User Story 4 - As a user, I want the ability to react to messages using emojis, so that I can express my reaction without the need to reply.

[DachiCharkviani]

As a user, I want the ability to react to messages using emojis, so that I can express my reaction without the need to reply

Justification:
Introducing emoji reactions will give users a quick and easy way to express their emotions or responses without the need for additional text. Users will benefit from the ability to acknowledge messages casually, making conversations more dynamic and expressive. It also helps foster a positive environment by allowing users to express emotion more clearly, which can sometimes be lost in text-based communication. The value of this feature lies in its ability to improve user engagement by offering a lightweight and fun way to interact with messages. Emoji reactions provide a non-intrusive way to acknowledge a message, keeping conversations flowing without requiring lengthy responses.

Impact:
This feature will significantly enhance user engagement, allowing for quicker and more casual responses to messages. It adds to the interactivity of the platform by enabling users to acknowledge messages in a fun and lightweight way. Emoji reactions will also help create a more positive and expressive communication environment, improving the overall user experience.

Effort:
The effort requires integration of both frontend and backend components to support real-time emoji reactions, ensuring that they are synced across users and devices.

Backend:

• Add functionality to store emoji reactions, linking them to specific messages and users.
• Implement real-time synchronization to ensure emoji reactions are displayed instantly for all users.

Frontend:

• Design a simple and intuitive UI for selecting and displaying emoji reactions under messages.
• Ensure emoji reactions update in real-time across devices and are easily visible next to the respective messages.

Estimation of time required to do this: 30-40 hours