Android to Get Google Emoji Bar in Gboard

Google is getting ready to introduce a quick access emoji bar in the Gboard beta version. The company is planning to make it available to all Gboard Android users in the coming months. The users will get to see the new emoji shortcuts bar in Gboard right above the keyboard.

The emoji bar will enable all the users to quickly use multiple emoji without switching to the dedicated emoji page on the keyboard. While presently, users are taping on the emoji icon next to the spacebar to open the emoji page in the Gboard version.  They need to long-press the comma key right between the symbols and language button, where the emoji panel is opened.

Android to Get Google Emoji Bar in Gboard

Google reports that during social distancing times, over a 40 percent rise in the use of emoji has been observed and that is just because people now have more emoji options than ever before.

The company said in a statement, “We’ll see some of those efforts released this fall with a slightly smiling face, an emoji of two people hugging, a man in a veil, a woman in a tuxedo, and a person feeding a baby,”

Last year, Google sent a proposal to introduce more empathetic icons and finding opportunities to bring equity to the keyboard to the Unicode Consortium. For readers’ information, the Unicode is the nonprofit organization maintaining emoji standards as well as guidelines.

117 new emoji, along with other emoji approved by Unicode, will be live with the release of Android 11 in the fall. The report says that the expected launch date of Android 11 is September 8. The Android 11 will come with a host of new features such as redesigned and reorganized notifications. Other than that, the users will also experience a number of accessibility, smart home, and general improvements.

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