Facebook uses a variety of icons, symbols and other visual cues to help users interact with the platform. These little symbols appear next to posts, comments, profiles and other places across Facebook. But what do they all mean? Here’s a guide to some of the most common Facebook icons and symbols and what they signify.
Like, Comment, Share Icons
The most ubiquitous Facebook symbols are the Like, Comment and Share icons. These appear under every post and allow users to interact with the content.
- The Like icon is represented by a blue thumbs up symbol. Clicking this indicates you appreciate or enjoy the post without leaving a comment.
- The Comment icon looks like a cartoon speech bubble. Clicking this allows you to leave a comment on the post and engage in discussion.
- The Share icon is depicted by an arrow curving away from a box. Clicking Share lets you share the post with your own friends or followers.
These core icons allow for social engagement on Facebook in a simple, visual way. The number appearing next to each icon shows how many Likes, Comments or Shares the post has received from other users.
Reactions Icons
In addition to the Like button, Facebook also offers a range of “Reaction” icons that allow you to react to a post in a more expressive way.
Reactions include:
- Thumbs Up – Like
- Heart – Love
- Haha – Amusement
- Wow – Amazement
- Sad – Sadness
- Angry – Anger
To use Reactions, click the Like button on any post and a tray of Reaction options will appear. Select the icon that best represents how you feel about the post or content.
Live Video Icons
When a Facebook user is broadcasting a live video, you’ll see additional icons allowing you to interact with the live stream.
- Like and Comment work as normal under live videos.
- Heart – Sends the broadcaster hearts during the video.
- Laugh – Sends laughing emojis.
- Thumbs Up – Send the broadcaster a thumbs up.
- Wow – Sends blowing mind emojis.
- Sad – Sends crying face emojis.
- Angry – Sends angry face emojis.
These icons allow you to feedback reactions and emotions to the broadcaster as their video streams live.
Profile Icons
On Facebook profiles, icons appear next to the profile name and picture to provide extra information about the user:
- Globe – Indicates a public figure or celebrity whose profile is verified.
- Tick – Means the user has gone through Facebook’s ID confirmation process.
- House – Shows this is the user’s primary Facebook profile.
These help distinguish different types of profiles and build credibility and trust for public figures on the platform.
Menu and Settings Icons
Facebook uses icons for various menu and settings options:
- 3 horizontal lines – Opens the left sidebar menu.
- Magnifying glass – Lets you search Facebook.
- House outline – Takes you to your personal News Feed.
- Users outline – Shows your friends list.
- Bell outline – Alerts you to Notifications.
- Lock outline – Provides privacy Shortcuts.
- Question mark – Opens Facebook Help Center.
- Down arrow – Accesses your Facebook account settings.
Familiarize yourself with these icons to easily navigate Facebook and access key features.
Post Formatting Icons
When creating a post, Facebook includes formatting icons to adjust text style, add lists, insert media and more:
- Bold “B” – Bold text.
- Italic “I” – Italicize text.
- List icon – Create numbered/bulleted lists.
- Image icon – Insert image.
- Camera icon – Take a photo/video to insert.
- Sticker icon – Add a Facebook sticker.
- GIF icon – Search for a GIF to insert.
- Tag icon – Tag people or pages.
- Feeling/activity icon – Share your feelings or activity.
- Check-in icon – Check in to share your location.
- … icon - More formatting options.
Use these to spice up your posts with formatting, visuals and interactive elements.
Groups Icons
Inside Facebook Groups, special icons represent different user roles and permissions:
- Crown – Admin of the group.
- Star – Moderator.
- Person outline – Member of the group.
- People outlines – Public group anyone can join.
- People solid – Private group requiring approval to join.
These help identify who has what abilities within a group at a glance.
Marketplace Icons
Facebook Marketplace uses some unique icons to aid browsing and selling:
- Speech bubble – Lets buyers chat with sellers.
- Truck – Item can be shipped.
- Hand icon – Item for local pickup.
- Shopping bag – Reserved items.
- Handshake – Sale agreed upon.
- Dollar signs – Item’s price.
These make it easy to identify important listing details while scrolling Marketplace.
Gaming Icons
The Facebook Gaming tab utilizes gaming-specific symbols like:
- Controller – Indicates a game being live streamed.
- Eye – Shows a game is popular based on views.
- Friends – Means friends are playing this game.
- Trophy – Game tournaments and competitions.
- NBAM – Computer gaming icon.
These gaming symbols let you find hot trending games and see what your friends are playing.
Notification Icons
Facebook uses notification icons to alert you to various activity happening on or off the platform:
- Friend Request – Someone sent you a friend request.
- Message – You received a new Facebook Message.
- Birthday Cake – A friend’s birthday is approaching.
- Party Popper – An event or group activity.
- Arrow – General notifications.
Notification icons appear near the Notification tab so you can quickly identify the type of alert.
Advertising Icons
Sponsored and suggested content on Facebook contains small icons like:
- Megaphone – Indicates promoted or “boosted” posts in the feed.
- Dollar sign – An advertisement.
- Info icon – Provides context on why you’re seeing an ad.
These icons help distinguish organic vs paid content within your feed.
Facebook App Icons
Within Facebook’s suite of apps, each has their own icon:
- Parent Facebook app – Lowercase f in a blue square.
- Messenger – White speech bubble on blue background.
- Instagram – Multicolored camera.
- WhatsApp – Phone receiver inside green chat bubble.
Look for these icons on your device to easily open each app.
Conclusion
Facebook uses dozens of icons, symbols and visual cues across its platform and apps to facilitate intuitive communication. While it may take some time to learn what they all mean, familiarizing yourself with these Facebook icons can help you more seamlessly interact with content and connect with friends.