Suggested posts is a feature on Facebook that tracks your activity and the kind of content that you engage with regularly and shares other posts that the platform thinks you will like.
In much the same way as Instagram shows you recommended content and TikTok pulls together an entire For You page of content that you might be interested in, the suggested posts feature is designed to facilitate discovery and introduce users to new content and creators.
But what do you do when suggested posts start to take over your experience? Here’s a quick guide to restoring your Facebook feed to posts from friends and pages that you follow.
Can You Turn off Suggested Posts?
Unfortunately, there is no singular action that you can take to turn off suggested posts.
This feature has become embedded in Facebook’s algorithm and is a core part of the platform’s operations. It ensures that users’ experience on the app keeps growing, and that those paying for Facebook ads can keep sharing their ads and posts on the feeds of potential followers and customers.
Having said that, there are ways of managing the suggested posts you see and exerting some control over the kind of posts that appear.
The Steps to Manage Suggested Posts
When you see a post on your feed that you like, it’s important to take action – just like it’s also important to take action when you see a post you don’t like.
The more information you give Facebook about what you are interested in and what you don’t want to see, the more personalised your suggested posts and feed will become.
When you see a post that you like or don’t like, here are the steps to take…
- Click on the three dots in the top right hand corner next to the post
- If you like the content and want to see more like it, tap ‘Show More’. If you don’t want to see posts like this, tap ‘Show Less’
If you click the wrong option, you can tap ‘Undo’ on your screen when your action is confirmed. Otherwise, Facebook will start to take heed of your request and will adjust the way it displays suggested content to you according to your preferences.
So, while Facebook does not invite users to turn off suggested posts or cease their access and visibility of new content, what it does do is give them control over the kinds of posts that they can see.
