Meta’s New Friends Tab: A Nod to the Early Facebook Experience
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the newly introduced friends tab is merely “phase one of bringing back OG Facebook.”
Reviving the Classic Facebook Vibe
Meta is taking a step back in time with the launch of a fresh feature aimed at recapturing the spirit of the early Facebook experience. The company has rolled out a friends tab that displays your friends’ stories, reels, posts, birthdays, and friend requests—all without the clutter of recommended content. This update was unveiled on Thursday, and it’s now available in the US and Canada.
“Connecting with friends has been a cornerstone of Facebook since its inception,” Meta stated in their announcement. “While Facebook has evolved over the years to meet new demands and developed top-tier experiences across Groups, Video, Marketplace, and more, the magic of friendship has been overshadowed.”
Transforming the Friends Tab
The friends tab, which previously showcased friend requests and suggestions of people you might know, is receiving a significant makeover in this latest update.
Looking Ahead to More Classic Features
Meta has indicated that additional “OG” Facebook experiences will be rolled out later in the year. Zuckerberg previously expressed his desire to return to Facebook’s foundation during Meta’s Q4 earnings call in January. “I’m excited this year to reconnect with some OG Facebook elements,” he remarked. “We’re aiming to create remarkable features that will influence the future of human interaction.”
During a recent episode of “The Colin and Samir Show” podcast, Zuckerberg characterized the launch of the new tab as “phase one of bringing back OG Facebook.” He believes that while it may not become as prevalent as the primary news feed, users will appreciate it. “When we incorporate a few more elements like this, it will transform how people perceive and engage with Facebook,” he stated.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that as time went on, sharing functionalities and the newsfeed “overwhelmed” the platform, becoming the primary focus and overshadowing the “fun and useful parts of the original experience.” He expressed enthusiasm about exploring opportunities to revive many of the joyful elements that users once cherished on Facebook, which have become scarce elsewhere on the internet today.
