By now you’ve probably heard that Facebook is adding more reactions beyond likes, and the new feature appears to be available to most users around the world. There are six reactions in total – in addition to the now-familiar thumbs-up “like,” you can also “like” a status or photo, have a smiley “haha” reaction, or an open-mouth “wow,” or a “sad” or “angry” reaction.
Using them is also very simple – here’s how it works:
on your phone
- Find a status, photo, or other post to reply to.
- Click and hold the Like button for a few seconds.
- You’ll see a popup with all six options – just click on the one you want to add.
You are now added to the reaction. You’ll see the thumbs up icon replaced by the reaction you selected, so you can quickly see if your post was liked, liked, or wowed. - To change it to another reaction, just repeat steps 2 and 3. To delete the reaction completely, just click the reaction icon on the post.
on your computer
- Find a status, photo, or other post to reply to.
- Hover your mouse over the Like button for a few seconds.
- You’ll see a popup with all six options – just click on the one you want to add.
You are now added to the reaction. You’ll see the thumbs up icon replaced by the reaction you selected, so you can quickly see if your post was liked, liked, or wowed. - To change it to another reaction, just repeat steps 2 and 3. To delete the reaction completely, just click the reaction icon on the post.
That’s all there is to it, but there are a few things to remember. First off, the feature is still rolling out globally – so if you don’t see it on your computer or phone right away, don’t worry, you’ll probably have the option soon.
Second, reactions are a little more complex than a simple “like,” which used to be an easy way to acknowledge a post. Now, clicking “like” on some bad news can seem downright rude because you can respond with sadness instead. Therefore, before reacting to any post, always consider what is most appropriate.
Third, Facebook also says it will use reactions to track user behavior and ad serving — so get ready for a more “personalized” experience on Facebook.
That’s it, what do you think? “Like”, “love” or “angry”? Tell us in the comments.
