Pocket, the service that saves articles and videos to view later, took a step into Twitter territory in November by introducing a feed of recommended items. Today it's taking another step down that path, introducing "likes" and "reposts" for its apps on iOS and Android. Now when you share an item from Pocket, people who follow your recommendations can let you know they liked it by tapping the heart icon underneath the item. Or they can tap the repost button — which looks more or less identical to Twitter's "retweet" button — to share the post with their own followers.

While a relatively minor step for Pocket, likes and reposts are necessary additions for an app that wants to incorporate more social features. I enjoy sharing articles on Pocket, but until now there hasn't been a way to know if anyone has seen them. Unlike Twitter, Pocket's feed of recommendations has been driven by algorithms since the start — the more popular an article is, the more likely Pocket is to recommend it to you. But now you'll know if the stuff you're sharing there is resonating more broadly.