Microsoft Outlook to gain reactions to save your inbox from clutter

What you need to know

• Outlook will soon support reactions on iOS and Android.
• The feature should help clear up inbox clutter by allowing people to respond with an emoji rather than sending a short email.
• Reaction support could arrive as soon as September 2021.

Microsoft will soon roll out support for reactions in Outlook for iOS and Android. The feature could arrive as soon as September 2021, but that date from the Microsoft 365 roadmap is subject to change. With reactions, people will be able to quickly express an emotion without having to send an email.

"Thumbs up, laugh, heart, celebrate or shed a tear in reaction to emails in Outlook," reads the Microsoft 365 roadmap. "Apply your sentiment and see the reaction of others in emails in Outlook without sending or receiving incremental emails."

Sometimes when you receive an email, all you need to do is confirm that you've received it and understand its message. Sending an email just to say "sounds good" or a similar message can clog up a thread, making it harder to find specific messages. Being able to reply with a thumbs up, smiley face, or other reactions should eliminate the need for such short emails.

Reactions are also a handy way to get multiple people to show if they like or dislike an idea. People could ask others to weigh in with a reaction to show if they agree or disagree with a plan.