Apple has no way to mute emoji reaction alerts in AirPods

AirPods will read new iMessages aloud, and that includes a thumbs-up or a heart on an old message. A Business Insider writer points out that there is no setting to turn off only those reaction alerts.

What the settings allow

When an iMessage arrives while AirPods are in, the phone announces it with "From [name]: message here." Users can turn off all message announcements. The catch is that a useful text, like a request to pick up eggs at the store, goes unheard too.

Another option is to announce only "time sensitive and direct messages." The writer uses that setting, and reaction announcements still get through.

Background

Reactions let someone acknowledge a message with an emoji instead of typing a reply. They used to cause trouble in chats that included an Android phone, because the reactions showed up as separate texts. In 2024, Apple mostly fixed that by adopting a texting standard called Rich Communications Services. Green-bubble chats can now use reactions normally.

What is not known

The article does not say Apple plans to change how AirPods handle reactions. The writer asks Apple CEO John Ternus to add a toggle in the Notifications settings of the Messages app. Until something like that exists, the choices are all announcements, none, or the limited setting that still lets reactions through.