If you’ve been on the Facebook mobile app lately, you may have noticed some changes to the Home Feed.
Facebook’s algorithm used to be based on personal connections (i.e. seeing what your Facebook friends share), however Facebook is looking to switch to an AI-recommended feed, meaning you would see what the algorithm is suggesting. This is very similar to what TikTok currently uses for their For You page, seeing both a mix of your friends’ posts and what posts TikTok believes will be interesting or engaging to you based on their data.
As explained by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Facebook post:
“The app will still open to a personalized feed on the Home tab, where our discovery engine will recommend the content we think you’ll care most about,”
While it is certainly an intriguing concept, it seems like a bold (and rash) decision to make a bandwagon jump into the algorithm-created Home page when a crucial part of Facebook’s draw as a social media platform has been its connectivity. Zuckerberg has also stated that one of the key areas of focus moving forward will be Reels, which is the company’s fastest growing areas based on user engagement.
If you’re wondering what this means for you and what the changes might look like, The Verge has summed it up like this:
“Here’s how the future Facebook app will work in practice: the main tab will become a mix of Stories and Reels at the top, followed by posts its discovery engine recommends from across both Facebook and Instagram. It’ll be a more visual, video-heavy experience with clearer prompts to direct message friends a post. To make messaging even more prominent, Facebook is working on placing a user’s Messenger inbox at the top right of the app, undoing the infamous decision to separate the two apps eight years ago.”
This shift is entirely reminiscent of, and clearly influenced by TikTok, which we already know is Meta’s largest competitor, as seen by the way the company has been eagerly trying to innovate to keep up with the popularity of TikTok.
The largest concern for our users regarding this update will be the impact on Facebook Groups, which many social sellers use as a critical component of their marketing. While Facebook has said little about the actual logistics coming down the pipeline, they have stated that they are aiming to make the app experience more integrated – including making Reels a component of Groups and suggesting that “lightweight” or smaller size groups will give users greater opportunities to connect.
There are certainly many risks for the company associated with Facebook’s leaked changes, but we will be sure to keep you updated with all future developments on these news.
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