For example, if a user types “See you soon” followed by a heart emoji, he/she will see a sticker in the suggestion strip. Tapping on it will open a side-scrolling tab with different sticker options to insert into the message.
Image Credit: Android Police
Operation wise, the new feature is similar to the Emoji Kitchen that allows users to mix two or more emojis to create a new emoji. The new text-based stickers are currently available in the beta version of Gboard.
According to the report, Gboard shows suggestions for most of the phrases, but not all yet. Also, the only way to access these text-based stickers is via Gboard’s suggestion strip. Text-based stickers do not appear when browsing the full emoji picker.
Meanwhile, Google is rolling out new features for Spaces in Google Chat. These include features like setting Space Managers, Space guidelines and Space descriptions. The Space Managers role will give certain users more control over the management of space. They will also be able to add descriptions to Spaces and also define guidelines that establish rules and expectations for members to create a safer community experience.
