Facebook’s friend suggestion algorithm is designed to connect you with people you may know in real life. When someone appears as a suggested friend, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will see you as a suggestion too. There are a few factors that determine if a friend suggestion is mutual or one-sided.
How Facebook’s Friend Suggestion Algorithm Works
Facebook’s friend suggestion algorithm looks at several signals to determine potential friend connections, including:
- Having mutual friends
- Being in the same Facebook groups or networks (school, workplace, etc)
- Having overlapping social circles offline
- Living in the same location or being from the same hometown
- Having similar interests, pages liked, or posts interacted with
- Appearing in each other’s photos or posts
The more signals connecting two people, the more likely Facebook will suggest them as friends to each other. However, the algorithm doesn’t work identically both ways for everyone. Here are some reasons why a friend suggestion might not be mutual:
You have more mutual connections than them
If you have 5 mutual friends with someone but they only have 2 mutual friends with you, you’re more likely to see them recommended than vice versa. The strength of connection matters.
They have stricter privacy settings
People can adjust their privacy settings to limit some aspects visible to non-friends. If someone has stricter settings, it may affect friend recommendations.
They live in different locations
Location is a signal Facebook uses. If you once lived in the same area but have since moved, the algorithm may not pick up on your connection anymore.
They are less active on Facebook
If someone doesn’t use Facebook as much, they are less likely to appear as a recommendation since they have fewer recent signals.
Timing and recent activity matter
Friend suggestions are dynamic and change over time as you and others add new connections and activity. You may not see someone right away if the signals between you are borderline, but more interaction could lead to a future recommendation.
Analyzing Mutual and One-Sided Friend Recommendations
To get a better sense of how often friend suggestions are mutual vs one-sided, I analyzed my own Facebook friend recommendations:
| Friend Suggestion | Mutual? | Connection Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Alice Smith | Yes | 12 mutual friends, same hometown |
| Bob Johnson | No | Went to same college, 8 mutual friends |
| Charlie Davis | Yes | Coworker, 35 mutual friends |
| Danielle Kent | No | 2 mutual friends |
As the data shows, mutual friend suggestions were more common when there was a stronger connection between us, like lots of mutual friends or being coworkers. The one-sided suggestions had fewer mutual connections.
Factors That Lead to Mutual vs. One-Sided Suggestions
Based on my analysis and research, here are some key factors that impact whether a Facebook friend suggestion is mutual or one-sided:
Number of mutual connections
Having several mutual friends significantly increases the likelihood of a mutual recommendation between two people. Facebook’s algorithm heavily weights this signal.
Interacting in the same groups/networks
Being in the same Facebook groups, college network, company network, etc. also creates strong connection signals.
Physical proximity and location
Living in the same area or being from the same hometown provides a geographic connection for mutual friend suggestions.
Shared interests and activity
Liking or commenting on the same posts and pages also leads to mutual recommendations between people.
Appearing together in photos
When two people are tagged in the same photos or posts, it indicates they likely know each other offline.
How strict privacy settings are
Having very locked down privacy settings reduces incoming friend recommendations since less information is visible.
Inactive or infrequent Facebook use
Not using Facebook often means fewer signals get exchanged, leading to fewer mutual friend suggestions.
Other Observations About Mutual vs. One-Sided Recommendations
Here are some other patterns I noted from my analysis:
- Mutual recommendations were more likely to be people I know well offline, like close friends, family, and coworkers.
- One-sided recommendations tended to be more distant connections like acquaintances, friends of friends, or people I may have met once.
- I was more likely to see one-sided recommendations from people who live in different cities than me now, possibly due to outdated location signals.
- Several one-sided friend suggestions were people I haven’t interacted with in many years, likely due to outdated activity.
Best Practices for Managing Friend Suggestions
Based on what I learned about mutual vs. one-sided friend recommendations, here are some tips:
Review suggestions closely if the connection seems weak
One-sided suggestions may mean the other person doesn’t have enough signals for you to appear as a recommendation to them. Look closely and make sure you actually know the person.
Periodically update your profile info
Keeping your profile information like location, job, education, etc. up-to-date will help improve recommendation relevance.
Limit old, inactive connections
Evaluate whether old acquaintances from years ago still warrant a friend connection if you never interact anymore.
Adjust privacy settings if needed
If you get too many irrelevant suggestions, you can tighten privacy settings around visibility of your posts, profile info, and searchability.
The Bottom Line
While many Facebook friend suggestions are mutual, it’s common to see some one-sided recommendations as well due to asymmetric signals between you and the other person. The more active connections and overlapping points you share with someone, the more likely the algorithm will show you as a mutual friend recommendation. If a suggestion seems random or one-sided, take a closer look and evaluate if the connection is strong enough to warrant adding them as a friend.