Who sees my reactions?

Everyone in the room whose screen shows your avatar. Walk into view of the people you want to react to.

My Shift key types a character instead. Why?

Your cursor is in a text box, like the chat. Click back onto the room first.

Yes, a gentle one: if you send many reactions in a few seconds, some are skipped so the room doesn't get flooded.

Reactions and actions

Throw a heart, set off a firework, or light a torch.

Last updated: September 27, 2026

How do I send reactions in flat.social?

In an Open Spatial room, hold Shift to show the actions tray above the call bar, then press a number: Shift 1 sends a heart, Shift 2 a firework, and so on. Or click the smiley (Actions) in the call bar and pick one. Reactions play at your avatar, and anyone in the room who has you on their screen sees them.

How to send a reaction

1
Open the tray
Hold Shift, or click the smiley in the call bar to keep the tray open.
2
Pick a reaction
Press the number while holding Shift, or click a button. Hover a button to see its name and key, for example "Send heart ⇧ + 1".
3
Watch it play
The effect appears on or around your avatar. Let go of Shift to close the tray.

The actions tray with heart, firework, magic, bubbles, backflip, and torch buttons — Hold Shift to open the actions tray, then press a number.

Avatars sending hearts and fireworks in a room — Reactions play at your avatar for everyone in the room to see.

The six reactions

Shift 1 Send heart: float a heart above your avatar
Shift 2 Firework: set off a firework where you stand
Shift 3 Magic: a burst of sparkles around you
Shift 4 Bubbles: blow a stream of floating bubbles
Shift 5 Backflip: your avatar does a quick backflip
Shift 6 Toggle torch: turn your torch on or off

The tray ends with a search button that opens Quick Access, where you can find every other action.

The torch: your personal light

The torch stays on until you switch it off. Its beam follows your mouse cursor across the floor, and other people see it too, which is handy in a dark room or for pointing at something. Press T (or Shift 6) to toggle it.

Where reactions work

Reactions are an Open Spatial feature. They are hidden while a full-screen activity is open, and Conference rooms don't have them. On a phone, tap More and use the Reactions row. Hosts can turn reactions off for a role with the Reactions permission.