Facebook is making changes to bring back its original purpose—connecting friends.
A new “Friends” tab is rolling out in the US and Canada, offering a space free from algorithm-driven recommendations. This new section will exclusively show updates from friends, including their stories, reels, posts, and birthdays.
In a blog post, Facebook admitted that the platform shifted focus to features like Groups, Video, and Marketplace over the years. However, in the process, the essence of friendship on Facebook got lost. With this update, the company aims to fix that.
Previously, the Friends tab was mainly for friend requests and suggestions. Now, it has transformed into a dedicated feed showing only content from people you know. While this may not guarantee an abundance of fresh posts, it does provide a break from the overwhelming sponsored content and group posts that dominate the main feed. This move follows Facebook’s addition of “Local” and “Explore” tabs last year, introducing even more content suggestions.
To access the Friends tab, simply navigate to it from the Facebook app’s menu. If you want quick access, you can pin it to the navigation bar. Just tap the three-bar menu, go to settings, then select:
Settings > Tab Bar and pick the tabs you want to keep.
Facebook also revealed that this is just the beginning. The company plans to reintroduce more classic features throughout the year as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to bring back the platform’s original charm.
