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Will Twitter Remove Like Button Counts That Were Easy To Use?

Lisa Sicard

Some of you may think Twitter X is hard to use and only use the Twitter like button. You may not get it unless you post all the time or have used the platform for years. But being able to change the Twitter like button back and forth is easy. Now Elon says Twitter will remove the like button counts from X.

Previously, you could easily express your liking for a tweet. There was no requirement to reply or engage with others. Using Twitter X was not necessary. You could simply read and like the tweets that you enjoyed.

The Like Button – Too Easy?

As it can be seen, the Twitter like button is made of a heart on Twitter. It symbolizes love, but active users know it’s a like button. They can easily give approval to a tweet with the push of one button.

It reminds me of the Easy Button from Staples years ago.

How To Use the Twitter Like Button

Often, we use the Twitter like button there to approve of someone re-tweeting us. It saves us time from having to thank them.

Oftentimes, users use the like button to approve of their friends’ tweets. Sometimes, it is to like a special quote that goes by on their Twitter stream. And that Twitter stream moves fast!

The like button used to be a favorite button that was a star-shaped button under tweets.  However, Twitter changed it back in 2016 to the like button with a heart as it still looks like today.

Getting Notified With Likes On Twitter X

To receive notifications for likes on your tweet on X, follow these steps. First, open the X app on your device. Next, navigate to the notification settings within the app.

Then, enable the option to receive notifications for likes on your tweets.

After that, whenever someone likes your tweet on X, you will promptly be notified. By following these steps, you can stay informed about the likes your tweets receive on X. If you are on desktop, you can still switch to your notifications tabs to see them.

See my screenshot below of Vishwajeet’s like of my latest post on the Twitter X network.

Now, it appears Twitter to remove like button counts would not change these type of notifications you would see in your stream.

Engagement Gets Lost With The Twitter Like Button

But using the like button makes it less engaging. It is similar to the like button on Facebook.

And that’s where the Twitter like button went astray.

Elon Musk understands the value of engagement on Twitter. It’s what keeps us all coming back day after day, hour after hour on Twitter. I used to love the quick conversations we had on the popular network.

In the recent main feed, I have noticed a decrease in meaningful conversations and an increase in people engaging in arguments and insults, which is quite unfortunate.

Of course, if I stay in my favorite Twitter lists feed or in new communities, I can engage more with like-minded people.

But Do Likes on Twitter Count for Something?

Today, the more likes you get on Twitter the more your tweet is shown in the algorithm. Each tweet has a counter as well under it with the number of likes it has received.

If that like button goes away, do the counts we had also go away? Therefore, does that change how our tweets show up in the algorithm too?

There are more unanswered questions about the Twitter-like button than there are answers right now. It will be interesting to see if they go ahead with this possible change.

In the past, Twitter has made changes and then reverted when they got bombarded with a backlash from their users. Social Media Today reported recently that since Twitter increased its character count a while back users were upset.

What was also interesting from the research on Twitter character count is that people got friendlier. They are saying thank you and please more often on Twitter.

Now if you have a subscription on Twitter X you can use up to 10,000 characters per post. That’s a lot of tweeting and posting.

The Like Button Disappears On Other Social Media Networks

Recently Instagram did away with the like count.  You could no longer see the like count for your Instagram posts if you prefer.

But, you may be able to read who liked it but not see a tally. And those that follow you could not see your Instagram-like tally.

According to Social Media Today, Instagram now gives users a choice to show the like counts or not.

Recently, YouTube is doing away with the dislike button as they say it’s testing the new design in response to feedback that dislike counts can affect the well-being of content creators.

What do you think of getting rid of the like button or counts on social media? I like the idea as it won’t put pressure on young people or spammers for more like counts.

Twitter X Is For Conversations

Twitter X was really made for conversations when it first came out back in 2006. Back then, Twitter was meant for short messaging. It was like texting today.

That is how Jack started Twitter back in the day. Before all the marketers and politicians came on board to tweet.  I bet they never imagined where it would all go today with 33 offices around the world.

In fact, the thing I find so different about Twitter X is that you can meet people there. It’s like being at a networking event. With Facebook, you know them first.

For this reason, Twitter X is where you get to meet other people. No obligations – no formalities. You can just tweet to them. They may or may not respond. It’s up to them.

But once you begin to have a conversation you can decide whether to continue or not, day after day or sometimes months later. It’s not always a numbers game with followers on Twitter – it’s more about the conversations.

It’s not like Facebook whereas if you don’t engage with someone you won’t see their posts.

With Twitter, if they are on lists you can easily find their posts or if not, they can still be in your stream. Unless of course, you mute them.  Have you ever been muted on Twitter?

How To Change Twitter Like Button

You can always click on the like buttons that you liked and that will “unlike” them for you. This will change the Twitter like button to a non like.

Newer Twitter Spaces for Audio Conversations

Recently Twitter launched spaces for audio. They are competing with the popular Telegram audio social app and podcasting.

For now, all Twitter Spaces are public and anyone can join any Space as a Listener.

If you create a Space or are a Speaker in a Space, your followers will see it at the top of their timeline, like the old Twitter Fleets.

Twitter To Remove Like Button Counts – Effect On Retweets?

Therefore, the only thing left would be counting re-tweets for those concerned about keeping score on Twitter.  It would only be based on retweets and the number of followers someone has.

Finally, maybe the best thing for Twitter would be to have nothing count. No follower count, no retweet count, and no Twitter like button.

Just pure conversations of people going back and forth discussing issues of the day. In other words, imagine a place where you just meet and chat with others online?

What Others Had To Say About Twitter To Remove Like Button

Emojis Vs. Like Button

Maybe emojis will take over for the like button as Twitter to remove like button? Emotions are shown via emojis count more on Facebook for their algorithm. Maybe Twitter is trying to become more like Facebook?

Emoji’s function differently than the like button on Twitter X. While the like button allows you to express your approval or appreciation for a post, emoji’s offer a wider range of emotional responses.

With emoji’s, you could convey feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, or love, adding depth and nuance to your interactions.

Unlike the like button, which provides a simple indication of approval, emoji’s enable you to communicate your emotions more precisely and effectively. This expands the possibilities for self-expression and enhances the overall user experience on Twitter X.

How about having a Twitter follow me button under your tweet?

Be sure to also read the latest Twitter rules so you don’t get suspended from this social network as so many have.

Summing It Up: Like Button

Twitter’s recent decision to remove like button counts has raised questions about its impact on users. This change means that users will no longer be able to see the number of likes a tweet has received.

While this may seem insignificant, it can have significant implications.

For one, it removes a metric that many users rely on to gauge the popularity or engagement of their tweets. Without this information, users may need to find alternative ways to measure the success of their content.

Furthermore, this change may also have an impact on the overall user experience, as it could potentially affect how users interact with and perceive tweets.

In conclusion, Twitter’s decision to remove like button counts is likely to have both practical and psychological effects on users, prompting them to adapt their strategies and reevaluate the significance of likes in their Twitter experience.

Over To You: Twitter Like Button, Stay or Go?

Do you want to see the Twitter like button stay or go? Have you noticed if your like counts went away?

I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. And how you feel about the like or dislike buttons on all social media networks.

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