Facebook’s “Like” button plugin has become so ubiquitous across the internet that you probably don’t even notice it sitting on the bottom of nearly every single site you visit. Now, though, that little button is going to stand out quite a bit more — because Facebook has unveiled its first new “Like” and “Share” buttons since its 2010 launch.
The major change here is that the old “thumbs up” button has been replaced by a solid-blue button with a tiny “F” logo. Keep in mind that this change only affects only the external plugin, and you may have already seen it being tested in a few select markets since mid-October.
It may seem like an incremental change, but according to Facebook, the Like and Share buttons are are viewed over 22 billion times daily across more than 7.5 million websites. As Facebook continues to reach new demographics, it’s encountering new types of users — and ultimately, the way the Like button functions will be different in every culture. Switching from a hand sign to a more familiar logo makes a lot of sense, from a user experience perspective.
If your website currently has the old version of the button, you should be noticing your fancy new, thumbs-free upgrade appearing in the coming days. [Facebook]