Facebook Begins Testing Reactions and 'Dislike' Button in Messenger [Update: Officially Launched]

[MacRumors]

A few Facebook Messenger users have noticed that the company's "Reactions" are available to use within the app and on the web, along with a long-requested dislike -- or thumbs down -- button (via TechCrunch). Similar to Tapback in the iOS 10 Messages app, to use Reactions in Facebook Messenger users simply have to hover over a specific message and tap the small emoji button.

Images via TechCrunch​

From there, the app will provide the standard set of Facebook Reactions, including emojis for love, laughter, amazed, sad, and angry. Thumbs up is still available, as well as the all-new thumbs down, which Facebook has said in the past that it wants to avoid using on the main social media site to avoid overt negativity among friends and family members. When Reactions originally launched around a year ago, Facebook aimed for them to be a more nuanced and diverse way to react to posts that was more varied than a simple thumbs up or thumbs down response.

Facebook confirmed this new feature to TechCrunch, saying "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 feelings on a message."

But, according to a statement from the company, within Facebook Messenger the dislike button is being seen as a simple "no" response. Similar to iOS Messages and Slack, Facebook said that its Messenger app is used for coordination and planning, and the addition of message-specific reaction buttons helps streamline plans among large groups of friends.

As is the case with these small tests, it's unclear whether or not Reactions in Facebook Messenger will expand to all users at one point. Last year, the company began testing out a disappearing post feature within Messenger in Poland and Australia, called "Messenger Day." Earlier this year, it launched a similar feature, now called "Facebook Stories," but within the mainline Facebook app for users in Ireland. Neither Snapchat-like update has launched worldwide.

Update 3/23: Facebook has launched Reactions in Messenger worldwide, as well as introduced a new @ mentions feature for the separate messaging app.

Article Link: Facebook Begins Testing Reactions and 'Dislike' Button in Messenger [Update: Officially Launched]

 

[Centris 650]

Oh man. Facebook is about to become a lot more hostile place.

 

[CarpalMac]

Macrumors removed their downvote button about what, 5 years ago?

For very good reason.

 

[rudychidiac]

I avoid Facebook Messenger as much as possible. I'm gonna stick to iMessage and Whatsapp thanks!

 

[acegreen]

I avoid Facebook Messenger as much as possible. I'm gonna stick to iMessage and Whatsapp thanks!

Remind us again, whos the owner of Whatsapp?

 

[flowsy]

Remind us again, whos the owner of Whatsapp?

Doesn't matter. Still the way better app for its purpose.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I really like the idea of being able to respond to specific messages. Sometimes you check your messenger inbox and you've got 10 messages from a person, and when you respond it can be confusing which one you're responding to, so elaboration is neccessary. Being able to tap on the messages and tap up or down means you can essentially say "Yes, no, yes, yes" to a series of messages and have it be unambiguous about what all your responses are to.

 

[acegreen]

Doesn't matter. Still the way better app for its purpose.

Way better? how so? I can see it being slightly better for a specific use-case but overall the same s***, different packaging.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Remind us again, whos the owner of Whatsapp?

Oh that's a nice burn. I use Facebook Messenger all the time and it doesn't have a problem. Love the sync feature from Computer to Mobile and it is a powerful software with a lot of great features.

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

People actually use FB messenger? The only time I use it is if I or a friend want to “share” something from my/their feed. it’s the easiest way to do so. But for generic “chat?” No way.

 

[Norbs12]

Macrumors removed their downvote button about what, 5 years ago?

For very good reason.

What is a good reason?
I think if you hide stuff based on downvotes that's a bad way to use it. However, simply showing that 100 people liked and and 200 people disliked should not be an issue.
[doublepost=1488816049][/doublepost]

People actually use FB messenger? The only time I use it is if I or a friend want to “share” something from my/their feed. it’s the easiest way to do so. But for generic “chat?” No way.

Seems like you actually use it.

 

[twinlight]

I got this a couple of days ago. I guess it's okay. Not like I use it in iMessage either..

 

[frumpy16]

Oh man. Facebook is about to become a lot more hostile place.

You apparently did not read the article.

 

[naeS1Sean]

A little off topic, but I've noticed a lot people just use the laughing or angry faces to be mother f'ers on regular Facebook (not Messenger, which I know is what the article is about). I think a dislike button would be less insensitive most of the time if they put it in there as well. I'd rather see a thumbs down at something tragic than an laughing face...if you catch my drift.

 

[Fzang]

A little off topic, but I've noticed a lot people just use the laughing or angry faces to be mother f'ers on regular Facebook (not Messenger, which I know is what the article is about). I think a dislike button would be less insensitive most of the time if they put it in there as well. I'd rather see a thumbs down at something tragic than an laughing face...if you catch my drift.

