Facebook is rolling out “Friend Bubbles” to Reels and feed posts, aiming to inject a more communal vibe into short-form video.

• Once live, you’ll spot a bubble in the corner of videos and posts highlighting which of your friends liked that content—a tap opens a private chat for instant reactions or commentary.

• Meta actually piloted this feature on Instagram earlier this year, and with growing popularity, it’s now making its way to Facebook, a sign that “friend-informed” recommendations resonate with users.

Friend Bubbles are part of a broader effort to revive Facebook’s appeal and deepen its short-form video offering, echoing CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aim to bring back “OG Facebook” energy in 2025.

Under the hood, the platform’s recommendation engine is getting a major update:

• A new “Not Interested” button allows users to actively shape their Reels feed—reducing irrelevant or repetitive content.

• Flagging inappropriate comments will further personalize what users see.

• Saves just got a major boost: the Save feature now carries extra influence in Facebook’s algorithm, meaning posts that people save have a better shot at future visibility and watch time.

• Facebook now surfaces 50% more Reels from creators published the same day—they’re putting freshness first.

• Stats highlight the shift: American users now spend 20%+ more time watching Facebook videos compared to last year.

These changes are all meant to create a “smarter recommendations engine” in order to give users a better experience in the feed.

Tactics to Try Now

• Encourage Saves: Add clear calls-to-action asking viewers to save your Reels for later viewing or inspiration.

• Create Save-Worthy Content: Think tips, how-tos, or highly shareable moments—a “save” now factors heavily in who sees your video next.

• Leverage Recency: Since same-day content gets more exposure, experiment with time-sensitive posts or reactive content tied to trends.

• Start Conversations: Make your videos conversational to spark private chats (hello, Friend Bubbles!).

Why It Matters

For social media marketers, it's time to get intentional with creating “save-worthy” content.

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