Note: This story was originally published in Feb. 2019.
Facebook is setting the record straight about a post we've all seen (and maybe even posted) over and over and over again.
In a blog post to the Facebook Newsroom Wednesday, the social media giant addressed the myth that claims the site only shows you posts "from the same 25 Facebook friends and nobody else."
The popular post reads like this:
Here is a post explaining why we don’t see all posts from our friends….
News feed recently shows only posts from the same few people, about 25, repeatedly the same, because facebook has a new algorithm.
Their system chooses the people to read Your post. However, I would like to choose for myself, Therefore, I ask you a favor: if you read this message leave me a quick comment, a “hello”, a sticker, whatever you want, so you will appear in my news feed.
Don’t just “Like”, Facebook requires a “Comment”. Even one word! Thanks!!!
Otherwise Facebook chooses who to show me and instead I don’t need facebook to choose my friends!
Do not hesitate to copy and paste on your wall so you can have more interaction with all your contacts and bypass the system. That’s why we don’t see all posts from our friends!
Despite being repeatedly debunked, Facebook said the post continues to be shared time and time again.
In August 2020, a different variation of the same post again started to infiltrate Facebook timelines.
So I’m doing what everyone else is doing. Fixing my blocked posts. I wondered where everybody had been! This is good to know. It's ridiculous to have XXX friends and only 25 are allowed to see posts.
I ignored this post earlier because I didn’t think it worked. It WORKS!! I have a whole new news feed. I’m seeing posts from people I haven’t seen in years.
Here’s how to bypass the system FB now has in place that limits posts on your news feed. Their new algorithm chooses the same few people - about 25 - who will read your posts. So hold your finger down anywhere in this post and "copy" will pop up. Click "copy". Then go to your page, start a new post, and put your finger anywhere in the blank field. "Paste" will pop up and click "paste". This will bypass the system.
If you are reading this message, do me a favor and leave me a quick comment...a "hello," a sticker, whatever you want, so you will appear in my newsfeed‼️It WORKS!!
"So, to clear things up: No, Facebook does not set a limit on the number of people whose posts are shown in your News Feed," the company wrote.
A product manager said Facebook's news feed aims "to show you the posts that matter to you so that you have an enjoyable experience" and that you're only seeing posts from a certain number of friends is a myth.
But Facebook did note that the way its algorithm works in ordering your news feed may make it look like you're seeing posts from the same people every time you log in. That's because, the company wrote, it will show you the posts that are most likely to spark conversation first, including posts that were shared by people, pages or groups with whom you interact frequently.
As for leaving a comment to "unblock" you from a friend's feed, Facebook said that's bunk, too, but if you comment more often and interact with that friend on a regular basis, their posts will be more likely to show at the top of your news feed.
"If you want to control what you see in your News Feed, there are more straightforward ways to do it than by sharing memes," Facebook wrote.
Other - and likely more efficient - ways of manipulating your feed include clicking the "See First" option on a friend's profile to see everything they post. (This works for pages like the WTHR Facebook page, too!)
If you're seeing too much of a particular friend's posts, you can also unfollow them or "snooze" their feed - which will remove their posts from your wall for 30 days.
