Facebook Rolls Out New 'Like' Button Reactions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – Facebook's expanded Like button "reactions" are being rolled out to news feeds today.
It's the first time you'll be able to react to your friends' posts with more than just a like.
Facebook says it's "like" button isn't going away.
Facebook has been testing alternatives to "like" in about a half-dozen countries, including Ireland, Spain and Japan.
On Wednesday, it will start making "haha," ''angry" and three other responses available in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
In changing a core part of Facebook - the 7-year-old "like" button has become synonymous with the social network - the company said it tried to keep things familiar.
The thumbs-up "like" button will look just as it long has, without the other choices cluttering the screen or confusing people. You have to hold that button for a second or two for the alternatives to pop up.
Facebook chose to offer more nuanced reactions - "love," ''haha," ''wow," ''sad" and "angry" - alongside "like" - to give users "greater control over their expressivity," says Julie Zhuo, Facebook's product design director.
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Zhuo says people click on "like" more than a billion times a day, so "we didn't want to make that any harder." It's still the go-to reaction for most posts. But Zhuo says in the countries tested, people used the alternatives more frequently over time.
The rollout is expected to take a few days to complete. You'll get the feature automatically on Web browsers, but you'll need to update your app on iPhones and Android devices (no word yet on Windows and BlackBerry).
The feature is expected to evolve over time, and Facebook may add or change choices based on feedback.
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