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On Thursday, Facebook announced that it will launch a new 'Friends' tab aimed at providing users with a feed that includes posts, stories, reels, birthday notifications, and friend requests from their connections on the platform. This new feature bears a resemblance to the Following and Close Friends feeds found on Instagram, and it will not include any suggested posts. According to the company, this Friends tab represents the first of several “OG” features set to be introduced over the upcoming months. In a blog entry, Meta mentioned that while they have added numerous features throughout the years, the essence of friendship has diminished. To restore this focus, they've created the Friends tab, which is designated as one of many new functionalities and experiences planned for this year.
The updated Friends tab will present users with a vertically scrolling feed showcasing content shared by their friends, such as regular posts, reels, birthday messages, and temporary stories that vanish after 24 hours. Previously, this tab focused on pending friend requests and suggestions, often referred to as People You May Know.
Meta stated that the new Friends feed will only feature posts from users' Facebook friends, meaning that recommended posts will be entirely absent. However, the company has not confirmed if the posts will appear in chronological order within the redesigned Friends feed. Facebook is not the first app owned by Meta to implement a specific feed dedicated solely to friends’ updates; Instagram launched its Following and Close Friends feeds in 2022, specifically for content from acquaintances and close friends, respectively.
Currently, the new Friends tab is being rolled out to users in Canada and the United States, while there has been no announcement regarding its availability in other regions, such as India. For North American users wishing to access the new Friends feed, they can navigate to their profile on the Facebook app, select Settings & Privacy, go to Settings, then Tab bar, to “pin” the Friends feed to their navigation menu.
