The Facebook shortcut bar, also known as the bookmarks bar, is a customizable toolbar that appears at the top of the Facebook website. It allows you to quickly access your favorite pages and features on Facebook with just one click. The shortcut bar is available on both desktop and mobile, though customization options differ between platforms.
Customizing the Facebook Shortcut Bar
To customize the Facebook shortcut bar on desktop, click the pencil icon on the far right side of the bar. This will open up the shortcut bar preferences menu where you can add, remove, and rearrange shortcuts.
On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines “hamburger” icon in the bottom right corner, then tap “Settings & Privacy” followed by “Settings.” Scroll down to the “Shortcuts” section to manage your shortcut bar preferences.
The shortcut bar preferences menu allows you to:
- Add new shortcuts – Search for pages, groups, events, and more to add them to your shortcut bar
- Remove existing shortcuts – Click the “X” icon next to any shortcut to remove it
- Reorder shortcuts – Click and drag shortcuts to arrange them in your preferred order
Some common shortcuts people add include pages for close friends, favorite groups and events, frequently-used apps like Facebook Marketplace, and shortcuts to hubs like Watch, Gaming, and News Feed Preferences.
Default Shortcuts
The Facebook shortcut bar comes pre-populated with some default shortcuts:
- Home – Takes you to your News Feed
- Friends – Opens your friends list
- Watch – Brings you to the Watch video hub
- Marketplace – Launches Facebook Marketplace
- Groups – Shows your groups
- Games – Goes to the Facebook Gaming hub
You can remove any of these default shortcuts to customize your bar with the pages and features you actually use.
Shortcut Bar on Mobile
The Facebook app for iOS and Android also includes a shortcut bar at the bottom of the screen. This works the same way as the desktop shortcut bar, providing quick access to your commonly-used Facebook features.
To edit the mobile shortcut bar:
- Tap the “hamburger” menu icon (3 horizontal lines)
- Tap “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Scroll down and tap “Shortcuts”
Here you can add, remove, and rearrange shortcuts just like on desktop. The default mobile shortcuts include:
- Home
- Friends
- Groups
- Watch
- Marketplace
Customize these to suit your preferences. For example, you may want a shortcut to your favorite group, event, Facebook Page, or app like Messenger.
Shortcut Bar on iPadOS
On the Facebook app for iPad, the shortcut bar is located on the left side of the screen. The process of customizing it is the same:
- Tap the “hamburger” menu
- Tap “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Scroll down and tap “Shortcuts”
Add, remove, and rearrange shortcuts to access your favorite Facebook features faster on your iPad.
keyboard Shortcuts
In addition to customizing the visible shortcut bar, you can also set up keyboard shortcuts on desktop Facebook to quickly jump between sections.
To enable custom keyboard shortcuts:
- Click the down arrow in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings”
- Click “Keyboard Shortcuts” on the left
From here, you can set custom keyboard shortcuts for features like News Feed, Messages, Events, Profile, and more. For example, set “n” as your News Feed shortcut, “m” for Messages, “p” for Profile, etc.
Third-Party Shortcuts
There are browser extensions and tools available that add more keyboard shortcuts and shortcuts bar options to Facebook.
On Chrome, check out extensions like Facebook Shortcuts and Social Bookmarklet to further enhance your shortcut bar. These provide advanced customizations like one-click filters for News Feed and notifications.
Safari has similar extensions like Facebook Fluid for power users who want expanded shortcut options.
Do some research to find a third-party shortcut tool that works best for your browser and how you use Facebook.
Tips for Managing Shortcuts
Here are some tips for customizing your Facebook shortcut bar like a pro:
- Put your 2-3 most-used shortcuts on the left side for easy access
- Group related shortcuts together – e.g. Friends, Groups, Events
- Use keyboard shortcuts along with the visible bar for efficiency
- Only add shortcuts you actually use regularly to avoid clutter
- Rename shortcuts if needed for clarity
- Re-evaluate your setup over time as your needs change
With the Facebook shortcut bar, keyboard shortcuts, and browser extensions, you have tons of options for creating a custom navigation system tailored to your unique Facebook needs.
Take the time to set up shortcuts to your main hubs and streamline your Facebook workflow. The shortcut bar is one of Facebook’s most useful but underutilized features!