New Google Docs feature lets you provide feedback in an entirely different way

You’ll soon be able to react to sentences and paragraphs in Docs using emoji

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Collaborating with others inGoogle Docsis about to look a whole lot different especially when it comes to giving and receiving feedback.

WhileGoogle’soffice softwarealready allows users to highlight sentences and paragraphs to leave comments, the search giant will soon be rolling out reactions to provide a less formal alternative to comments.

According to anew postin theGoogle Workspaceblog, Google is addingemoji reactionsto Docs. In practice, this new feature will look and feel similar to how users can react to messages in a group chat, for better or worse.

Emoji reactions

Whether you like it or not, this feature will be on by default and can not be disabled by users according to Google.

To access reactions in Docs, users simply need to select a sentence or even a paragraph they want to react to and they’ll be able to add an emoji reaction from the pop-up menu on the right side of the screen just likeadding comments to a document.

If you’re a fan ofemojisand use them frequently, you’ll be happy to know that any preferences set in Google Docs will also be shared withGoogle Chat. These include emoji skin tone and gender preferences and Google has also added gender-neutral options for gender-modifiable emojis.

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Emoji reactions are rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and will roll out to Scheduled Release domains beginning on April 20. All Google Workspace users as well as users with personalGoogle Accountswill be able to use this feature once it goes live.

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While emoji reactions could potentially make using Google’sonline collaboration toolsmore fun, the ability to disable the feature altogether would be a nice touch for more serious organizations and users.

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

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