Facebook’s Oft-Requested Dislike Button Makes An Appearance In Messenger App
At long last, Facebook is getting a Dislike button, but not in the way many had hoped for. Rather than add a Dislike button News Feed posts, Facebook is currently testing the feature to a small number of users in Messenger, the company's separate instant messaging application. Those who have access to the new Dislike emoji will see a thumbs-down option next to the thumbs-up emoji.
A Vietnamese blogger named Hoan Do noticed the inclusion of a Dislike emoji that appears when hovering over messages friends have sent in a chat thread. He sent the tip to TechCrunch, which followed up with Facebook and received confirmation that it is in fact testing the new reaction.
"We're always testing ways to make Messenger more fun and engaging. This is a small test where we enable people to share an emoji that best represents their feeling on a message," Facebook said.
Not everyone has access to the Dislike emoji and it is not clear if Facebook will roll this out to all Messenger users over a period of time. That decision likely depends on how testing goes and whether users who have access to it provide positive or negative feedback to Facebook.
It is no secret that the Facebook community at large wants a Dislike button. Facebook is well aware of the demand, but has so far resisted implementing one because it fears a Dislike button would be used negatively. As a compromise, Facebook added a range of Reactions around this time last year—in addition to Liking posts, users can alternatively choose between Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry.
The added Reactions filled a gap for posts where it might have felt awkward to hit the Like button, such as when someone announces the death of a friend, family member, or pet. However, there are legitimate uses for a Dislike button that remain, such as being laid off from work or for voting.
In any event, while a Dislike button in Messenger isn't what users have been asking for, it's at least a step in the right direction.
A Vietnamese blogger named Hoan Do noticed the inclusion of a Dislike emoji that appears when hovering over messages friends have sent in a chat thread. He sent the tip to TechCrunch, which followed up with Facebook and received confirmation that it is in fact testing the new reaction.
"We're always testing ways to make Messenger more fun and engaging. This is a small test where we enable people to share an emoji that best represents their feeling on a message," Facebook said.
Not everyone has access to the Dislike emoji and it is not clear if Facebook will roll this out to all Messenger users over a period of time. That decision likely depends on how testing goes and whether users who have access to it provide positive or negative feedback to Facebook.
It is no secret that the Facebook community at large wants a Dislike button. Facebook is well aware of the demand, but has so far resisted implementing one because it fears a Dislike button would be used negatively. As a compromise, Facebook added a range of Reactions around this time last year—in addition to Liking posts, users can alternatively choose between Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry.
The added Reactions filled a gap for posts where it might have felt awkward to hit the Like button, such as when someone announces the death of a friend, family member, or pet. However, there are legitimate uses for a Dislike button that remain, such as being laid off from work or for voting.
In any event, while a Dislike button in Messenger isn't what users have been asking for, it's at least a step in the right direction.
