Google has now enabled real-time push notifications for reactions. If someone gives your Chat message a thumbs-up or another emoji reaction, you’ll finally get an alert. They're also experimenting with notification summaries and proactive conversation summaries inside Gmail.
You can automatically bundle updates or generate quick recaps when group chats or threads get busy. This is separate from Android 16’s system-wide summaries, so it may reach more devices. That aside, push notifications have been a long-requested feature, and are now live in both Gmail and the standalone Google Chat app.
Now you'll know instantly who's reacting to your chats
Google Chat is Google’s messaging and collaboration app. It enables you to send direct messages, create group conversations, and collaborate in Spaces similar to Slack channels. It grew out of Google Hangouts, and today it’s tightly linked with Gmail.
The recent update to Gmail and Chat now adds reaction notifications. According to Google's Workspace blog post, you’ll now get an alert when someone reacts to your message with an emoji. Before, you had to open the conversation to see if they had reacted.
The feature is on by default for anyone who already has Chat notifications turned on. If you don’t want them, go to Google Chat > Settings > Notifications > Reaction notifications and switch them off. If the alerts aren't working for you yet, be patient. It's rolling out gradually and may take a while. Thankfully, Google has shared a timeline.
Rapid Release domains started receiving it on September 4, 2025, which takes up to 15 days to conclude rollout. Scheduled Release domains will start on September 18, 2025, and also take up to 15 days. The reaction notifications will be available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and even personal Gmail accounts.
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Chat is Google's Slack
If you’ve never used Google Chat for collaboration, you can access it in two ways. There’s a mobile app for Android and iOS that brings you up to speed with your team on the go.
There’s also a web version at chat.google.com or built right into Gmail on the desktop. You'll often see Chat as a tab alongside Mail and Meet. You won't see it if the Chat tab isn’t turned on in Gmail’s settings.
On the web app, tap the settings icon. Then go to See all settings > General > Chat and Meet. Turn on Google Chat and save the changes. On the mobile app, tap the menu icon in the top left corner. Then select Settings. Choose an account, then tap the checkbox beside Chat. You should see a dedicated tab at the bottom of the Gmail app on mobile or in the sidebar on the web afterward.
The service also supports integration with popular Workspace, including Google Docs, Sheets, Drive files, and calendar invites directly inside a conversation. It’s mostly intended for work and school settings, but you can also use it with a personal Gmail account.
Everything syncs across devices, so if you send a message from your laptop, you’ll see it instantly on your phone. As for updates, you don’t technically need to do them to get new features like reaction notifications.
Google rolls these out on their servers, and they’ll just appear in your account. But it’s usually best to update anyway. The latest version gives you performance fixes and fewer bugs.
