How to poke on Facebook

If you’ve been using Facebook since the early days, you’ll likely remember poking people and getting poked nonstop. Today, that feature is nowhere to be found — or is it? Let’s go over what poking is on Facebook and whether you can still do it nowadays.

What is poking on Facebook?

Pokes, as a function, have a storied history. Pokes were introduced with the platform’s launch in 2004 and represented a non-serious way to get someone’s attention by interacting with their profile. This would send the target user a notification. It was never anything intimate or serious.

Sometime after 2011, poking lost popularity. People started to see it in a more negative light. To some, it wasn’t very pleasant and interfered with normal day-to-day life. As such, Facebook eventually removed the poking feature from people’s Facebook pages. However, there is still a way to access the poking function on Facebook. It’s just a tiny bit harder to reach.

How to poke someone on Facebook

Poking is still possible on Facebook. However, the function is not available on others’ Facebook profile pages. Instead, you must reach the dedicated page on the desktop site or mobile app.

How to poke someone on Facebook website:

1. On your PC, launch your browser of choice.
2. Go to Facebook.com/pokes.
3. You’ll see a list of your last Pokes and Suggested Pokes. Additionally, you can search for Facebook contacts.
4. Tap on the Poke or Pocke Back button next to the contact you want to poke.

If you don’t want to use the direct link, you can also click into the Search Facebook field at the top of the site and search for Pokes. Then, select the Pokes option in the result. This will take you to the same page.

How to poke someone on Facebook using Android and iOS:

1. Launch the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device.
2. Tap the Search button at the top.
3. Search for Pokes.
4. Tap the Pokes button that reads, “Poke your friends and see who has poked you.”
5. You’ll see a list of your last Pokes and Suggested Pokes. Additionally, you can search for Facebook contacts.
6. Tap on the Poke or Pocke Back button next to the contact you want to poke.

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