Apple has updated the hashflag used for WWDC 2021. When the tag went live last week, it was showing the ‘thumbs up’ tapback reaction. But now, it has been changed to the emphasis tapback with the exclamation mark symbol …
Apple has leant heavily on Messages iconography for its WWDC artwork this year. Blue iMessage bubbles appear frequently in the WWDC advertising, as well as a throwback to the ‘Sent with Lasers’ animated message effect.
Although one should never read too closely into Apple’s promotional imagery, the recurring use of iMessages assets lines up with the rumor mill expectations.
So far, Apple has changed the hashflag from the thumbs up to the exclamation mark. It is likely that it will change again to the heart reaction, as Apple has been showing the heart tapback in other WWDC promotional materials already.
On Friday, Joanna Stern at the Wall Street Journal said that big updates were coming to Safari, Health, Maps and iMessage as part of iOS 15. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also said Apple is rolling out new messaging features as it tries to bring iMessage in closer competition with other chat and social networking services like WhatsApp.
