Is the metaverse out and Fb again in? That’s a method to take a look at Tuesday’s announcement from the corporate previously referred to as Fb: Meta is revamping its flagship app with a variety of options targeted on connecting mates, together with design modifications, together with a renewed give attention to what nonetheless works, like its standard Fb Market.
The modifications come days after information of Meta contemplating sizable cuts to its metaverse efforts, which, earlier than the AI growth, aimed to make digital worlds and VR the corporate’s subsequent massive guess in social networking. In the meantime, Fb nonetheless reaches billions, even when its progress stays flat in key markets just like the U.S.
As Fb’s inhabitants ages, the app stays in heavy use amongst boomers and Gen Xers. That’s led Meta to attempt to discover a footing amongst a youthful demographic. After failed makes an attempt to reboot Fb as a house for faculty children, the corporate has been making extra noise just lately round giving Fb a Gen Z makeover.
However what’s been resonating with youthful individuals is Fb Market.
The corporate’s on-line market is utilized by greater than half of its Gen Z customers within the U.S., in accordance with a 2025 eMarketer report on social media customers. Final month, Meta confirmed the development, noting that Market was utilized by one out of 4 younger grownup each day lively Fb customers within the U.S. and Canada.
Regardless of the traction, nonetheless, Market has remained buried within the “More” menu beneath customers’ profiles within the Fb app.
This new replace, rolling out quickly, will add Market to the app’s backside navigation bar, alongside different social and creator-focused options like Reels and Pals.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026
Reels and direct messaging have been the most well-liked options on Instagram, the corporate stated earlier this 12 months, which is why it started testing a redesign that centered these within the cell expertise. Now Fb is getting related therapy when it comes to recentering mates as a part of the expertise.
The Profile tab will stay within the navigation bar, and customers will be capable of customise the expertise.
One other a part of the makeover will enable customers to double-tap pictures of their Feed to love them, just like Instagram. These pictures can be organized in a standardized grid, and customers will be capable of see pictures full-screen by clicking them.
Search is altering to incorporate a extra immersive grid structure to assist all content material varieties. Fb can even check a brand new full-screen viewer that might allow you to discover picture and video outcomes with out shedding your home.
As well as, Fb says it’s making it simpler to create Tales and common posts by making instruments for including music or tagging mates extra seen, and eliminating different distractions. Viewers and cross-posting settings will now be extra prominently displayed as effectively.
Commenting throughout Feed, Teams, and Reels is getting its personal set of tweaks. Replies are getting extra streamlined, badges can be extra seen, and customers get new pinning instruments. Meta says this may make conversations simpler to observe, and expanded controls will let creators and admins extra simply monitor conversations. Plus, everybody will be capable of anonymously flag irrelevant feedback and customers who disrupt the dialog.
Within the Feed, customers will be capable of give suggestions as to why they don’t like a submit or Reel to raised personalize their expertise.
A last change sees Fb attempting to regain its repute as a spot for connecting mates. That’s one thing it was as soon as identified greatest for, earlier than prioritizing different forms of content material like information and creator movies, and attempting to copy or purchase each different semi–profitable social app.
The corporate is rolling out up to date person profiles, letting individuals add extra details about their pursuits, hobbies, and journey. Right here, customers can embrace extra details about themselves, like what TV reveals they like, what music they’re streaming, favourite journey spots, and extra.
These are the sorts of issues individuals used to share extra freely earlier than they realized that Fb was solely utilizing their knowledge to raised goal advertisements. The corporate is now throwing customers a bone when it comes to new performance, at the least — if you happen to share that you simply take pleasure in one thing like baking your personal bread, or are planning a visit to a sure metropolis, as an illustration, it would join you with mates who share the curiosity or who can provide suggestions.
After all, Fb has lengthy had the behavior of attempting to juice engagement by pushing each profile replace to your Feed, like if you happen to modified your profile image or background picture — a function many Fb customers discovered annoying and even embarrassing.
With this revamp, nonetheless, customers will be capable of resolve if these updates are shared to their Feed, a choice that would enhance adoption, Fb hopes.
The modifications may influence how content material is ranked in customers’ Feeds, which is already a personalised expertise.
The corporate says the brand new options will roll out globally over the weeks forward. Among the modifications are mobile-only, together with the brand new navigation, search, and feedback updates, double-tap to love, in addition to the Feed and Tales composer redesign.
