Google Messages now provides a quick way to shower friends and family with hearts

Google Messages may not be everyone’s favorite texting app but it’s the default messaging app for a lot of Android users. Google is always trying to make the app better by introducing changes. The latest update improves how you react to messages.

In February, Google was rumoured to be working on a double tap to react feature, and in the months that followed it rolled out the functionality to some users. The feature is finally being deployed to all Google Messages users.

Called “Double tap to heart,” the feature is pretty self-explanatory: it lets you react to a message with the heart emoji by double tapping. Since this is a new feature and people understandably are not aware that it exists, Google will also show you a small disappearing prompt to tell you that a double tap will heart a message.

Double tapping is a less friction-inducing way to react to what someone said than long-pressing on a message and choosing from a row of reactions. Given that thumbs-up is a more commonly used emoji than the heart emoji (based purely on anecdotal experience), it might have been a better choice.

Google may ultimately let you choose which emoji you want to set as the default, but for now, you can flood your chats with as many hearts as you want.

Google recently rolled out an update that changed the location of read receipts. At least three more features were hinted at this month alone, including changing image resolution, a more convenient way to view timestamps, and giving a more visible spot to Magic Compose.

With Samsung encouraging users to ditch its Messages apps for Google Messages and Verizon  sunsetting its app in favor of Google’s app, Google Messages is now the go-to app for many users, and it’s good to see that the Mountain View giant is constantly trying new ways to improve the texting experience for its users.