# Like notifications in private messages should be green not blue :smile:
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [2월 17, 2016, 8:01오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751 "2016-02-17T20:01:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [2월 17, 2016, 8:01오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/1 "2016-02-17T20:01:39Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Like notifications in private messages](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages/13392):
It seems to me that if someone :heart: my message, the notification should be a message notification, not a topic notification. So it should be green, not blue.
---
### Author:  [@Carson1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Carson1)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 1:43오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/2 "2016-02-18T01:43:38Z")
I feel that likes are likes no matter where you get them. When I get a green notification, I know someone is talking to me and I might need to reply; they’re more pressing.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 1:46오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/3 "2016-02-18T01:46:17Z")
Yes … that …
“Green == Look here now … someone sent me an urgent PM I should handle”
---
### Author:  [@downey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/downey)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 1:53오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/4 "2016-02-18T01:53:20Z")
How about a 3rd red circle :red_circle: for like notification count? Then you get RGB. :wink:
(I’m not entirely joking, BTW…)
---
### Author:  [@Carson1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Carson1)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 1:56오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/5 "2016-02-18T01:56:05Z")
So all likes would be red? I like that, so I can differentiate replies from likes.
---
### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 2:52오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/6 "2016-02-18T02:52:58Z")
A red circle is already used for Moderation Notifications i.e.
posts awaiting approval and pending Flagged posts.
Even with a fourth color, squeezing in 4 circles might be a trick.
Edit
a mock-up of where things could go
personally, I think it’s “noisy” and I could end up feeling a bit harassed and harried getting too many too often
---
### Author:  [@Carson1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Carson1)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 3:03오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/7 "2016-02-18T03:03:42Z")
Moderator notifications come in via the hamburger menu, completely separate from the profile notifications.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 3:21오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/8 "2016-02-18T03:21:15Z")
We already need to explain 2 circles there, adding one more would make people extra confused and raise the number of questions.
---
### Author:  [@downey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/downey)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 4:45오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/9 "2016-02-18T04:45:58Z")
> [@sam](#):
>
> adding one more would make people extra confused and raise the number of questions
I’m not particularly pushing for the design idea, but you might want to re-consider your math. :wink: The people who are confused by the notifications will be getting the same number of notifications, and once they’re explained, they don’t need to be explained again. “The numbers show the count of notifications: green for messages, pink for likes, and blue for posts.”
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 4:52오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/10 "2016-02-18T04:52:15Z")
> [@downey](#):
>
> green for messages, pink for likes, and blue for posts
baige for “your topic was split”
puce for “your invite was accepted”
opaque violet for “you just got a badge”
:smirk:
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:02오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/11 "2016-02-18T05:02:47Z")
Slightly off topic, but I would like to suggest that all _replies_ to a PM should be green as well. At the moment (assuming I am remembering correctly), if a user PMs me, I get a green notification. Then I reply. Then they reply. Now I have a blue notification. If I am correct, why is it this way? I feel that a reply to a PM is just as important as a new PM, especially if I replied…
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:03오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/12 "2016-02-18T05:03:35Z")
Nope they are always green now… are you sure this is happening?
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:04오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/13 "2016-02-18T05:04:16Z")
> [@sam](#):
>
> are you sure this is happening?
No :frowning:, but I was pretty certain. Let me do some testing…I’ll get right back to you…
* * *
Now I am sure! Screenshots:
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:06오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/14 "2016-02-18T05:06:04Z")
Maybe if you are only tracking the PM … not sure …
---
### Author:  [@Carson1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Carson1)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:06오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/15 "2016-02-18T05:06:05Z")
Yes, I am sure this is happening. If a user replies to your PM, but replies directly to one of your messages and does click the reply button at the bottom the notification will be blue.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:07오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/16 "2016-02-18T05:07:42Z")
Are you Tracking that PM or Watching it?
---
### Author:  [@Carson1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Carson1)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:09오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/17 "2016-02-18T05:09:12Z")
I don’t change any of my PMs from watching and this happens with them.
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:10오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/18 "2016-02-18T05:10:36Z")
I am watching, as is default for PMs on both users. As @Carson1 suggested, I can confirm it depends on which reply button is used.
If I reply to the PM (using the blue reply button at the bottom of the topic) I get a green notif.
If I reply to one of the user’s posts (using the in-post reply button), I get a blue notif.
If I reply to one of my own posts (using the in-post reply button), I get a green notif.
Do all 3 scenario’s make sense @sam?
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 5:11오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/19 "2016-02-18T05:11:04Z")
No probs … I will get this cleaned up.
---
### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [2월 18, 2016, 8:10오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751/20 "2016-02-18T20:10:02Z")
Well, this is a fun discussion to wake up to. I created a monster. :scream_cat:
> [@sam](#):
>
> “Green == Look here now … someone sent me an urgent PM I should handle”
I see this differently.. to me it’s important to know the notification is about a message vs topic. There’s alot of important activity on the site and I actually tend to prioritize the topic activity over the messages, or at least take care of them at different intervals.
Given the risk of noise and confusion, maybe the answer is to actually go down to one color (just blue) and in the notifications list prioritize messages that have not been read yet. They’d be put at the top and bolded or something.
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/like-notifications-in-private-messages-should-be-green-not-blue-smile/39751.md?page=2)