Facebook Is Actually Testing Its 'Dislike' Button -- But It's Probably Not What You Expected

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did his best to break the Internet last month when he announced the social network was building a “Dislike” button. Well, that button is ready for testing, but it’s not the giant thumbs-down you probably expected.

Facebook is testing a feature that lets users respond to News Feed posts using other emotions besides “Like” — things like “haha,” “sad” or “angry.” Facebook is testing six new emotions, each with its own corresponding emoji, as a way to encourage people to engage with posts where “Like” isn’t appropriate or desired. It’s tough to “Like” a post about a loved one passing away, for example.

Facebook

Facebook is also open to adding more emotions down the road, said Adam Mosseri, product manager for News Feed.

What isn’t included in the list of new emotions is an actual “Dislike” button, which is likely to annoy some Facebookers because, well, Zuckerberg said it was coming. It was likely a prudent decision, to be honest, given the Internet’s propensity for bullying.

You can probably still get the point across by sharing that you think a post makes you “sad” or “angry,” which should also be interesting, since you can also apply these new emotions to in-feed ads. (It’s hard to imagine an advertiser will enjoy paying for a Facebook ad that makes users “angry.”)

On a related note, many Facebook users will be both sad and angry to hear that they won’t have access to the new feature. Facebook is only testing it in Ireland and Spain, and it’s unclear when it’ll be pushed out more broadly. In the meantime, continue to keep dislikes to yourself.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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