We have a lot going on right now, both in the real world and virtually. Not everything has to be a big story though and sometimes, we need to have small, inconsequential things too. At least that’s what we get from the newest Facebook announcement. They’re bringing in new “care reaction” buttons to both the main Facebook app and also the Messenger app. This is for those times when you want to tell someone you’re virtually speaking too that you care, while practicing social distancing.
While you can always give a heart reaction to a post from your friend, there are times when a “care reaction” can come in handy. For example, someone posts about the passing away of a loved one, you’re caught between the weird space of a heart or a sad reaction. Having an “I care about you and what you’re going through” reaction seems more appropriate and so now you have that specific button to react with (or you can also just comment directly).
The care reaction button for the main Facebook app features an emoji embracing a heart. It should make people feel “more connected” even if it’s just virtually. Meanwhile, on Facebook Messenger, you’ll get a beating heart reaction button. You already have a heart reaction button but it’s not animated. If you want the animated, purple beating heart, you have to press and hold down the default heart reaction.
We’re launching new Care reactions on @facebookapp and @Messenger as a way for people to share their support with one another during this unprecedented time.
We hope these reactions give people additional ways to show their support during the #COVID19 crisis. pic.twitter.com/HunGyK8KQw
— Alexandru Voica (@alexvoica) April 17, 2020
Don’t worry, Facebook is also doing other, more important work while we’re dealing with the pandemic. In fact, they recently announced that they will be notifying users that they have interacted with content that contained misinformation about COVID-19. They’re on a constant battle in not just sharing confirmed news from authoritative sources but also stopping the tide of sometimes dangerous fake news.
The care reaction button for the Facebook main app and the web version will start rolling out sometime in the next few days. You’ll be able to find it alongside the other reaction buttons. The beating hard reaction in Messenger will soon be available but they didn’t give a timetable for it.
