What Do Facebook Emojis Mean? Like, Care, Love, & More

Co-authored by Imad Jbara and Eric McClure

Last Updated: May 6, 2024 Fact Checked

Wondering what all of those little emoji reactions mean on Facebook? While many of the react emojis are fairly straightforward, a few of them have an impressive amount of versatility and nuance to them. That’s why we’re here to break it all down. In this article, we’ll cover what all of the emoji reactions on Facebook mean, explain how to use them, and even walk you through the fringe, secondary meanings.

Section 1 of 7:

👍 Like — Thumbs Up

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The “like” button indicates general approval. The blue thumbs up emoji is the “like” button. It’s used to generally show that you appreciated or enjoyed what someone posted.^{[1]
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- The like button is a little less emotional than the other Facebook emoji reactions, which tend to have subtext and more nuance depending on how they’re used.
- To “like” something, simply click the word “like” under a post. All other reactions require you to hover over the like button, wait for the menu to pop up, then manually select another reaction.
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Use the 👍 to signal that you enjoy a post. You might use the like button to show a friend that you agree with their political statement. If an acquaintance posts a video of a cute cat that makes your day, you could hit the like button to show them you enjoyed it. It’s a general way of saying, “I like this.”^{[2]
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- For example, if a friend posts something like, “I’m voting for Mayor Anderson this year. We need a change!” and you agree with their sentiment, you might hit the like button.
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Because the like button is a lot easier to press than the other reaction emojis, it tends to be the lazy man’s way of acknowledging others. It’s sort of like saying, “I have seen your post and wish to support you, but not enough to comment something meaningful.” It’s not a diss or anything—it’s just vague support.

Section 2 of 7:

❤️ Love — Beating Heart

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The beating heart emoji is supposed to function the same way a regular ❤️ emoji would over text. It’s a sign of support, care, and intimate love.^{[3]
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Add a ❤️ react to show someone you care. Did your best friend get a job promotion? Your crush post something kind of flirty on your wall? Mom wish you a happy birthday? Use a heart react to indicate that you love what someone said.
- You can also use the ❤️ to express sympathy, similar to the 🥰 “care” reaction. If someone posts about making it through a tough final exam, you can use a ❤️ to demonstrate support.
You can also think of the ❤️ reaction as a kind of “super like” button. You might use it to show your friend that you really love the way they set up their new apartment, or put a ❤️ on your friend’s post where they’re talking about throwing a big party you’d love to attend.^{[4]
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Section 3 of 7:

🥰 Care – Hugging Heart

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Facebook added the care reaction at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help people be there for one another. In the face of bad news, the care react signals that you sympathize with what someone is going through.^{[5]
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Send a 🥰 to show someone that you’re there for them. The care emoji is perhaps the most genuine and intimate of all the reactions, so use it whenever you really want someone to know you’ve got their back.
- If a friend posts about how they’re dealing with a tough illness or they’re sharing about how they’re working super hard for a promotion and struggling, this is the reaction for you.
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Secondary meaning: “I support this cause.” When someone posts a news story about a pressing civil rights issue, you might use the care reaction to signal that you’re paying attention to the issue and support it.^{[6]
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- If someone shares a post about mental health awareness or something of that sort, a care emoji is a sign that you care about that cause.

Section 4 of 7:

😂 Haha — Laughing Face

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Like “lol” and “lmao,” this emoji reaction signals that you think something is hilarious.^{[7]
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Did you stumble across a ridiculous meme that got a chuckle out of you? Did your friend make a zany reference to an inside joke you share? The 😂 reaction is a signal that you’re amused!
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Secondary meaning: “You’re a clown, and not in a good way.” This is perhaps the most passive-aggressive emoji out there. The 😂 can mean, “What you’ve said is so dumb that I’m laughing,” or, “What a hilariously shortsighted thing to say.” Want to turn the snark up,
- For example, if someone says “The Jets are going to the Super Bowl this year,” and you just think that’s a laughable proposition, you might use the 😂 to indicate you think they’re being ridiculous.

Section 5 of 7:

😯 Wow — Surprised Face

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The “wow” emoji indicates shock. The 😯 reaction is a sign that you’re blown away by something. It’s like you’re throwing your arms up in the air and going “holy cow!” This could be a good or bad thing depending on the post being reacted to.^{[8]
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- On a post about a monkey that learned how to juggle, a 😯 might mean “wow, that’s neat!”
- In a post about a politician being indicted for corruption charges, a 😯 may signal “you’ve got to be kidding me!”
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Select the 😯 reaction to show you’re impressed or surprised. If someone posted something that got you to raise your eyebrow, use a 😯 reaction. This will let them know that you’re shocked (in a good or bad way).^{[9]
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- For example, you could use a 😯 to react to a post about a woman climbing the outside of a skyscraper, or a man wrestling an alligator.
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Secondary meaning: “Oh boy, that’s exciting!” In corner cases, you can use a 😯 to signal that you’re amped about some news. This is a little more emotionally neutral than a ❤️ or 🥰 reaction, but it still signals excitement.
- For example, if someone posts “I’m going to ride my first roller coaster today!” you could use a 😯 to express a positive enthusiasm.

Section 6 of 7:

😢 Sad — Crying face

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The crying face indicates emotional pain. The same way you’d cry if you saw something depressing IRL, you’d use the sad reaction to indicate emotional pain.^{[10]
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Use the 😢 emoji to express empathy. If you want to communicate that something is making you sad, the 😢 react is appropriate. However, don’t use the 😢 to react to your friends’ personal struggles if you want to communicate support. This is more of a “I’m sad” reaction. The care or heart reactions are more appropriate when it comes to showing people you care.^{[11]
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- People do not typically use the 😢 reaction when someone is complaining about something serious, or genuinely upset.
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Secondary meaning: “Awww, I’m totally sad for you.” Like the haha reaction, this emoji can be used ironically to signal the opposite of what it means. If you use this reaction on a comment or post that isn’t intended to elicit genuine sadness, it will be interpreted this way.
- For example, if someone posts, “I buy a lotto ticket every week and I never win. I’m starting to get annoyed,” you could use a 😢 to sort of say, “Boo hoo. Stop playing the lottery, goofball!”

Section 7 of 7:

😡 Angry — Red Face

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The angry face communicates anger of all kinds. Everything from general annoyance to outright visceral rage can be responded to with an angry react.^{[12]
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Add a 😡 whenever you see upsetting or ignorant posts. If someone says something that really pushes your buttons but you don’t want to write out a combative response, hit the 😡 button and keep it moving. This will communicate that you’re not a fan without triggering a big online fight.^{[13]
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- You might use this to signal that you’re upset with someone’s political statements, personal beliefs, or nasty comments.
If someone tells a story about someone else behaving rudely, or they share a post about someone behaving despicably, you can use the 😡 react to say, “I totally agree that this is worth being upset about.”

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You can also click the little emoji face in the upper right-hand corner of any reply box (or the status box) to use normal emojis in your posts and comments.

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