Twitter has changed the way users show that they like a tweet, by replacing its “favourite” star icon to a love heart “like”.
Instead of tapping the star to show your interest in another Twitter post, users can now tap the heart to show that they “like” it.
In a blog post, Twitter’s product manager Akarshan Kumar said that they change had been made to make the network “easier and more rewarding to use”.
He also said that in the past, new users have often become confused by the star button, and the heart is a “universal symbol that that resonates across languages, cultures, and time zones.”
You can say a lot with a heart. Introducing a new way to show how you feel on Twitter: https://t.co/WKBEmORXNW pic.twitter.com/G4ZGe0rDTP
– Twitter (@twitter) November 3, 2015
Kumar added: “The heart is more expressive, enabling you to convey a range of emotions and easily connect with people. And in our tests, we found that people loved it.”
So far, the new heart button has received mixed reviews from Twitter users, with some welcoming the change, some disliking it and others having no preference.
Using the hashtag #TwitterHeart, users have shared their view about the latest update, with many using its newly added Poll feature to find out what others think.
Thanks for the Memories, I will miss you. #TwitterHeart pic.twitter.com/SyX1XR0Ne9
– JOYCE-EEEE ツ (@iamjoyceeanne) November 4, 2015
Which is better? #TwitterHeart – Ves Mark Barrera (@IamVMark) November 4, 2015
I don’t mind #TwitterHeart. Everybody has a â¤ï¸. But not everybody is a âï¸. Or at least that’s what they told us at drama school.
– Matthew Backer (@MatthewBacker) November 4, 2015
As of yesterday the new Twitter hearts will be available on iOS and Android, twitter.com, TweetDeck, Twitter for Windows 10, and on Tweets across the Internet.
It will also appear on the Vine Android app and website, and will be arriving on Vine for iOS and Twitter for Mac soon.