beta.

Within the past week, Google Messages Beta picked up an update to build 20220121_02_RC00 that added the functionality for me. Now, should I see a reaction from an iPhone, I get emoji in place of those weird “Questioned ‘Blah blah message'” reactions.

One of the big problems with iMessage vs Google Messages/RCS compatibility previously was that iMessage reactions such as the Love Heart or ‘HaHa’ emoji would show up on Android as a second weird text that said “so and so like the message” or something equally clumsy.

Now it seems that if you react to messages on an iPhone, a sender using Google Messages on Android will see an actual emoji reaction, which is obviously a lot nicer.

According to the report, this is only available in the app’s beta, so will probably roll out to the public in the future. iMessage is considered to be one of the best iPhone features available, but has increasingly come under scrutiny by some who perceive it to be another sign of “anti-competitive” practices by Apple. This view is usually confined to the U.S. where iPhone proliferation is much higher. Elsewhere, such as in Europe, the vast majority of people use alternative cross-platform messaging apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram.