Do pokes to this day exist on Facebook? Indeed, that’s the case. If you’ve been wondering how to give a Facebook poke, you’ve come to the perfect spot. Learn the ins and outs of Facebook’s “poke” feature and how to poke someone on Facebook with the help of this comprehensive guide.
Upon its debut, Facebook’s poke function was introduced. From then on, it has become one of the most sought-after functionalities on the site. To poke someone on Facebook is to gently prod them online, as the term suggests. There is no doubt that this is a Facebook-exclusive function. Similar efforts have not been made by competing apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
However, this element has sparked a number of discussions over the feature’s pros and cons. Facebook’s poke had ambiguous intentions that were never made apparent. Some found it amusing, but others found it rude and disruptive.
Therefore, Facebook began gradually eliminating the poke option. But did it completely do away with the ability to poke? Well, the answer to this question is a big “No”. Facebook hid the poke option in an unintuitive place, and how exactly do you go about doing that? Find out more about the Facebook poke feature below.
A Brief Introduction to the Facebook Poke Feature
Facebook’s poke function is quite intuitive and straightforward. Using it, you can essentially alert a Facebook friend virtually. The service essentially serves as a method by which Facebook users can alert one another to a new message.
Users will be informed that they have been poked when they check their notifications. You can attract the attention of the user this way, and they can respond with a poke of their own if they’d like.

There’s a wide variety of applications for Facebook pokes. It’s so versatile that it might inspire an original composition. As a warm welcome, you may share it with anyone. You can indeed give somebody a poke to determine whether they respond with their own poke. If they do so, in that case, you can give them another poke and declare a poke war. However, in order to send a subsequent poke, the recipient must have already sent you a poke.
You can also choose to overlook or restrict a person whose pokes you don’t wish to see if they keep bothering you. To avoid any misuse of the function, Facebook restricts the ability to poke, to just those who are already friends with you. In that manner, random people won’t be able to poke you endlessly.
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Step-By-Step Guide to Poke Someone on Facebook Web
Go to the official Facebook webpage to poke someone from your laptop. If you’re using a Desktop PC, here’s how to employ the Facebook poke feature:
- First, launch a web browser of your own choice on your desktop/laptop. For this tutorial, I am using the well-known “Google Chrome” web browser.
- Next, navigate to this link. This is the link to the Facebook website.
- After that, enter your correct credentials to successfully log in to your Facebook account.
- Now, once signed in, in the upper left-hand corner right next to the Facebook icon, you will see the search field option. Inside this, search for “Pokes”.
- Next, from the dropdown menu, click on the option labeled “Pokes”.
- After that, on the top of your screen, there will be an option named “Pokes”. Click on it.
- Now, under the section titled “Suggested Pokes”, there will be a complete catalog of your friends whom you can poke. Alternatively, you can also search for a specific friend by entering his/her name inside the “Search for friends to poke”, search field.
- Next, once you have selected the friend, proceed with clicking on the blue-colored “Poke” button on the right-hand side of his/her name.

- Finally, the “Poke” button will change to a grey-colored “Poked” button. With this, you have successfully poked your friend on the Facebook web application.
When you poke someone on Facebook, they will receive a notification informing them of the action. Once you’ve been poked by a friend and want to respond, simply click the “Poke Back” button.
Step-By-Step Guide to Poke Someone on Facebook Mobile App
With the Facebook app installed on your mobile device, you might even poke your friends from your smartphone or handset. Find out how to poke someone on the Facebook mobile app, in this guide.
- First, open the “Facebook” application on your smartphone from the home screen or app library.
- Next, in the upper right-hand corner, you will see the search (magnifying glass icon) option. Tap on it.
- After that, search for “Pokes” inside the search field.
- Now, from the list of different options appearing on your screen, tap on the one labeled “Pokes”.
- Next, proceed with tapping on the option named “Pokes”.
- Now, under the section titled “Suggested Pokes”, there will be a whole list of your friends whom you can poke. Alternatively, you can also search for a specific friend by inserting his/her name inside the “Search for friends to poke”, search field.
- Next, once you have picked the friend, tap on the blue-colored “Poke” button right next to his/her name.

- Finally, the “Poke” button will be converted to a grey-colored “Poked” button. With this, you have successfully poked your friend on the Facebook mobile application.
Everyone you poke on Facebook will get a notification telling them about it. If a friend pokes you and you wish to answer, you can do so by tapping the “Poke Back” option.
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Conclusion
Poking someone on Facebook is a great way to get their attention or just show them you’re thinking of them. While it may seem like a simple thing, there are actually a few things you should keep in mind when poking someone on Facebook. First, make sure that the person you’re poking is actually someone you know and would be comfortable talking to in real life. Second, don’t poke anyone too often — once or twice should suffice, and lastly, have fun! Poking someone on Facebook can be a harmless way to add a little bit of excitement to your day-to-day social media use.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I send a poke to a non-friend on Facebook?
It is not possible to poke someone with whom you are not friends on Facebook. Only Facebook friends will have the poke option available on their profiles; unfriended users’ profiles will remain untouchable.
Does Facebook poke count as flirting?
One could argue that Facebook poke is an archaic kind of flirtation. However, the newest approach to catching anyone’s interest via social media is to slide into their direct messages.
When a girl pokes you on Facebook, what exactly does that mean?
According to the research on the meaning of Facebook pokes, getting a girl’s gaze via a Facebook poke indicates that she has shown interest in you. She hopes that you will pay attention to her and maybe even make a pass at her. It’s possible that she likes you and is just waiting for you to strike up a discussion with her.