April 18, 2020 - 12:55 AMT
Facebook, Messenger add "care" reaction to the like button

Facebook is expanding its like reactions with a “care” reaction to help people show support. Facebook says it hopes the reaction, which shows a face hugging a heart, helps people feel “a bit more connected” with their friends and family during the pandemic, The Verge reports.

The care reaction is slated to launch globally on Facebook’s app and website sometime next week, and it can be accessed alongside the other like button reactions. A different care reaction will be coming to Facebook Messenger: a beating heart. Messenger already has a non-animated heart reaction. However, users will be given an option to switch to the new one by pressing and holding down on the default heart reaction.

The tech giant earlier announced it would start adding anti-misinformation messages to the News Feeds of people who share articles containing false information pertaining to COVID-19.

Due to the pandemic, Facebook has seen a significant increase in usage around the globe as many people stay indoors and practice social distancing. Though Facebook usage is up, the company outlined in late March that it’s being negatively affected financially due to the decrease in digital ad spending.