Remember OG Facebook? Meta's New "Friends" Tab Aims to Revive that Feeling
Meta bets on nostalgia with a new "Friends" tab design
Remember when Facebook was all about staying connected with friends — not just endless ads and suggested content? Meta, the social media company behind Facebook, is trying to bring that back with a new "Friends" tab designed to make it easier to see updates from people you actually know.
Rolling out first in the U.S. and Canada, the new Friends tab will show posts, Reels, stories, birthdays, and friend requests — minus the algorithm-driven content that has come to dominate the platform. It’s a shift back to Facebook's original mission of connecting people with friends, not just content.
This change comes as Facebook tries to win back younger users who’ve drifted toward TikTok and Instagram, platforms known for their AI-driven recommendations. While Gen Z tends to prefer algorithmic content—In the US, 65% favor Instagram and 58% use TikTok regularly, according to Statista—Facebook is betting that some users still crave a space for real-life connections. By emphasizing updates from actual friends, the company is offering an alternative rather than directly competing with TikTok’s endless content stream.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted at this shift during the company’s Q4 earnings call in January, saying that a “return to OG Facebook” was one of his big goals for 2025. "I think there are a lot of opportunities to make [Facebook] way more culturally influential than it is today," he said.
The new Friends tab is part of that push. Previously, the tab was limited to showing friend requests and "People You May Know." Now, it’s a one-stop place to catch up with friends’ activities without distractions. Users can even pin the Friends tab to their home feed for quick access (just head to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Tab bar).
This move signals a broader strategy shift. Meta acknowledges it has spent the past few years focusing on groups, video, and marketplace features — but that’s not where the "magic of friends" lies. By refocusing on personal connections, Meta hopes to boost engagement and remind users why they signed up for Facebook in the first place.
Facebook, with 2 billion daily active users as of 2025, is trying to reclaim what made it special in the first place. The challenge will be convincing younger users to re-engage, especially when platforms like TikTok and Instagram have dominated the social scene. But if it gets this right, the Friends tab could be the start of a meaningful comeback.
