Buzz
The 'poke' feature on Facebook is simple yet amusing. When you poke someone, they immediately receive a notification stating '(Your Name) poked you.' At this point, your friends can choose to poke you back. It only takes a few minutes to learn how (and when) to poke on Facebook, so open Facebook in another tab and follow along with this guide!
Steps
Poking Friends
Understand what a poke is. Before poking someone for the first time, you should know exactly what this action entails. When you poke someone, Facebook will:
- Send them a notification saying '(Your Name) poked you.'
- Give them the option to poke back, remove the poke, or ignore it.
- Record the poke action on your friend's poke page.
- Note: Each poke action is only visible to the person you poked. In other words, no one else can see this action except the recipient.
Visit your friend's profile. Poking a friend is incredibly simple. Just navigate to their profile by typing their name into the search bar, heading to your Friends page, or clicking on their name in your news feed, and so on.
- You can only poke friends; poking non-friends or pages isn't possible.
Click the "…" button. At the top of your friend's profile, you'll see their profile picture on the left, a cover photo spanning the top, and several buttons on the right. Locate and click the button with three dots.
Click "Poke (Poke). A poke notification will be sent to your friend. They can respond by poking you back or removing the poke.
Go to the Pokes page to see who has poked you. Facebook provides a convenient way to view all pokes at once: the Pokes page. You can visit Facebook.com/pokes to see who you've poked and who has poked you.
- If you've engaged in a poke exchange with friends, this page will also show the number of times you've been poked.
Use the buttons on the Pokes page to poke friends back. When someone pokes you (or you poke someone and they poke back), you'll see a blue "poke" button next to their name on the Pokes page. Clicking this button will automatically poke them back. This method is highly convenient for poking multiple people at once without visiting their profiles individually.
The Culture of Poking
Poke your friends to get their attention. The appeal of poking can be a bit tricky to explain to those who don't "get it." Poking someone on Facebook is similar to playfully nudging them in real life—it's not just a way to grab their attention but can carry various meanings depending on the context. You might poke someone to tease them, let them know you're thinking of them, or even prompt them to message you.
- Note: Is a late-night poke between two people who like each other the same as a midday poke between school friends? You can probably sense the difference.
Don't poke excessively. This is arguably the most important rule when it comes to poking on Facebook. While the occasional poke between friends can be fun, you shouldn't make it a habit to poke people relentlessly. It can be annoying to log in and see a new notification, only to find it's just a poke. Overdoing it might lead to your friends ignoring you.
Don't poke someone to get someone else's attention. Remember, only the person you poke can see the action. Don't use poking as a way to embarrass others, as no one else will be aware of what you're doing.
Don't poke people you're not close to. It's common to have Facebook "friends" you don't actually know in real life. While you can poke these people, it's not always a good idea. Being poked by someone you're not close to can feel awkward—similar to being nudged by a stranger in real life.
Tips
- Every time you and your friends poke each other, your bond grows stronger!!
- Any friend can poke you (and vice versa). If you want someone to stop poking you, you can block them.
