Facebook Stories are a popular way for people to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. When you post a Story, it appears at the top of your friends’ News Feeds in a horizontal scroll. But do Facebook Stories also appear deeper in the News Feed alongside regular posts? Here’s what you need to know.
Do Stories appear in my News Feed?
Yes, Facebook Stories do appear in your main News Feed mixed in with regular posts. When one of your friends shares a Story, you’ll see it towards the top of your News Feed. It will be displayed horizontally and you can tap through to view the full Story.
Stories are designed to be prominent, eye-catching content at the top of News Feed. The idea is to encourage people to view and interact with Stories as they scroll through recent updates.
Why do I see Stories in my News Feed?
There are a few reasons why Facebook incorporates Stories directly into the News Feed:
- To increase engagement – Stories have higher engagement rates than regular posts. Putting them directly in the News Feed makes them more discoverable.
- To simplify the experience – Having Stories atop News Feed creates a seamless viewing experience for consuming different types of content.
- To compete with other platforms – Snapchat and Instagram both intermix Stories in their main feeds, so Facebook followed suit.
Do all Stories appear in my News Feed?
You won’t see all Stories from your friends in your News Feed. Facebook uses algorithmic ranking to select the most relevant Stories to show you:
- Stories from closer friends are more likely to appear.
- Popular Stories with high engagement can get boosted.
- Stories you haven’t reacted to may be resurfaced.
So the Stories you see are tailored to your interests and patterns, like all News Feed content. Less relevant Stories won’t make the cut.
Where else can I see Facebook Stories?
In addition to News Feed, there are a few other places you can view Facebook Stories:
- The Stories feed – Tap the Stories icon in the shortcuts bar to see recent Stories.
- Profile stories – View someone’s public Stories on their profile.
- Groups – Group members can share Stories to the group that you’ll see when visiting the group.
So checking News Feed isn’t the only way to consume Stories. But it is the most common place that people view them as they scroll through updates.
Do I have to post Stories to News Feed?
No, you don’t have to share your Facebook Stories to News Feed. When you create a Story, you have the option to customize the audience:
- Public – Anyone can see it.
- Friends – Your friends can see it.
- Custom – Select specific people to view it.
- Hide Story – Don’t share it at all to News Feed.
The default is Friends. But you can hide a Story from News Feed while still sharing it through your Story feed and profile if you prefer.
How long do Stories stay in News Feed?
Stories have a 24-hour lifespan. After that time period, they disappear from News Feed and can no longer be viewed.
That ephemeral nature is part of what makes Stories fun and different from regular posting. It encourages timely, authentic content. And it means your News Feed doesn’t get overloaded with out-of-date Stories.
Any Story you post will be viewable in News Feed for 24 hours. Your friends’ Stories may disappear sooner if they were posted more than 24 hours before you log in.
Do News Feed Stories count as Story views?
Yes, viewing a Story from News Feed does count towards its total view count. Your friends will see when you’ve viewed their Story no matter where you viewed it from.
So interacting with Stories in News Feed helps boost their visibility just like viewing them directly from the Stories feed. Your engagement helps Facebook understand what Stories to keep surfacing in your News Feed over time.
Can I hide Stories in my News Feed?
If you don’t want to see Stories in your News Feed at all, there are a couple options:
- Temporarily – You can hide a Story from an individual friend after it appears by tapping the X icon on the top right corner.
- Permanently – Go to Settings & Privacy > News Feed Preferences and toggle off “Show Facebook Stories.”
Hiding Stories means you’d have to specifically go to someone’s profile or the Stories feed to view their content. For heavy Stories users, this may be inconvenient.
Conclusion
Facebook Stories are integrated directly into the News Feed alongside regular posts. You’ll see the most recent and relevant Stories from friends towards the top of your feed.
Stories appear in News Feed to boost engagement and align with how other platforms work. You can control whether your own Stories show up in feeds, but you can’t prevent seeing others’ Stories without hiding them completely.
Overall, the integration of Stories makes them readily available to view and interact with as you scroll through your News Feed. And it helps Facebook promote the Stories format as a core part of the social experience.