No Algorithm Based Recommendations: Zuckerberg's Meta Unveils 'Friends' Tab on Facebook

Meta has introduced a new 'Friends' option on Facebook that lets users view posts exclusively from their friend list, without any algorithm-driven recommendations. This feature is designed to help users stay more connected with their existing social network while avoiding distractions from suggested content.

According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, “The new Friends tab is a throwback to OG Facebook when you only saw friends’ status updates. More OG Facebook coming soon.” The new Friends tab is designed to display only the latest posts from a user’s friend list—covering stories, reels, posts, birthdays, and friend requests—while filtering out algorithm-driven recommended content. This feature aims to help users focus on updates from their actual social network, evoking the original Facebook experience.

The revised Friends page now displays a vertically scrolling feed of information shared by your platform pals, including ordinary posts, reels, birthdays, and articles that expire after 24 hours. Previously, the tab featured pending friend requests and suggestions, known as People You May Know.

According to Meta, the new Friends feed will show only posts from your Facebook contacts, with no recommended posts appearing. However, the company has not clarified whether the posts will be displayed in chronological order.

Also Read: What Exactly Is an ‘AI Start-Up’ — and Does India Have 5,000 of Them?

Not The First

Facebook isn't the first Meta-owned app to introduce a dedicated feed that focuses solely on posts from friends. In 2022, Instagram launched two feeds, 'Following' and 'Close Friends' that display posts from the users you follow and those from your inner circle, respectively.

Meta has been actively experimenting with new ways to enhance content interaction. Recent tests include Local and Explore tabs that showcase posts from Reels, Marketplace, Groups, and Events, alongside AI-driven features such as Comment Summaries and Messenger Communities.

Also Read: Is Polygon, Once Feted as India's Only Crypto Decacorn, Receding into Oblivion?

The new Friends tab is currently being rolled out to users in Canada and the United States, and Meta has not yet indicated plans to extend this feature to other countries, including India. If you're a North American user, you can enable this feature by going to your Facebook profile, then selecting Settings & Privacy > Settings > Tab bar to pin the new Friends feed to your app's navigation bar.