Google Messages adds fun responses to animated emojis

A recent beta update to Google Messages changes emoji-only messages into fun, expressive animations.

In recent years, Google has found ways to use emoji in fun and unique ways, especially on Android. This is evident in Gboard’s ever-growing collection of Emoji Kitchen stickers, which combine two emojis for an often humorous effect.

The latest way Google is emphasizing emoji comes from the Google Messages app. for those Registered for beta updates-The app (as of build 20230630) now highlights only SMS and RCS messages that include emojis. Instead of showing the usual message bubble, emoji now appear directly in the conversation view.

Notably, some of the emoji highlighted in this way are also animated, adding a bit of flair to the discussion. One of the emojis I use most often, “Grimacing,” gets a googly eyed animation, while “Crying Out Loud” perfectly expresses waterworks.

As my colleague Dylan Russell noted, the entire collection of emoji-supported animations can be found on Google’s website Official Website for Noto Emoji font. If you send more than one emoji in the same message, the animation will not appear. Of course, this animation will only appear to the recipient if they are also using Google Messages.

In the grand scheme, this is a small change that makes Google Messages compatible with other chat apps. It’s very common for apps like Discord and Telegram to make emoji messages bigger just for emphasis. All the same, I absolutely love it. What do you think of the new animated emoji in Google Messages? Let us know in the comments.