Meta has returned one of Facebook’s oldest tricks, the classic “Poke” with a fresh twist designed to attract today’s youth. Initially launched in 2004 as a quirky way to grab a friend’s attention, the poke lets users send a light, playful nudge.
After years of fading out, Meta revives this nostalgic feature with new gamified emojis and streak-like mechanics reminiscent of Snapchat. This update aims to boost social interaction among younger users who favour playful, low-effort social exchanges.
Poke gets an upgrade with emojis and streaks
The rereleased poke isn’t just a simple nudge anymore. Meta has revamped it with a streak system where users earn emojis based on how many pokes they exchange, injecting a sense of competition and fun.
The new poke button appears directly on user profiles, accompanied by notifications when someone pokes. Plus, Facebook offers a dedicated page, Facebook.com/pokes, where users can see their poke history and track interactions in one place.
These features borrow heavily from popular Snapchat streaks, tapping into a behaviour pattern that engages users through gamification.
Over the past year, Meta reported a surprising 13-fold increase in poke activity after making the feature more visible in search, prompting this complete comeback.
Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy involves bringing back “OG Facebook” features that emphasise genuine connections with real friends rather than algorithm-driven content.
The poke revival is part of this effort, targeting younger demographics who often dismiss Facebook as an outdated platform.
Meta hopes the poke will become a fun, lighthearted way for Gen Z and young adults to engage without the pressure of longer messages or posts by pairing nostalgia with modern social mechanics.
The poke’s return spotlights how digital nudges can evolve. From playful relic to fresh engagement tool, this simple feature now has fresh potential to spark interactions on Facebook once again.