Facebook launches reaction feature: Love stands out as popular

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) Like button reactions are now available for all users.

If you think these reactions look a little familiar, it’s okay.

The social networking giant has launched a new feature called “Reactions” – an extension of the “Like” button to give you more ways to share your reaction to a post in a quick and easy way.

Now with “Reactions”, hold down the “Like” button on mobile or hover over the “Like” button on desktop to convey five new emoticons – Love, Haha, Wow, Sad or Angry.

The Reactions feature allows users to express love, laughter, surprise, sadness or anger, through five emojis.

“Not every moment you want to share is happy”. “People have asked about the dislike button for many years”, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last year, adding: “If you are sharing something that is sad, whether it’s something in current events, like the refugee crisis that touches you, or if a family member passed away, then it may not feel comfortable to “like” that post”.

It said also that it had been conducting testing “for more than a year”, including showing the tool to focus groups and using surveys.

In the Facebook mobile app, you might need to close the app completely and reopen it before the reactions appear. All users across iOS and Android will have to update the Facebook application to see the new feature, but it will be added automatically on web browsers by Thursday.

Facebook has said that now the reactions are only available to use on posts, pictures and videos and not on individual comments. These new buttons essentially let users react to posts in more ways than just like them.

Click on one of the reactions and now the post will show the top three reactions it has received.

Are you able to see and use Facebook’s reaction buttons?