Facebook’s ‘Suggested for You’ feature recommends posts, people, groups, and events that you may be interested in based on your activity on Facebook. While some users find this useful, others may prefer not to see these customized suggestions.
What is Suggested for You on Facebook?
The Suggested for You feature uses information like pages and accounts you’ve liked, posts you’ve engaged with, and your profile info to recommend content to you. Some examples of Suggested for You include:
- Suggested Pages – Pages you may want to like or follow based on your interests
- Suggested Posts – Posts from pages you don’t follow that may be relevant to you
- Suggested Groups – Groups you may want to join based on your connections and interests
- Suggested Events – Local events you may be interested in attending
- People You May Know – Friend recommendations based on mutual connections
The goal of Suggested for You is to show you posts and accounts that are personalized to your tastes and interests. However, some users find the recommendations irrelevant or simply don’t want to see suggested content.
How to Turn Off Suggested for You
If you want to disable the Suggested for You feature, here are the steps:
- Go to your Facebook News Feed
- Click on the 3 line “hamburger” menu in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Click on “News Feed Preferences”
- Uncheck the box next to “Suggested for You”
This will prevent Suggested for You posts from showing up in your News Feed. However, you may still see some suggested content in other places, like the sidebar or notifications.
Turning Off Specific Suggestion Types
If you only want to disable certain types of suggestions, you can turn them off individually:
- Suggested Pages/Accounts – Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Ads” > Turn off “Ads based on data from partners”
- Suggested Groups – Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Groups” > Turn off “Get recommendations for groups to join”
- Suggested Events – Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Events” > Turn off “Recommendations for events to attend”
- People You May Know – Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “People You May Know” > Turn off “See recommendations”
Limiting Data Used for Recommendations
In addition to turning off Suggested for You, you can limit the types of information Facebook uses to generate recommendations:
- Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Ads”
- Click “Ads based on data from partners”
- Edit the interests that Facebook can use to show you ads, suggestions, and other content
You can also opt out of Facebook using your offline activity for ad targeting in the same location. This will limit the real-world data Facebook has to make suggestions.
Using Ad Preferences for More Controls
Under “Settings & Privacy” > “Ads” > “Ad Preferences” you have additional options to manage suggestions:
- Hide ad topics you don’t want to see
- Disable future predictions made based on your activity
- View advertisers who have added you to customer lists and remove yourself
Taking advantage of these controls can further limit the reach of Suggested for You.
Alternatives to Suggested Content
If you turn off Suggested for You entirely, your News Feed may feel less personalized. Here are some ways to still discover new content:
- Follow topics of interest – Get updates from a broad range of sources on topics like photography, books, or travel
- Join interest-based groups – Find active communities for hobbies, causes and interests
- Like additional pages – Proactively search for and like pages to get their updates
- Discover Facebook Events – Browse upcoming events nearby or online
Pros and Cons of Suggested for You
Before disabling Suggested for You, consider the pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Surface new content you’re likely to enjoy | Can feel intrusive or overly personalized |
| Help you discover pages, groups and events | Suggestions may be irrelevant |
| Keep your News Feed dynamic and engaging | Hard to completely disable suggested content |
Conclusion
Facebook’s Suggested for You feature aims to personalize your experience by recommending content based on the data it collects about you. If you find the suggestions irrelevant or invasive, you can take steps to minimize them:
- Turn off Suggested for You in News Feed Preferences
- Disable individual suggestion types like pages, groups and events
- Limit ad interest and partner data Facebook can use
- Leverage Ad Preferences for more customization
However, you may need to proactively follow topics, pages and groups you like to continue seeing personalized content. There is no one-stop solution to eliminate all suggestions, but adjusting these settings can help you take control.