Facebook 'Reactions' to have a pilot test in Spain and Ireland

Facebook unveils animated emoticons, Reactions, to go with the 'like' button. The six emojis will have a pilot test in Spain and Ireland.

Alongside the 'like' button, Facebook will pilot the Reactions. In particular, it is a set of emoticons including angry, sad, wow, yay, ha-ha and love, Tech Crunch gives details.

The new features will debut in Spain and Ireland on Android, iOS and PC. Feedbacks from users in the two countries will be used to enhance the buttons. The company will roll it out worldwide soon, Reuters reported.

Facebook Director of Product Adam Mosseri said the company selected Spain and Ireland because of their large base of national users. They don't have much networks of international friends, so they are both perfect for a test group. Ireland uses English as a first language and Spain is a non-English speaking country.

Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said in a video post that the new buttons will appear in the mobile when you touch the 'like' button. Similarly, in PCs, it will come out when you hover your mouse.

Though it is not exactly the dislike button, Cox wrote the company hopes it addressed the long-time request of Facebook users to come up with a 'thumbs down' option.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO said users are looking for other options other than the 'like' button in times when a Facebook friend posted unfortunate incidents like death, illness or accidents. Zuckerberg said a 'like' button is not all the time, an ideal way to express what you feel. "Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy."

At this time, mobile is becoming a default platform for social media. People are less likely to engage in lengthy responses because it is more difficult to type words in the smartphones. Having emoticons is a quick way for a response.