Facebook just added a bunch of hidden Easter eggs you can unlock by typing special words
Your News Feed is about to get a lot more colorful.
Facebook is updating the list of words that, when included in a status update, trigger hidden animations.
The social network has been experimenting with these for awhile — you've probably seen them on posts with the words "congratulations" or "xoxo" (or some variation thereof.) When posted, these words appear as a different color and clicking on them triggers a brief animation (balloons or hearts, for example.)
Now, Facebook is updating the list of words that triggers these animations. Additions include: "rad," "bff," "lmao," and "thank you so much." All of those words will now come with their own colors and animation effects.
Facebook is also updating the animations associated with reactions to "life events," like engagements and weddings. Now, when people add a reaction to a "life event," the reaction will come alongside animated reactions that fill the update.
The updates are the latest way Facebook is turning to colorful animations to spice up the News Feed. The social network is always looking for ways to boost "original sharing" — posts that are, you know, actual thoughts, not just reposting of memes and viral videos.
Adding more animations and features like its colorful status updates are one way to accomplish that goal. (It's also not a bad distraction from all that Russia stuff.)
Either way, though, get ready to see a lot more random animated emoji on Facebook.
Topics Facebook Social Media
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
