Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a return to the “Original Facebook,” and on Thursday, the social network introduced an update designed to simplify connections with friends. The company has unveiled a new Facebook Friends tab that will exclusively feature updates from friends, excluding any recommended content. According to Meta’s blog post, this update aims to revive features aligned with Facebook’s original mission of connecting people through a social networking platform.
Initially accessible only to users in the U.S. and Canada, the Friends tab will include friends’ posts, Reels, stories, birthdays, and friend requests. Prior to this update, the tab served primarily as a space for viewing friend requests and “People You May Know.”
In October, the company launched a redesign targeting Generation Z in an effort to attract younger users who have drifted to other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. That redesign emphasized community information, Facebook Groups, and video content.
However, in January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted in the Q4 earnings call that a “return to OG Facebook” was among his main objectives for 2025. He expressed the belief that Facebook could regain its cultural influence by revisiting its original use cases.
While CEO Zuckerberg did not specify the upcoming changes at the time, the Friends tab update is the first of several planned for this year. In a recent blog post, the company acknowledged the need for Facebook to return to its foundational principles. The post stated that, over the years, Facebook evolved to address changing needs and developed exceptional experiences across various aspects like Groups and Video, but the essence of connecting with friends was diminished.
The Friends tab is now part of the navigation bar on Facebook’s Home Feed and is also available through the app’s Bookmarks section. Users have the option to pin their Friends tab to the Home Feed for easier access. This can be done by navigating to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Tab bar, allowing users to customize and pin the new tab.