What I've seen the most is especially the angry emoji being used very ambiguously; either you're angry about how you disagree with a post, you sympathize with the post's anger or you're angry with a mostly neutral reporting that sparks anger because you think things should be different.

 

[macTW]

Oh no. Not a dislike button. However will Americans live their happy lovely lives if someone disagrees with them. That surely will pop their safe bubble.

 

[C DM]

Oh no. Not a dislike button. However will Americans live their happy lovely lives if someone disagrees with them. That surely will pop their safe bubble.

What does this have to do with Americans or anything of the sort?

 

[justperry]

Macrumors removed their downvote button about what, 5 years ago?

For very good reason.

Please tell us why it's a good reason to remove the dislike button but not the like button.
For me we should get nothing at all or both.

 

[techpr]

We need the dislike button on public Facebook posts!!!

 

[AbSoluTc]

I avoid Facebook Messenger as much as possible. I'm gonna stick to iMessage and Whatsapp thanks!

Do realize FB owns WA right? As much as everyone loves that app, it's a crap show. Messenger isn't bad at all but it's FB!

No no and NO!

FB is a blight on this world and I will be happy the day it dies.

 

[C DM]

Please tell us why it's a good reason to remove the dislike button but not the like button.
For me we should get nothing at all or both.

The idea there has been that to agree with something not much of an explanation is needed, so in order to avoid cluttering up discussions with generic "+1" or "agree" or similar comments that don't really add much it's simpler to have a like/+1 feature to allow for that kind of thing. On the other hand, when disagreeing with something some reasoning is useful so that it's not just a meaningless putdown basically, so the idea there is to have someone actually post something with their reasoning for it.

 

[CarpalMac]

Please tell us why it's a good reason to remove the dislike button but not the like button.
For me we should get nothing at all or both.

Ok, how about the reason that it is totally unnecessary? If you like a post then click like, if you don't, then don't and move with your life and read the next post.

If that doesn't suit you, how about those who go around disliking all posts by users they don't like, regardless of content? That adds no value and contributes to increased hostility.

Those to me are good reasons.

What value also does a negative value add? I wouldn't want to see disliked ones being highlighted in articles. I focus on liked posts as it suggests to me they are the best ones to read - that's value.

As for needing it to be an all or nothing option, I think that is just silly.

 

[justperry]

The idea there has been that to agree with something not much of an explanation is needed so in order to avoid cluttering up discussions with generic "+1" or "agree" or similar comments that don't really add much it's simpler to have a like/+1 function to allow for that kind of thing. On the other hand when disagreeing with something some reasoning is useful so that it's not just a manginess putdown basically, so the idea there is to have someone actually post something with their reasoning.

I get the idea behind the removal of the down vote but it should have been all or nothing at all.

An up vote won't tell the whole story either, someone can like the whole post or just one single bit of it yet still up votes the post, instead of doing just that they should comment on it, it makes no difference at all if it's an up vote or down vote.

Again, remove the like button as well or restore the down vote.
[doublepost=1488828447][/doublepost]

Ok, how about the reason that it is totally unnecessary? If you like a post then click like, if you don't, then don't and move with your life and read the next post.

If that doesn't suit you, how about those who go around disliking all posts by users they don't like, regardless of content? That adds no value and contributes to increased hostility.

Those to me are good reasons.

What value also does a negative value add? I wouldn't want to see disliked ones being highlighted in articles. I focus on liked posts as it suggests to me they are the best ones to read - that's value.

As for needing it to be an all or nothing option, I think that is just silly.

No offence but that's just your opinion.

Better just remove the whole points system, it has no value at all.(To me)

 

[C DM]

I get the idea behind the removal of the down vote but it should have been all or nothing at all.

An up vote won't tell the whole story either, someone can like the whole post or just one single bit of it yet still up votes the post, instead of doing just that they should comment on it, it makes no difference at all if it's an up vote or down vote.

Again, remove the like button as well or restore the down vote.

Well, that's the thing, there is a difference, unlike with disagreement, agreement often means agreement with the reasoning so there's really nothing to add beyond just something like "agree" or repeating the same reasoning as was already provided. And if there is, then someone could certainly post that actually adding something new/different. Seems like the "like" feature remained mostly in relation to that so that threads don't needlessly get cluttered up with "agree" posts that mostly either don't say anything more than that or just repeat the same reasoning and the same things again.

There are a number of discussions in the site and forum feedback section here about all of this with comments from the staff that go into more details and more explanations and discussions of it all.

 

[AppleMad98004]

I avoid Facebook Messenger as much as possible. I'm gonna stick to iMessage and Whatsapp thanks!

Ummm isn't Whatsapp a Facebook company....