- Facebook is rolling out a redesigned "Friends" tab to emphasize personal connections.
- The update shifts focus from algorithm-driven content to updates from close friends.
- The new update aligns with Meta's strategy to restore Facebook's original social networking experience.
Facebook announced on Thursday that a new update will provide users a simpler way to connect with friends, as part of a broader effort to restore the social media's community-driven roots.
By introducing a new Friends tab, Facebook allows users to easily access content specifically from their friends rather than with every other recommended content; this will prioritize updates from friends over algorithmically suggested content.
The feature will initially be available only in the U.S and Canada. The tab that used to provide a place to view the friend requests and potential connections will now feature friends' content, which includes posts, reels, stories, birthdays, and friend requests.
Last October, Meta unveiled a Gen-Z-focused redesign of the flagship social network, in an attempt to lure back the younger users who have moved on to other platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Later, in January, addressing the Q4 earnings of the company, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, hinted at a potential "return to OG Facebook" to be a key goal of 2025.
“I think there are a lot of opportunities to make [Facebook] way more culturally influential than it is today,” Zuckerberg told investors.
“I think some of this will kind of get back to how Facebook was originally used back in the day,” he added.
This feature will be the first of several experiences coming in 2025 that will bring back the essence of what was first created on Facebook.
Users can also opt to pin their Friends tab to their home feed to make it even more convenient.
To do so, click Settings & Privacy > Settings > Tab bar. Users can then choose to customize their tab bar and pin the new tab there.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
