New WhatsApp feature: Double tap reactions coming soon

WhatsApp is preparing to launch a new feature called “double-tap message reaction”, WABetainfo reported.

This function, familiar to Instagram DM users, will soon be available on WhatsApp, another Meta platform.

The feature is currently being tested on Android and with the latest beta, as far as I know. To use it, you must be on the WhatsApp Android beta program that you can register for through its page on Play Store – when openings are available, as spaces get filled fast. 

The new feature enables a double tap to reply to any message with an equally fast response. You can react to photos, videos, and GIFs directly from the media viewer screen, saving milliseconds with each action. Double tapping on a message to react also saves the time needed to long press and then choose your reaction.

A double tap will react with a heart emoji, just like on Instagram. If you want to use a different emoji, you'll still need to long press on the message to open the reaction tray and select your preferred emoji.

Notably, there will be no way to disable the double tap to react feature. This could be problematic for some users who might accidentally react to old messages while scrolling through their chat history.

Since it's currently in the beta phase, expect this feature to be available to all users in the coming weeks or months.