Facebook is having a bit of a throwback moment. Meta, the tech giant behind the platform, has just launched a revamped Friends tab that strips away all the fluff—no more algorithm-suggested strangers, no influencer reels popping in uninvited, and definitely no sponsored posts. The new feed focuses on what Facebook originally promised: a way to keep up with your friends and family.
It’s great news if you’re the kind of person who still wants to see what your college roommate had for lunch. Not so great if you’re trying to get paid for posting it.
What exactly is the new (or old) Friends tab?
Meta is calling it a return to Facebook’s roots. The new “Friends” tab gives users a feed that only includes updates from people they’ve actually added as friends. Once upon a time, this was the only option. But while Millenials and older generations first experienced digital social media that way, Gen Z and younglings have grown up seeing complete strangers in their feed (and finding it perfectly normal).
For those that haven’t experienced the Friends tab before, in it you’ll see posts, stories, reels, birthdays, and friend requests from people you know—no People You May Know, and no “You won’t believe what this influencer did next!” clickbait.
You can find the tab right on your navigation bar or tucked away in the bookmarks section of the app. If it becomes your go-to, you can even pin it to your home feed using Settings & Privacy>Settings>Tab bar.
The goal? According to Meta: “bringing back the magic of friends.” And for once, they might be onto something.
Back to basics—like it’s 2006 again
There was a time when Facebook was all about seeing your cousin’s new haircut, your mom’s lasagna recipe, or that friend from high school who’s still posting minion memes. Then came the ads in 2012. Then suggested content in 2022. Before long, your feed looked more like a never-ending billboard than a collection of personal updates.
Now, with the Friends tab, Facebook is attempting a course correction. The move is part of a broader push for what Meta calls “OG Facebook experiences” rolling out throughout 2025. Translation: They want to remind users why they joined Facebook in the first place, before these users flee to greener (and least toxic) social platform pastures.
As CEO Mark Zuckerberg put it during a recent earnings call, the platform is “kind of getting back to how Facebook was originally used.” And if you’ve been nostalgic for simpler scrolls, this might just do the trick.
Winners and losers in the new feed
This change is great if you’re tired of influencer overload. You know the type: choreographed dance videos, skincare routines with eight steps, and product links tucked into every caption. For regular users, the Friends tab feels refreshingly…normal.
But for influencers, this update is a digital curveball. With no access to the Friends tab unless they’re personally connected to a user, their reach just got a whole lot smaller. Sponsored content, paid partnerships, and viral videos now have to rely solely on the main “Home” feed—the place where algorithm still reigns.
But Facebook is taking a different route here. Tom Alison, head of the Facebook app, explained it simply: the early magic of social media was knowing what your friends were up to. Could this be the start of something new? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just Facebook’s way of standing out in a very noisy, very crowded space.
Is this the future of Facebook?
Right now, the new Friends tab is only available in the United States and Canada. Meta hasn’t said when—or if—it will reach users in other countries. But if early feedback is positive, expect to see it popping up in feeds around the world.
Until then, users in North America get to test-drive this new (old?) version of Facebook. For some, it’ll feel like a breath of fresh air. For others—particularly influencers—it might feel like being locked out of the party.
