Facebook is bringing back one of its oldest features, the famous Poke button, in a fresh attempt to win younger users.
The social media giant confirmed that pokes will now play a much larger role on the platform, more than two decades after first appearing.
“Pokes never really left but they’re making a comeback in a major way,” Facebook explained in a statement announcing the update.
Users will now see who poked them, discover other friends to poke, and even track a new “Pokes-count” score.
The move follows data from last year showing a 13-fold spike in pokes, which the company described as “having a moment.”
Facebook, still the world’s largest platform, reaches over a third of the global population monthly but struggles to attract new sign-ups.
Mark Zuckerberg has spoken openly about reviving “OG Facebook” features to rebuild friendships and draw younger audiences to the app.
He told the Colin and Samir podcast in March that Facebook lost some of its “fun and useful” early experiences.
Zuckerberg said he now wants to restore features that made the network unique, and which competitors have not copied effectively.
The update forms part of a wider shift at Facebook, which has relied heavily on algorithm-driven feeds to increase engagement.
Bringing back features like pokes and the “Friends” tab could help Facebook reconnect with its roots and refresh its ageing user base.
This revival of pokes highlights Facebook’s ongoing battle to stay relevant in a fast-changing social media landscape.
