Facebook has split the newsfeed in its app into two parts, a major change that mimics the experience of its closest competitor, the hugely popular TikTok.
One of the feeds featured on Thursday is a chronological flow from the user’s connections, and the other option features algorithm-driven recommendations on anything that might interest them.
The focus on recommendations makes Facebook more like TikTok’s “For You” feed, where the booming video app’s algorithm aims to determine what people want to see — and show it to them.
These changes come as Facebook owner Meta is vying with TikTok for social media supremacy, trying to retain the maximum number of users as part of its multi-billion dollar advertising-driven business.
Facebook apps will open to a personalized feed of posts called “Home,” where artificial intelligence will offer posts from friends but also recommended content, the social network said.
“This system takes into account thousands of signals to eliminate clutter and rank content in the order that we think you’ll find most valuable,” Meta said.
But if users would rather just see posts in reverse chronological order from their contacts, they can tap the Feeds tab — an experience that echoes the early days of Facebook.
The “Home” page, which welcomes Facebook users, is intended to be a place for new content and recommendations, while the “Feeds” section is reserved for posts from people or groups someone has connected with, according to the social Network.
The company reported its first drop in daily users worldwide on its signature Facebook platform earlier this year, a worrying signal for its future.
Meta is also working to reorient itself following a series of controversies, including a whistleblower’s claim that the company puts profits ahead of user safety.
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