Back in March, we passed along the word that Twitter was considering adding Facebook-style emoji reactions for tweets. Android Developer Dylan Roussel discovered that this new feature might be closer to becoming a way for Twitter users to weigh in on a tweet. Currently, there is a heart icon that can be tapped to express one’s positive feelings about a tweet, but the new emoji reactions reveal a much broader range of feelings including thinking, crying, laughing to tears, clapping hands, and a heart.”
Roussel says that the reaction emojis don’t work yet since Twitter has just started to implement it. Back when we first discussed the possibility of Facebook-style emoji responses coming to Twitter, a spokesman for the latter said, “We’re exploring additional ways for people to express themselves in conversations happening on Twitter.” Besides Facebook, another social media app that includes the use of reaction emoji is LinkedIn.
Late last month, reliable Twitter tipster Jane Manchun Wong disseminated a tweet about what she called “Tweet Reactions. Wong said that it would include emoji for like, cheer, hmm, sad, and haha. That seems to match up with some of the reactions spotted by Roussel: thinking=hmm, crying=sad, laughing to tears=haha, and clapping hands=cheer.
The fact that the emoji reaction showed up on Roussel’s tweet shortly after Wong’s tip should be a sign that Twitter will soon be rolling this out for everyone.
