With over 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook has become an integral part of our social lives. We spend a lot of our time scrolling through our News Feed and connecting with friends and family on the platform.
As an avid Facebook user, you may have noticed the shortcut bar at the bottom of the Facebook mobile app which provides quick access to different sections. One of the default shortcuts on this bar is “Friends” which shows your pending friend requests and friend suggestions.
But what exactly does the Facebook Friends shortcut mean and what does it do? Does it signify pending requests or recommended friends? Can you remove the Friends shortcut if you don’t need it? How does Facebook determine which friends to suggest to you anyway?
If you have been puzzled by the presence of the Friends shortcut in your Facebook navigation bar and want to learn more about what it represents, this post will clear all your doubts.
Facebook Friends Under Shortcut
We will dive into the meaning of Facebook Friends under shortcut, how to customize it to your liking, and the logic behind Facebook’s friend recommendations. Read on to uncover all that you need to know about this little but useful Facebook feature!
What does ‘Facebook Friends Under Shortcut’ Mean?
The Friends shortcut on the Facebook mobile app essentially shows you friend requests and friend suggestions.
- When you tap on the Friends shortcut, you will see two tabs:
- Friend Requests – Shows pending requests from people who want to add you as their friend on Facebook. These are people you need to either accept or ignore.
- Suggestions – Shows profile suggestions of people you may know. This is Facebook’s way of recommending potential friends based on various factors.
So in simple words, Facebook Friends under Shortcut allows you to quickly view and manage friend requests and suggestions directly from the shortcuts bar, without having to go to your profile.
Can I Remove the Facebook Friends Shortcut?
Yes, you can remove or hide the Facebook Friends shortcut if you do not want it to appear on your shortcuts bar. Just follow these steps:
- Tap and hold the Friends shortcut on the bar.
- A menu pops up. Tap on Hide from Navigation Bar.
- The Friends shortcut will now be hidden.
To add the Friends shortcut back to the shortcuts bar:
- Tap and hold any shortcut on the bar.
- Tap on Customize Your Navigation Bar.
- Under Hidden Shortcuts, tap the drop-down menu next to Friend Requests and select Pin.
- The Friends shortcut will now show up again on your navigation bar.
What Other Shortcuts Are Available in the Shortcuts Bar?
In addition to the Friends shortcut, Facebook offers several other shortcuts that provide quick access to different sections of your account:
- Groups: Allows you to access all your Facebook groups.
- Marketplace: Provides direct access to Facebook Marketplace.
- Watch: Shows videos you have watched or saved.
- Pages: Provides access to all the Facebook pages you manage.
- Events: Shows upcoming events and calendars.
- Saved: Displays all your saved items in one place.
You can customize which three shortcuts appear on your navigation bar, including Friends, by tapping and holding any shortcut.
The rest of the available shortcuts will appear under the Hidden Shortcuts section from where you can choose to show or hide them.
How Does Facebook Decide Which Friends to Suggest?
When you tap on the Friends shortcut and go to the Suggestions tab, you will see profile suggestions of people Facebook thinks you may know.
Facebook uses sophisticated algorithms and AI to determine which friends to suggest based on various factors, including:
- Mutual Friends: Facebook suggests people with several mutual friends as there is a higher chance you may know them.
- Network Clustering: People who are part of your extended network or 2nd-degree connections are likely to be suggested.
- Recent Interactions: If you have recently viewed someone’s profile or interacted with them indirectly, they may show up as a suggestion.
- Shared Interests/Activities: People who share the same interests, Groups, Pages, or events as you tend to get suggested more.
- Location History: People who visit the same places or live nearby also commonly get suggested by Facebook’s algorithm.
- Education/Workplace: Classmates, alumni, and colleagues at current & past workplaces are also recommended connections.
So in summary, Facebook leverages its rich social graph, AI capabilities, and extensive user data to recommend friends whom it believes you may potentially know and would want to connect with.
Over time, the suggestions get more personalized based on your activity and engagement on Facebook.
Facebook Friends Shortcut – FAQs:
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the Facebook Friends shortcut:
- Q1. Where is the Friends shortcut located?
The Friends shortcut is located at the bottom of the Facebook mobile app on the navigation bar, next to other shortcuts like Marketplace, Watch, etc.
- Q2. Why can’t I see the Friend Requests tab under Friends?
If you cannot see pending friend requests under the Friends shortcut, it means you currently have no requests. The tab will be blank if there are no pending requests.
- Q3. Can I permanently remove friend suggestions from my account?
There is no way to permanently stop friend suggestions on Facebook. Even if you ignore all suggestions, Facebook will continue showing new ones over time based on its algorithms.
- Q4. Do ignore friend suggestions get notified?
No, if you ignore a friend’s suggestion, that person is not notified or informed in any way. Ignoring only ensures the specific suggestion does not appear again.
- Q5. Can I reorder the shortcuts on my navigation bar?
Yes, you can customize the order of shortcuts on your navigation bar by tapping and holding any shortcut. Drag shortcuts left or right to reorder them.
- Q6. Why do I see irrelevant friend recommendations sometimes?
Facebook friend algorithms are very advanced but can sometimes show less relevant suggestions depending on current data patterns. As you continue to use Facebook, suggestions will become more personalized.
- Q7. Are friend suggestions based on user data privacy?
Yes, Facebook only suggests friends based on data points users have agreed to share via privacy settings or activity on the platform. Users can customize visibility and data-sharing options.
- Q8. How often are new friend suggestions shown?
The frequency of new friend suggestions depends on your account activity and other factors, but on average expect to see new suggestions a few times a week or so.
- Q9. Can I provide feedback if I find any suggestions inappropriate?
Yes, tap the three-dot menu next to any suggestion and select “Give Feedback” to report any inappropriate or irrelevant suggestions to Facebook.
- Q10. Will rejecting friend requests or suggestions offend people?
No need to worry. Facebook does not notify people if you ignore a friend request or suggestion from them. You have full control over who to add or ignore.
More Facebook Guides:
- Facebook Wolf IPA
- How to unblock someone on Facebook
- How to Secure Your Facebook Account
- How To Delete Facebook Account Permanently
- How To Hide Tagged Photos On Facebook
Final Words
The Facebook Friends shortcut provides a handy hub to access pending friend requests and suggestions directly from your navigation bar. It eliminates the need to dig through menus.
You can customize which shortcuts appear on your bar and control friend suggestions to suit your preferences. Facebook’s algorithms will continue refining suggestions over time to recommend relevant people you may know based on different parameters.
We hope this gives complete clarity on what Facebook Friends under shortcut means and how to best leverage this useful feature while maintaining your desired privacy boundaries.