Today we're launching a test of Reactions -- a more expressive Like button. The Like button has been a part of Facebook for a long time. Billions of Likes are made every day, and Liking things is a simple way to express yourself.For many years though, people have asked us to add a "dislike" button. Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy. These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself.At a recent Townhall Q&A, I shared with our community that we've spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to give you better options for expressing yourself, while keeping the experience simple and respectful. Today we're starting to test this.Reactions gives you new ways to express love, awe, humor and sadness. It's not a dislike button, but it does give you the power to easily express sorrow and empathy -- in addition to delight and warmth. You’ll be able to express these reactions by long pressing or hovering over the Like button. We’re starting to test Reactions in Ireland and Spain and will learn from this before we bring the experience to everyone. We hope you like this – or can better express how you’re feeling!

Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, October 8, 2015

 

Facebook's new Reactions button was rolled out to the masses today and while it doesn't include the 'dislike' option we all wanted, it does let you express more emotion that just the normal 'like' button did before. It's still not nearly as simple as just making 'dislike' an option, but we can dig it.

Here's how Zuckerberg described the new feature in a post on Facebook:

Today we're launching a test of Reactions -- a more expressive Like button.

The Like button has been a part of Facebook for a long time. Billions of Likes are made every day, and Liking things is a simple way to express yourself.

For many years though, people have asked us to add a "dislike" button. Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy. These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself.

At a recent Townhall Q&A, I shared with our community that we've spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to give you better options for expressing yourself, while keeping the experience simple and respectful. Today we're starting to test this.

Reactions gives you new ways to express love, awe, humor and sadness. It's not a dislike button, but it does give you the power to easily express sorrow and empathy -- in addition to delight and warmth. You’ll be able to express these reactions by long pressing or hovering over the Like button.

We’re starting to test Reactions in Ireland and Spain and will learn from this before we bring the experience to everyone. We hope you like this – or can better express how you’re feeling!

If you don't see the 'Reactions' options yet, here's what you need to do:

Desktop:

If you're on the desktop browser version of Facebook, all you have to do is hover your mouse over the like button and the new reactions will automatically pop up. Just make sure you pick the one you want, it's easy to inadvertently "love" that someone's grandma died.

FB Reactions Desktop
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Mobile:

If you're using Facebook's mobile app, you may have to close out of the app completely and reopen it in order to see the reactions appear. Then, all you have to do is hold down the 'like' button to see the reactions. If you change your mind and don't want to leave a reaction at all, just release the button to cancel any action.

FB Reactions Mobile GIF
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Right now the reactions are only available on statuses, photos and videos - still just the standard 'like' button for individual comments.

How do you feel about Facebook's new 'Reactions' button? Let us know in the comments below!

BONUS! How to Prioritize Your Facebook News Feed:

Facebook is changing your news feed again, but this time for the better! Here's how you can take control of what you see first in your feed.

Posted by 102.3 Blake FM on Tuesday, July 28, 2015

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