Facebook Goes Back to Basics With “Friends” Tab Without Suggested Content

Meta has a new strategy to make Facebook cool again, and it’s to bring back “OG Facebook” experiences. This starts today with a new Friends tab that will only show updates from your Facebook friends.

Facebook stopped being pleasant to use many years ago when the platform moved to an algorithmic feed. Just like on Instagram, it’s now hard to see updates from your friends and other things you care about when the Facebook algorithm favors content it thinks you may be interested in.

“Connecting with friends has been a part of Facebook since it launched. Over the years, Facebook evolved to meet changing needs and created best-in-class experiences across Groups, Video, Marketplace and more, but the magic of friends has fallen away,” the Facebook team acknowledged today.

With its new Friends tab, which is rolling out today to Facebook users in the US and Canada, the app is getting a new feed that will only show your friends’ stories, reels, posts, and birthdays. The friend requests that used appear alongside the people you may know will also remain there.

We’ll be adding several “OG” Facebook experiences throughout the year, beginning with the revamped Friends tab,” the company said today.

It’s interesting to see Facebook trying to go back to its roots, and the company is planning more changes to bring back the “OG Facebook” spirit. “We’ll be adding more fun, simple experiences to help you connect and share on Facebook throughout the year,” the Facebook team said today.