Katsutoshi Takagi 
LINE allows users to react to messages without notifying the other user.
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On May 29, LY Corporation announced an upgrade to the reaction feature on its free messaging app, LINE. The feature allows users to react to messages with emojis without sending a notification to the other person.
Many users, especially younger ones, seem to prefer this "non-intrusive" form of communication. To use it, you simply press and hold the message you want to react to, and a selection of emoji options will appear.
From Six to 243,000+
Previously, users could only choose from six basic emojis, such as smiling or crying faces. Now, they can select from over 243,000 emojis, both free and paid. With this update, any emoji available in a user's LINE account can be used to react to messages.
A project manager at LY Corporation explained, "The key difference between sending stickers and using emoji reactions is subtlety. Reactions are often chosen when people want to respond without drawing attention." Unlike reactions, sending a sticker notifies the other user.
Popular Among Teens
The feature is used around 50 million times a day worldwide, with about half of that coming from Japan. Teens show the highest usage, and in Japan, the "like" emoji accounts for more than half of all reactions.
Users can also react using purchased emojis or those acquired through actions like adding official accounts as friends.
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Author: Katsutoshi Takagi, The Sankei Shimbun
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