Facebook Rolls Out New Features to Boost Reels Engagement

Facebook has unveiled a suite of new features designed to increase user engagement with Reels, the platform’s short-form video format. The updates include friend activity indicators, AI-powered topic recommendations, and significant algorithm enhancements aimed at surfacing fresher content more rapidly.

The social media giant is doubling down on video content as over 3.5 billion Reels are shared daily across Facebook and Instagram. These changes reflect Meta’s strategic focus on capturing user attention through video formats that have proven successful on competing platforms.

Friend Activity Takes Center Stage

The most notable addition is “friend bubbles,” which will appear on Reels and feed posts to show content that friends have liked. This feature, already implemented on Instagram earlier this year, provides social proof and recommendations based on connections’ engagement patterns. Users should note that their likes will now be visible to their network, adding a layer of social accountability to content interactions.

TikTok-Inspired Topic Discovery

Facebook is also introducing topic search links at the bottom of Reels, similar to TikTok’s format. These AI-generated recommendations allow users to quickly explore related content by tapping suggested topics like “soup dumpling recipes” that appear beneath videos.

The platform’s algorithm has been refined to prioritize newer content, now surfacing 50% more same-day creator posts. Additionally, Facebook is weighing saved content more heavily in its ranking system and has added a “Not Interested” option, enabling users to fine-tune their recommendations and personalize their viewing experience more effectively.