While Facebook has become something of a love it or hate it social network for a lot of users, it’s safe to say that the network has tried to revamp their image over the past few years. Expanding into areas such as video, giving YouTube something to worry about, and trying their best to make the Facebook app on mobile a little lighter. One thing that people will always associate with Facebook is the Like button, and now Facebook is ready to expand upon the simple thumbs-up, and while there won’t be a thumbs-down option, there’s definitely going to be some diversification in what you can say with the Like button.
Talking to Bloomberg Business, Chris Cox, Facebook’s Chief Product Office and his team discussed the changes that are coming to Facebook “soon”. The profile from Bloomberg tells the story of how the process to revamp the Like button started over a year ago, and that Chris Cox is the man behind the Facebook app, as Zuckerberg focuses on expanding the business with WhatsApp, Instagram etc. The end result of lots of research, Cox getting to know all of the employees and testing is that the Like button will be getting an extension in the form of Reactions. These reactions will include – as well as Like – Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry. Yay was originally planned to be included as well, but it was rejected in the end because it wasn’t “universally understood”.
These options will act as an extension of the Like button, so people who are used to just tapping the button will probably not notice a difference. Press and hold the button however, and these new options will appear. The new feature will roll out in the coming weeks, and it’s likely it’ll hit all platforms at the same time, such is the nature of the Like button. The whole article from Bloomberg is worth a read, but the long and short is that new reactions are coming to the Like button at long last, and some of them can be previewed in the gallery below.
