The magic of Facebook has always been in connecting with others. That’s why we’re launching features that make it even easier to connect with friends over the content you care about. We’ve upgraded our recommendations engine, so you’ll get to see more of the content you’re interested in, and we’re rolling out several features that give you more control over the reels you see and more ways to interact with your friends while watching them.
Our Recommendations Are Getting Smarter
We’ve invested in improving Facebook’s recommendations and product experience, creating a smarter recommendations engine that understands your interests faster. As a result, we’re showing you more of what you want to see, whether it’s quick clips or longer videos, creator vlogs, or DIY tips. As we shared in July, time spent watching videos on Facebook has expanded more than 20% year-over-year in the US.
Facebook continues to be the home for all types of video, and our recommendations will help ensure you see fresher content in the formats you enjoy most, regardless of length. If you prefer longer videos, you’re in luck – reels over a minute make up a quarter of reels produced by creators with over 10,000 followers and over 50% of watch time on Facebook. Our recommendation engine is also now surfacing 50% more reels from creators published that day, so you see the newest content faster.
We’re also making it easier for you to tell us when you don’t like what you see. You can tap “Not Interested” on a reel or flag a comment that doesn’t fit the spirit of the conversation and the recommendations engine will respond to these signals, making your reels even more personalized. Plus, we’ve made updates to the Save feature to make it simpler to collect your favorite reels and posts in one place. You’ll help Facebook fine-tune your recommendations with each save, resulting in a more tailored experience that we’ve seen lead to increased watch time globally.
More Ways to Interact With Reels and Friends
We’re rolling out friend bubbles on Reels and Feed so you can spot which reels and posts your friends have liked. When you see a reel with a friend bubble in the corner, you can tap that bubble to jump into a private chat with your friends. So far, we’ve seen people enjoy bubbles as a way to discover what their friends are into, catch up over shared interests, and maybe even learn something new. Seeing likes from your friends has always been core to the Facebook experience, and we are continuing to build features – like bubbles – that bring us back to our roots.
We’re also making it easier to explore your interests and get inspired by others on Facebook. Now, you can dive deeper into your interests with AI-powered suggested search on select reels to discover more content about a topic you love, all without leaving the reels player.
These updates are just the beginning — expect even more ways to personalize, connect, and have fun with Reels in the future. Dive in and see how Facebook is making your experience more about you and your friends.