Sent with love effect Messenger Android

Messages' long trek to feature parity with other chat apps continues got a boost this week with the addition of emoji reactions. Google has been testing the feature since at least the start of March, but the company is now rolling it out to the broader Messages userbase on Android.  

You can react to a message someone sends you by long pressing on it. Currently, there are seven animated emoji to choose from: like, love, laughter, surprise, sadness, anger and dislike. You'll need to have Messages' Chat functionality enabled to add reactions, so you won't be able to send them to your friends with iPhones or other Android users who don't have an RCS-compatible device.  

Google

Google is late to the party when it comes to reactions. Facebook was one of the first companies to implement the feature in 2016 when it introduced them to give people more ways to respond to posts quickly. One year later, the company started testing reactions in Messenger, and they've been a part of the app ever since. For better and worse, they've also long been a long fixture within iMessage. 

In the same announcement, Google highlighted some other features it recently added to Messages. In addition to suggesting text and emoji based on the most recent message you received, Smart Reply will now recommend stickers as well. They'll appear above the part of the interface where you enter text. The feature is currently only available in English. 

Another relatively new addition is a built-in image editor that allows you to doodle on any photos you take with your phone. To access it, you need to snap a photo using the full camera interface, not the compact one that shows up when you first go to send a picture. 

Again, most of Messages' newest features have been available in other chat apps for a while. Nonetheless, they're important additions if Google is ever going to convince people to use Messages over any of the dozens of other apps they can use to message their friends and family. If you don't have access to reactions already, be patient. As with most software rollouts, it may be a while before you get the latest update. 

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As a social platform, Facebook often gets creative and launches new fun features that bring people together. Facebook Messenger’s features add a little cheer to your text-based conversations, especially during the holiday season.

Unlike an older feature on Facebook that makes it easy for friends to send gift cards and real gifts, the Messenger gift is digital and won’t cost you anything!

If you’re looking to have a bit of fun with your messages, this article teaches you how to make and send a gift on Messenger, plus it offers neat tricks to help you feel closer to the ones you love.

Sending a gift in Messenger is simple once you learn how to do it. Essentially, what you’re doing is adding an effect that wraps any message you type in pretty wrapping paper with a bow. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the “Facebook Messenger” app from your iPhone or Android device.
2. Select the “recipient” of your message, then tap on the “message box” to type your message. Be sure you insert the message first or the present icon won’t appear in the selection.
3. Press the “down arrowhead” at the very bottom of your screen to close the keyboard without sending the message.
4. Tap the “magnifying glass” icon found on the right side of the message box. The “smiley face” icon becomes a “magnifying glass” once text is typed.
5. Select the “star” icon (Effects), then choose the pink “gift” icon and your message gets sent automatically.
   
   
6. The recipient sees the “gift” icon. Upon tapping it, the top flies off and your message appears.

How to Unsend a Gift Message

If you’ve tapped the present icon and sent a message you weren’t ready to submit, you can un-send it.

1. Open “Facebook Messenger” and tap on the “recipient’s messages.”
2. Long-press the “gift” icon and choose “Remove” in the lower right-hand corner.
   
3. Select “Unsend”and confirm it when the prompt appears.

When un-sending on FB Messenger, the recipient receives a notification that you retracted a message, but they won’t know what it said.

Gift Option not Appearing in Facebook Messenger

If for some reason, you don’t see the gift option, or it just isn’t sending, there are a few things to check.

As stated previously, if you haven’t typed anything in the text box, the gift won’t appear in the ‘Effects’ folder. Try typing your message first, then follow the instructions above.

1. Confirm that you typed text in the message box first.
2. Confirm you are not sending the message to a group.
3. Confirm you are not using a web browser for Messenger.
4. Confirm you have the latest Messenger update.

Other Neat Messenger Effects

There are plenty of other effects available to liven up your texts, thanks to Facebook Messenger. Aside from stickers, GIFs, and emojis, the effects options add visual appeal to the messages that you type.

At the time of writing, Messenger offers hearts, confetti, and fire along with your gift-wrapped messages. Following the exact instructions above, type your message, access the effects option (stickers), and tap on the effect you’d like to add.

As you’ve now seen, sending an animated gift message in Messenger is a simple process once you know how to navigate through the options. With a few taps or clicks, you can quickly send your messages wrapped in a gift, requiring the recipient to open it to see what you had to say.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I gift wrap an image?

Unfortunately, no. If you try to gift wrap an image, link, or another sort of attachment, the option won’t appear. The simple act of tapping on an image and tapping ‘Send’ means the image goes straight through to the recipient.

Do I have to have the Facebook app to use Facebook Messenger?

Fortunately no. If the features of the messaging service appeal to you but the social media service doesn’t, you can still send gift-wrapped messages. All you need to do is download the Messenger app and sign in using your login credentials.

Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.

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