Life

How To Use Facebook Reactions On Comments

by Lily Feinn

Emoji are an important currency on Facebook — we use them to support our friends' posts, express our condolences, and now we even have them as an option when it comes to responding to comments! If you're wondering how to use Facebook reactions on comments in your News Feed, then I've got you covered. With the expansion of reaction options, you can start personalizing your responses without all those pesky words getting in the way. Hooray!

Although being able to use reactions on posts has been around for a while now, being able to use them on comments is new. Indeed, Facebook fans have been cambering for more ways to interact with their News Feeds, and the message has been received. “We’ve heard from people they’d like more ways to show their reaction in conversations on Facebook, so we’re rolling out the ability to react to comments,” a Facebook spokesperson tells Bustle. The expanded feature started rolling out for desktop users on Wednesday, May 3, and is now available to mobile users as well. Users can now choose from six emoji options with the tap of their screen, instead of being restricted to only hitting "Like" are "Reply" on comments.

This update comes about a month after Facebook Messenger added the ability to post reactions on individual messages — so now users can react to pretty much anything with a diverse group of animated pictograms. The reactions on comments work identically to to those on main News Feed posts and are visible to all — so keep that in mind before selecting the "angry" emoji as a reply every time.

Here's how to respond to comments with Facebook reactions, and save time instead of typing:

1

Update Your Facebook App

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To get the new Facebook reactions on your mobile device, make sure you are running the latest version of the app. Head over to the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store and click on "updates" to download version 91.0 that was released on May 4, 2017.

2

Find A Comment You Want To React To & Hold Down On "Like"

Lily Feinn/Bustle

Once the download is complete, open the app and scroll through your News Feed. Once you find an interesting post — there are probably quite a few on health care right about now — click or tap to view the comments on the post. If you see a comment worthy of your reaction, hover over the "like" button underneath to reveal your new options. On mobile, press and hold on the "like" button with your finger.

3

Select Your Personalized Reaction

Lily Feinn/Bustle

Facebook users replying to comments now have their choice of six default reactions: like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry. You can now finally express the proper adoration for a comment without having to type out "Love it!" or "lol" (because words are so 2009).

4

Tell 'Em How You Really Feel!

Lily Feinn/Bustle

Once you have selected your desired reaction, the chosen emoji will appear beneath the comment for all to view. While the process is quick and easy, the emoji will stack up as more reactions are added, so things do get a bit messy, The Verge notes.

The addition of these default reactions may be a small change, but they will be incredibly useful when it comes time to respond to a long chain of comments. Why just "like" a reply when you can "love" it?