Facebook has started to reconsider the main page flow, which has been shaped by algorithms for a long time. The newly announced “Friends” tab offers only a simpler content space showing friends’ stories, reals videos, posts, and birthday notifications. For now, this feature, which can only be used in the USA and Canada, creates an alternative space for users who want to stay away from sponsored content. It can be said that there is a remarkable change for those who are overwhelmed by the classic flow of the application.
In the statements made by Meta, the platform has shown significant developments in groups such as groups, video and marketplace over the years. However, it was emphasized that users’ ties with each other are weakened over time. The company aims to fill this gap with its new “Friends” tab. The fact that the sharing focus is directed to individual interactions again stands out as the main approach of this new tab.
Accessing the new tab is quite simple; It can be reached via the shortcut in the navigation bar in the Facebook application. Users can fix this tab to the navigation bar if they wish. To do this, just touch the three striped menu in the application, then touch the settings icon. By following the “Settings> Tab Bar” path, it can be selected which tabs to be fixed.
Facebook has long for a long time through algorithms, which offers a structure that offers specific content to the user. These contents, which are shaped by their interests, were beneficial for some users, but some were complex and tiring. Especially sponsored posts and irrelevant content from the groups changed the focus of the home page. The new “Friends” tab aims to balance this situation.
This step becomes meaningful considering the other tabs that Facebook has introduced recently. The “local” and “discovery” tabs announced last year offered more suggestion -oriented content. However, the “Friends” tab focuses only on the social environment by disabling suggestion algorithms. This differentiation draws attention in terms of gaining diversity to content consumption habits.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also announced that they are planning to bring back Facebook’s “old experiences .. Throughout the year, some experiences that can be considered more nostalgic with users are expected to be re -together. This statement shows that Facebook is not just pursuing innovation and that the past structures have been revised in the past. The “Friends” tab may be one of the first examples in this context.
However, it is not yet clear to what extent this new tab will affect user habits. Algorithmic content is of great importance for the revenue model of the platform. Therefore, this tab may be limited to providing an alternative experience rather than completely eliminating sponsored content. However, it manages to attract attention with its structure that prioritizes one -to -one interaction.
Facebook is trying to establish a new balance
Such arrangements for the content flow of the platform may aim to increase the interaction, especially among young users. Bored of algorithm -oriented applications such as Tiktok, it seems possible to turn to more personal content. Facebook is trying to establish a new balance, taking into account this orientation. Therefore, this tab allows users to reflect content preferences more clearly.
In addition, users can still continue to use the classic main stream. The “Friends” tab is presented as an optional option. This situation offers innovation without disturbing users because it does not create a compulsory transition. Facebook’s controlled change approach has intention to protect user loyalty on the platform.
The permanence of the new content tab will be shaped depending on the user interest. If this simplified content structure is adopted, Facebook can take more steps in this direction. Otherwise, the tab can be forgotten like other features pushed to the lower parts of the platform after a while. Nevertheless, this new friend -oriented experience offers a remarkable alternative.