X Spaces reactions now play sound effects

Reactions sent in X Spaces now play a matching sound effect. Responses sent instead of writing a comment are another thing a host can take in through their ears. Added in the update of 14 September 2026.

Reactions as sound rather than words

When the bot receives an X Spaces reaction, it plays the matching sound effect if one exists. It does not read the name of the emoji aloud. Applause and thumbs up are covered, along with the waving hand and the purple heart.

Not every reaction has one. Reactions without a matching sound are silent, so when you want a response conveyed for certain, add text as well.

Choosing sound to suit the conversation

While collecting questions, "Full" is easy to work with, since the comment text is audible too. While the host wants to keep talking, try "SE" — it skips the speech synthesis and signals reactions with tones and effects.

Switch from the Space's web chat: sign in with an account that has control, and choose the reading under "settings" at the top. To stop both text and sound, use "Off". Note that "SE" is not a quiet mode.

Presenting in "SE" and switching to "Full" for questions is a workable split. Saying "I'm taking reactions by sound for now" at the start also tells listeners who are waiting for their text to be read what to expect.

The web chat heart is a different thing

There is a heart in the web chat's compose box, but that is a reaction shared inside the chat. These effects are for reactions received in X Spaces, so pressing the web heart does not play the same sound.

Some emoji written in message text also have effects, but the set differs from the X reactions. Keeping "send as a reaction", "write in the text" and "press the web heart" separate makes it easier to work out where a sound came from.

When you first try it, test a reaction at a break in the conversation and decide from there whether to mix sound in. The operations are in the usage guide, and what to check when you hear nothing is in the FAQ.