Facebook, launched in 2004, has become one of the largest social media platforms in the world with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q2 2021. However, unlike some other social networks, Facebook does not have a dedicated follower system. Instead, Facebook is based around bidirectional friends and page likes.
Friends vs Followers on Social Media
On many social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram, users can follow other accounts without needing approval. This allows users to see posts from accounts they are interested in without needing to be followed back. However, on Facebook, friend connections require approval from both parties before you are able to view full profile contents or Wall posts.
So while you can subscribe to see public posts from Pages and public figures you don’t know on Facebook, you cannot follow normal user profiles unless they confirm your friend request first. This means there is no unilateral following system for individual accounts on Facebook like there is on some other platforms.
Who Can You Follow on Facebook?
While normal user accounts cannot be followed unilaterally, here are some things you can follow on Facebook without needing approval:
- Pages – Public figures, businesses, brands, organizations, and influencers can create Facebook Pages. You can follow these by liking the Page.
- Groups – Public and private groups can be joined to see group member posts.
- Events – Public events allow interested people to follow event updates.
- Hashtags – You can follow public hashtags to see related content.
Pages, groups, events, and hashtags allow interested users to subscribe for updates without requiring administrator or member approval. So while Facebook doesn’t allow you to follow user profiles specifically, there are still things you can follow.
Friend Request Options
While you cannot unilaterally follow normal profiles on Facebook, you do have a few options for connecting with user accounts you don’t know:
- Friend request – Send a standard friend request which will appear in their notifications. They can choose to accept or ignore the request.
- Message – Send them a message along with a friend request to explain who you are.
- Mutual friends – See which friends you have in common and ask someone to introduce you first.
- Follow a restricted profile – If their profile is restricted but public, you can still subscribe to see their public posts.
Using one of these methods can potentially help you connect with new friends and profiles on Facebook. But keep in mind that without mutual approval, your access will be limited.
Can You See Who Follows You on Facebook?
Since there is no follower system on Facebook in the traditional sense, you cannot see a list of “followers.” However, there are still a few ways to get an idea of your audience and subscribers on Facebook:
- Friends list – View your complete friends list to see all approved connections.
- Friend requests – Check pending friend requests to see who has tried to connect.
- Page likes – If you have a public Page, you can see a list of people who like your Page.
- Page followers – See the number of followers your Facebook Page has.
- Group members – If you admin a group, you can see who has joined.
- Event responses – Check who has marked themselves as “Going” or “Interested” in your public event.
- Post reach – Use Facebook Insights to see how many people your posts are reaching.
While these may not show unilateral “followers,” they can give you an idea of who engages with your profile and subscribed to your public content on Facebook.
Other Social Media Follower Systems
While Facebook relies on mutual friends and page likes, other social platforms like these have dedicated follower systems:
| Platform | Follower System |
|---|---|
| Unilateral following of user accounts via “Follow” button | |
| Unilateral following of user accounts via “Follow” button | |
| TikTok | Unilateral following of user accounts via “Follow” button |
| YouTube | Unilateral subscribing to channels via “Subscribe” button |
| Unilateral following of user accounts via “Follow” button |
On these platforms, you can easily find and follow any account you are interested in without needing approval from the user. This creates a unilateral follower system that many people enjoy. But Facebook has so far stuck with bilateral connections for individual user accounts.
Does Facebook Have a Similar Suggested Follow System?
Facebook does try to improve connections between users with its “People You May Know” and “Suggested Friends” features. These use information like shared connections, networks, location, and more to recommend new people you may want to connect with.
While this is not exactly the same as a follow system, it does aim to increase engagement between users who are likely to share common interests and connections. So in that sense, the spirit of showing users relevant accounts is similar to how follower suggestions work on other platforms.
People You May Know
This feature proactively recommends new accounts for you to consider connecting with. The automated suggestions tend to include:
- Friends of friends
- Friends of a new connection
- People who recently visited your profile
- People with mutual friends, networks or groups
- Contacts who recently joined Facebook
Suggested Friends
Similarly, Suggested Friends recommends new accounts, but you can also browse through categories like:
- Friends from school or work
- Friends of close connections
- People who live nearby
- People with similar interests
Checking these suggestions periodically can help you find relevant people and send connection requests on Facebook without having to unilaterally follow them.
Advantages of Facebook’s Friend System
While some people enjoy being able to unilaterally follow anyone on other social networks, Facebook’s friend system has some potential advantages:
- More intimate connections since both people confirm the relationship
- Able to keep account private and approve friends selectively
- Reduced spam since accounts cannot be followed without permission
- Friends list is a more accurate signal of actual relationships
- Page likes allow following interests without friending strangers
- Still able to subscribe to public figures, groups, events and hashtags
The friend system creates a more controlled environment focused on mutual connections. Users maintain discretion over who can view and interact with their full profile. So while you lose the ability to unilaterally follow strangers, your existing friends list may have stronger ties.
Disadvantages of Facebook’s Friend System
However, Facebook’s approach also comes with some drawbacks compared to follower systems:
- Harder to discover new accounts organically
- Follower counts can be a social signal and motivation for accounts
- Manual approval process creates more friction to connect
- Harder to keep up with acquaintances you interact with infrequently
- Restricts the reach potential of Pages and public figures
- Provides less transparency into who engages with you
For better or worse, unilateral following enables more open discovery and flexibility in social connections. Under Facebook’s model, there is more friction around initiating new relationships and measuring your audience.
The Evolution of Friending on Facebook
While Facebook has not added a traditional follow system, the meaning of connections has evolved over time:
- 2004-2009: Friends were often actual friends and acquaintances. Strict privacy settings.
- 2009-2014: People began friending coworkers, brands, celebrities. Privacy loosened up.
- 2014-2018: Average user had hundreds of friends. Focus shifts to public content, news feed algorithms.
- 2018-Today: People friend less new people organically. Emphasis on groups, events, pages.
In the early days, friend connections were treated more exclusively for actual social relationships. But as the network grew, people expanded their criteria for friending others on the platform. This coincided with a shift toward more public sharing and consumption of content from all connections. In more recent years, user growth has slowed and friend connections have become less of a focus than shared interests in groups, pages, and events.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook does not have a traditional follower system for individual user profiles. Friend connections require mutual approval, unlike unilateral following on sites like Twitter. However, Facebook users can still subscribe to public pages, groups, events and hashtags based on interests. Suggested Friends can also help users find and connect with relevant accounts. Ultimately, Facebook’s friend-based approach aims to encourage more intimate social connections between mutually approved users, although this removes the open discoverability of follower models on other platforms.