What does the rocket in the Facebook app mean? Everything to know about the new feature

Impact

While Facebook users were busy learning about Facebook Stories — a Snapchat-like features that allows users to share videos up to 20 seconds in length on their timeline — the platform quietly rolled out a new icon worldwide for select users. The icon is only available on the mobile app. Here's everything to know about the new button.

What does the rocket on Facebook look like?

The new button looks like a tiny rocket ship. It's all gray in color and turns blue when selected. The nose of the "rocket" is facing northeast.

Where is it located?

The rocket icon is located next to the News Feed button. According to the Next Web, the exact location of the icon will vary based on whether a user has an iOS device or an Android handset: iPhone users will see it at the bottom when they open up their app while Android users will see it at the top.

What does the rocket button do?

The rocket icon provides users a second feed. This feed contains things Facebook believes you will enjoy based on what you, the user, have shown interest in. It won't show you content from pages or people you have already liked or followed but it will base its recommendations on what you currently follow, like or view. Essentially, it functions more like an exploration feature much like Facebook-owned Instagram's "Explore" page.

Is it available for everyone?

Not yet. The feature is available to some users, as it is currently in the experimental phase. The company told TechCrunch: "We are testing a complementary feed of popular articles, videos, and photos, customized for each person based on content that might be interesting to them. We've heard from people that they want an easy way to explore new content they haven't connected with yet."