Meta is rolling out a new “Friends” tab on the Facebook mobile app, marking a shift back to the social media platform’s roots. However, it is only being rolled out in the US and Canada at this time, with no word on whether it’ll reach other regions in the near future.
The platform acknowledges that while it has expanded over the years with features like Groups, Video and Marketplace, the focus on friends has diminished. In an effort to restore the “magic of friends,” the company is reintroducing classic Facebook experiences, starting with the revamped Friends tab.
The new Friends tab will serve as a dedicated space for users to view their friends’ stories, reels, posts, birthdays, and friend requests. Previously, the tab was used for friend requests and People You May Know suggestions. Now, it acts as a streamlined feed exclusively featuring content from friends, without the interference of suggested posts or sponsored content.
Users can find the Friends tab in the navigation bar of the Facebook app. Unfortunately, there’s no way to have this replace the main feed, which is still littered with algorithm-curated group and sponsored posts. Nevertheless, you can pin the tab by tapping on the profile picture in the Home feed, selecting “Settings & Privacy,” then going to “Settings.” From there, users can navigate to “Tab bar” under Settings, choose “Friends,” and pin it to the navigation bar.
Facebook has indicated that this is just the beginning of its efforts to bring back “OG” experiences. Whether this nostalgic pivot actually makes Facebook feel social again remains to be seen, but at least for now, users can enjoy a break from the endless stream of ads and suggested content in favour of what the platform was originally meant for: Seeing what their friends are up to.
(Source: Facebook [official blog])
