Audio emojis are coming to Google Phone app

Emojis have become a staple of online communication, but they used to be simpler in the 1990s. Instead of 😀🙁, people used :-) and :-(. 

Wired says Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created the first emoji in 1999. Nowadays, his set of 176 characters is a part of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

READ: How to view your PC’s hidden files

Recently, Google innovated these digital expressions with audio emojis you may try on your Google Phone app soon.

How do audio emojis work?

Tech insider 9to5Google revealed this upcoming feature and how-to instructions in a recent blog.

Install the Google Phone app on your device to try this new messaging feature. Most won’t need to do this step as it is a common built-in feature for Android phones.

Open the app once you have it. Then, you’ll see the Audio Emoji tab above the usual options. Tap it to reveal these options:

• Clapping (Applause)
• Laughing
• Party
• Crying (Trombone)
• Poop
• Sting (Ba Dum Tss)

Selecting one will play an animation and a fun sound effect. Tech insider 9to5Google says the app settings state:

“Express emotions and moods with sounds like applause, laughter, sad trombone, and more with tappable emoji while you’re in a call.”

The website says audio emojis are part of the latest Google Phone update in the beta channel, version 128. 

However, 9to5Google would likely launch the feature for all users in the following weeks.