Facebook Changed the “Like” Button to Six Different Emotions

It’s not a dislike button, but it’s the next-best thing. Facebook changed its “like” button to a range of emotions including love, surprise and sadness,

After testing the new option in some countries, Facebook is making the change official. It means that instead of just being able to like posts, users will be able to express several different feelings.

Facebook members have long called for a dislike button and the new options – called “Reactions” by Facebook – are the closest thing.

When pressing down on the like button, a pop up will appear offering six different reactions. Their proper names according to Facebook are “Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry”.

Hovering over one of the options animates them – the “Haha” face laughs, for example – and releasing your thumb on mobiles or clicking on desktop selects that particular reaction.

Facebook had previously tested a “yay” reaction, but removed it after testing showed that users did not take to it.

Reactions are also likely to make it easier for Facebook to better target posts, with reactions being a more accurate way of determining something’s value, although all reactions will count as likes at the beginning, according to a message on Facebook’s blog for publishers.

“Over time we hope to learn how the different Reactions should be weighted differently by News Feed to do a better job of showing everyone the stories they most want to see,” Facebook said.