Google’s iMessage solution eliminates what we hate about green Android bubbles

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We all know how annoying group conversations can be when one of the bubbles is green, but it’s about to get better. Google’s solution for iPhone tapbacks has been rolled out on Android phones starting today and is very smooth.

Tapbacks in iMessage are the reactions that appear when you long press on a text. On iPhone, you can choose one of six reactions and they appear above the message when texting between iPhone users. But when an Android user joins a group conversation, the tapbacks become clunky text strings that clutter up the conversation with “Mike laughed” or “Karen loved” before repeating the entire message.

It has improved a lot now. We were able to test the functionality on a Pixel 5, and the implementation is surprisingly solid. Instead of “Jason liked this message” when an iPhone user selects a tapback, Android users will see little emojis below the message instead of above, but otherwise they work just like they would if they were using an iPhone.

As a result, iPhone users will no longer have their conversations cluttered with explanatory tapback texts, and Android users will no longer feel like second-class citizens. Conversations will be uninterrupted – a real plus for all and the smartest messaging feature Google has implemented in years.

Your Android to iPhone conversations will be much cleaner now that Google translates the tapbacks.

IDG

To get the feature, you need to use the Google Messages app and have the Show iPhone reactions as emoji switch enabled in the advanced settings. It seems to work with all carriers, even if the rollout is staggered. As of now, it appears to only be active on some Pixel phones. WhatsApp is also reportedly preparing its own tapback system which is expected to appear in an upcoming WhatsApp beta before being rolled out to users.

The emojis don’t exactly line up with Apple’s reactions, but they’re close enough that we don’t have to get too confused. Here’s what Google chose for tapback’s six answers:

Heart: 😍 Thumb up: 👍 Thumb down: 👎HaHa: 😂Exclamation points: 😮 Question mark: 🤔

Tapping the emoji displays a banner at the bottom of the screen that says “Translated from iPhone” with the appropriate emoji. The replies come as fast as a text message would and they also have quite a lot of animation that all looks incredibly natural.

Google’s solution to one of the most annoying parts of the iMessage experience is admirable. While some may have trouble choosing emojis, it’s hard not to be impressed with the results. As with all things Android, it will take some time for it to spread, but it’s safe to say that one of the biggest SMS annoyances between iPhones and Android phones has been fixed.

Update 2/3: WhatsApp is also working on its own tapback solution.

Michael Simon has been with Apple since iPod was iWalk. His obsession with technology dates back to his first PC: the IBM Thinkpad with the keyboard that can be lifted to replace the drive. He’s still waiting for me to come back in style tbh.

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