Menlo Park, California - WhatsApp is in the process of launching a new feature, and it could come as a relief to users.

The Facebook-owned company is adding a direct message response without having to type a reply. If the reader prefers, they can simply react to a message with an emoji, which has been keeping conversations short and sweet on Facebook Messenger for a while now.

This is part of a tech roadmap for updating WhatsApp with new features, according to the reliably well-informed wabetainfo.

The site published a screenshot of what the reaction function could look like. At least seven reactions in the form of emojis would be selectable.

The feature is currently planned for iOS and Android operating systems.

Since the function is currently still in the test phase, it's still unclear when this will be available for all.

Once the reaction function goes online, WhatsApp users can expect further changes down the road.