Twitter may introduce emoji reactions, downvote option for tweets
In a move resembling the 2015 replacement of Favorites (star icon) with Likes (heart icon), microblogging site Twitter could reportedly introduce emoji reactions and downvotes for tweets. A small number of Twitter users reported that a survey asked them to pick five emojis out of 20 which they would like to see if Twitter rolled out the emoji reactions feature.
Twitter has been actively adding features to its platform lately
Twitter has been working on a bunch of updates recently including audio chat rooms, Super Follow, and a paywalled time-limited Undo Tweet option. The latest feature, however, seems to mimic Facebook which introduced emoji reactions for posts on its platform in 2016. Twitter's survey also asked users to pick the best one of three sets of emojis. Each set contained seven emojis.
Matt Navarra shares screenshots from Twitter's survey
In the survey, some reactions have choice of usable emojis
Twitter has been toying with the idea of introducing emojis since June 2020. Some of the reactions spotted in the survey include Like, Funny, Interesting, Sad, Awesome, Support, and Angry. 9to5Mac reports that in some cases, the Awesome reaction uses a fire emoji instead of a surprised face and the Support reaction shows raised hands instead of a hugging emoji.
Twitter seems concerned how users would interpret downvotes they receive
Additionally, Twitter might introduce upvote and downvote options for tweets, just like Reddit. The company seems concerned about the possible impact of this feature as a question in the survey asks how users would feel if their tweet was downvoted. Pocketnow speculates that downvotes may negatively impact mental health of Twitterati, especially because Twitter doesn't offer the veil of anonymity that Reddit does.
Twitter might implement emoji reactions; Uncertain about downvote option
Twitter's Chief Design Officer Dantley Davis told a Twitter user curious about emoji reactions, "We'll have something for you soon". Although the upvote/downvote options are available across platforms including YouTube, Imgur, and Reddit, Twitter is surveying users and seems to be on the fence about it. The company didn't say if and when the new features would be tested or released.
