Facebook reactions allow users to quickly respond to posts with emojis representing different emotions. Reactions were introduced by Facebook in 2016 as an expansion of the traditional “Like” button. There are currently 6 main reactions that can be used on Facebook posts and comments.
The 6 Main Reactions on Facebook
The 6 reactions available on Facebook are:
- Like – A thumbs up icon representing something you enjoy or agree with.
- Love – A heart icon representing love, support or appreciation.
- Care – An icon with a face hugging a heart, representing empathy, concern or support.
- Haha – An icon laughing with tears, representing humor, fun or comedy.
- Wow – An icon with wide eyes and mouth open, representing surprise, amazement or impressed.
- Sad – An icon with a tear, representing sadness, sympathy or disappointment.
When Were Reactions Introduced?
Facebook reactions were first introduced in February 2016. Initially, only the Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry reactions were available. The Angry reaction with a frowning face was replaced by the Care reaction in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why Did Facebook Introduce Reactions?
There were a few reasons why Facebook introduced reaction emojis:
- To allow users to respond with a wider range of emotions beyond just “Like”.
- To enable more nuanced feedback and conversations.
- To give users shorthand emotional responses.
- To compete with other social networks that had reactions, such as Twitter’s heart button.
How Widely Used Are Reactions?
Reactions have become very popular on Facebook. Here are some statistics on Facebook reaction usage:
- Over 5 billion reactions are tapped daily on Facebook (Facebook, 2020).
- The Like reaction remains the most popular, used 7x more than any other reaction (Facebook, 2016).
- Love is the 2nd most tapped reaction after Like (Facebook, 2020).
- The Haha reaction is used heavily on posts with humor or comedy.
- Sad and Angry reactions see spikes during times of collective mourning or outrage.
Where Can Reactions Be Used?
Reactions can be used in the following places on Facebook:
- On posts in News Feed
- On photos and videos
- On friends’ profile pictures and cover photos
- In Groups on posts and comments
- On Page posts and comments
- In Messenger on messages
- On Facebook Stories
Reactions cannot be used on ads or on Facebook Marketplace listings.
How to Use Reactions
Using a reaction on Facebook is very easy:
- Click on the post or comment you want to react to.
- Move your mouse slightly to the right and the reaction icons will appear.
- Click on the reaction emoji that expresses how you feel.
The reaction will be immediately applied and notify the original poster.
Who Can See Your Reactions?
Your Facebook reactions are visible to whoever can see the post they are applied to, similar to Likes. For example:
- Reactions on public posts can be seen by anyone.
- Reactions on friends’ posts can be seen by those friends and their friends.
- Reactions in private Groups can only be seen by group members.
- Reactions on your own posts can be seen by your friends.
You can unlike a reaction by clicking on it again. This will remove it.
Analysis of Reactions
Page owners can view analytics on the reactions left on their Page posts to see how people are responding. Here is a sample reaction analysis for a Page post:
| Reaction | Count |
|---|---|
| Like | 89 |
| Love | 23 |
| Care | 4 |
| Haha | 12 |
| Wow | 5 |
| Sad | 2 |
This shows the Like reaction was used the most, with Love and Haha being the next most popular. Page owners can use this data to better understand how their audience is responding.
Uses for Reactions in Marketing
Reactions can provide valuable data for Facebook marketing. Brands can analyze reactions on their posts to determine:
- What types of content get high Love, Haha or Wow reactions to do more of that.
- What content gets more Angry or Sad reactions to potentially avoid.
- How reaction trends change over time.
- How reactions differ by country, age or gender demographics.
This helps guide content strategy and targeting. However brands should not optimize solely for reactions, but use them as one signal among many.
Controversies Around Reactions
Facebook reactions have not been without controversy. Some of the debates include:
- Removes the social norming impact of a unified Like button.
- Enables negative or inappropriate reactions like Angry or Haha on sensitive posts.
- Opens the door to endless new reactions like Twitter’s heart button.
- Causes overthinking simple interactions that were previously just Likes.
Despite concerns, reactions have endured as a core part of the Facebook user experience.
Conclusion
Facebook reactions enable users to express a wider range of emotions and provide brands and Page owners deeper analytics. While the Like reaction still dominates, Love, Care, Haha and the other reactions have become an integral way for people to interact with content on Facebook. Reactions add color and nuance to conversations within Facebook’s communities.