Facebook removing the Like button? Here’s everything you need to know

Launched in 2009, the Like button quickly became a digital phenomenon.

The Facebook Like button, one of the most recognisable symbols of the social web, is being retired, but not in the way many assume. Meta has announced that it will discontinue the Facebook Like and Comment buttons on external websites beginning February 10, 2026. These are the social plugins embedded on blogs, news sites, shopping portals and countless webpages that let users “Like” content or leave comments using their Facebook profiles.

Meta says the decision is part of an ongoing effort to “simplify and modernise” its developer tools. (AFP)

By Ayushmann Chawla

Ayushmann Chawla is the Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. A seasoned tech journalist with years of experience working for some of the industry’s leading media organizations, his articles can also be read on Live Mint. His passion extends beyond journalism—he’s a dedicated automobile enthusiast, always ready to explore the latest in car technology and design. A self-confessed gadget lover, Ayushmann finds joy in testing new devices and sharing his findings with his audience. Instagram: ayushmannchawla

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Importantly, the Like button inside Facebook is not going away. Users will still be able to react to posts, photos, reels and videos on the platform. The change only affects how websites use Facebook integrations to display Likes or comments externally.

Why Facebook is removing external Like buttons

Meta says the decision is part of an ongoing effort to “simplify and modernise” its developer tools. The embedded Like and Comment plugins date back well over a decade, to an era when websites heavily depended on Facebook for visibility, social traffic and engagement. Over the years, however, their usage has steadily declined.

Stricter privacy rules, changes to data-sharing policies, and the rise of diverse social platforms have all contributed to these plugins becoming less relevant. For Meta, maintaining outdated tools no longer adds value.

What happens after February 2026

Meta notes that websites won’t break or malfunction once the change goes live. Instead, the old plugins will simply render as a 0×0 pixel, effectively disappearing from the page without causing layout issues or error messages.

Developers don’t need to take immediate action, but Meta recommends removing plugin code eventually for cleaner site performance.

The end of a cultural icon on the open web

Launched in 2009, the Like button quickly became a digital phenomenon. It changed how people expressed approval online and shaped a decade of social behaviour. For publishers and brands, it became a crucial metric, a visible measure of popularity that fuelled content strategies.

But the internet of 2025 is far more fragmented. Users split their time across multiple apps, algorithms are less reliant on external signals, and privacy has become central to global tech regulation. In this landscape, Facebook’s web-wide influence is shrinking.

Meta says it now wants to focus on tools that “deliver the most value” and support future innovation rather than legacy features.