• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Hack, Bug or Easter Egg? Why an ‘Airplane’ Reaction Appeared in Some Facebook News Feeds

By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 31, 2018, 8:13 PM ET

Among all the glitches and controversies plaguing Facebook in recent months, this one hardly registers. But it seems strange nonetheless. Some Facebook users were able to react to their friends’ posts with an airplane emoji on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/Sarafromschool/status/1024382628974219264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The airplane reaction only appeared on Android phones, and even then it involved some effort to find. Users had to update their Facebook app and then hold down the like button in the comment section of a post, then find an extra angry emoji. Selecting that emoji called up the plane reaction, according to a user on Reddit.

Comment
byu/umotex12 from discussion
inOutOfTheLoop

Contacted by Fast Company, Facebook said the plane was a bug, not a feature. “This was created as part of an employee hackathon and wasn’t cleared for takeoff,” a company spokesperson told the site.

It’s not clear how long the plane reaction will remain available, but it stirred up a certain amount of interest while it lasted.

About the Author
By Kevin Kelleher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

anirudh
Conferencesdisruption
The chip exec who powered the AI boom says America’s $39 trillion debt is the same mistake that kills great companies
By Nick LichtenbergApril 23, 2026
50 minutes ago
Meta, Microsoft look to trim workforces amid heavy AI spending
Big TechMeta
Meta, Microsoft look to trim workforces amid heavy AI spending
By Kurt Wagner, Brody Ford and BloombergApril 23, 2026
1 hour ago
A trader works at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on April 22, 2026.
Big TechMarkets
Stocks retreat from record highs as Tesla weighs on Wall Street and oil jumps on Iran uncertainty
By Stan Choe and The Associated PressApril 23, 2026
2 hours ago
altman
AIOpenAI
OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 amid a shift to rapid-fire AI updates
By Sharon GoldmanApril 23, 2026
3 hours ago
AI security leaders gather in Washington as risks mount—and Mythos raises the stakes
NewslettersEye on AI
AI security leaders gather in Washington as risks mount—and Mythos raises the stakes
By Sharon GoldmanApril 23, 2026
3 hours ago
Sad nurse sitting on stairs reading bad news on mobile phone
Economygig economy
The tech industry is applying an Uber-style ‘gigification’ model to nursing. It means no workers’ comp, AI managers, and ‘surveillance wages’
By Tristan BoveApril 23, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
Economy
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
By Eleanor PringleApril 23, 2026
10 hours ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
1 day ago
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
Environment
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
By Mead Gruver, Dorany Pineda and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
1 day ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
1 day ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
Craving work-life balance is a huge red flag, says Fortune 500 Europe CEO—and like Barack Obama, he happily works through weekends
Success
Craving work-life balance is a huge red flag, says Fortune 500 Europe CEO—and like Barack Obama, he happily works through weekends
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.