Twitter’s latest feature draws inspriation from Instagram and Facebook, giving users the ability to react to direct messages with a simple emoji.
Now, if users would prefer not to type out a reply, they can react to other people’s DMs with an appropriate emoji. This can be done by double-tapping on a message or clicking on the new heart & plus sign icon.
Say more with new emoji reactions for Direct Messages!
To add a reaction, click the ️ icon that appears when you hover over the message on web or double tap the message on mobile and select an emoji from the pop-up.
For more about DM reactions: https://t.co/sdMumGDBYl https://t.co/QxMVmGt8eY
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 22, 2020
As mentioned, this is wildly popular on Instagram, where it’s not unusual for people to double-tap on a message to add a quick heart emoji in acknowledgement. Facebook Messenger allows users to do the same, although it lets users select from a variety of different emojis just like Twitter now does.
Let’s face it, not every direct message warrants a full reply. At the same time, not replying at all could appear rude. Emoji replies are an ideal solution, letting users put in minimal effort while making the sender of the message feel acknowledged.
Twitter users can add emoji reactions to direct messages containing either text or media attachments. An emoji reaction can be undone at any time, so there’s no need to panic if you accidentally react with the wrong emoji for the situation.
Adding an emoji reaction will trigger a notification, just like if you sent an actual reply. People using an older version of the Twitter mobile app that doesn’t support message reactions will see reactions displayed as text-based messages.
