Facebook releases Hidden Animations

Facebook is rolling out an update to keywords triggering accompanying animations when posted, having already experimented with words like “xoxo” and “congratulations.”

Trigger words appear highlighted in different colours with a brief whimsical animation appearing when clicked.

The update will now add the playful cartoons to reactions of “life events” such as engagements, weddings, and birthdays.

Fab rather than drab

The addition of colourful animations is Facebook's latest endeavour to jazz up News Feeds with a more playful tone and foster more original sharing.

With memes and viral videos dominating popular posts, the social media network is hoping to encourage users to bring their own content to Facebook and foster more thought provoking engagement.

Image is everything

The addition of colour and cartoonish reactions is another step in Facebook’s attempt to revitalise a stuffy reputation and harken back to the fun of posting when the company launched over a decade ago.

Whether or not the initiative works is yet to be seen, but posts will certainly be more vibrant.