hearting

Hearting is the act of indicating approval, appreciation, or interest in a piece of online content by clicking or tapping a heart icon. The term is widely used as a verb, as in "someone hearted that post."

In practice, hearting functions similarly to a like or favorite on many platforms, but the precise semantics can vary: on some services a heart confirms the content is liked; on others it may serve as a bookmark or save for later viewing, or convey a stronger emotional response than a simple like.

Common platforms that use a heart icon for liking include Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter (X); TikTok also uses a heart as a primary like action. On some platforms, the collection of items you have hearted can be used to tailor recommendations or to create a personal feed of saved content.

Hearting has implications for content creators because higher heart counts can reflect popularity and influence algorithmic exposure. For users, public heart counts may reveal tastes, while private counts may appear only in personal analytics.

The practice traces to the heart symbol as a universal sign of affection and to digital interfaces that label a favorite with a heart instead of a star or thumbs-up. The term is informal and its usage varies across platforms and communities.