Setting up shortcuts for Facebook can make navigating the platform quicker and easier. Whether you’re accessing Facebook on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, there are tricks to streamline common tasks.
Desktop Shortcuts
If you use Facebook primarily on a Windows or Mac desktop computer, one of the simplest ways to set up shortcuts is by bookmarking pages. Here’s how:
- Navigate to the Facebook page you want to bookmark such as your News Feed, Profile, Groups or Events.
- Click the star icon in your browser’s toolbar to add the page to your bookmarks.
- Right click on the new bookmark and select “Properties.”
- In the URL field, add a keyboard shortcut after the web address. For example, facebook.com/newsfeed#n.
- Click “Apply” to save the shortcut.
Now you can quickly open your bookmarked Facebook pages by typing the keyboard shortcut into your browser’s address bar. Instead of facebook.com/newsfeed, just type facebook.com#n.
Additionally, most browsers allow you to right click on any link or button on a webpage and select “Add to shortcuts” or “Create shortcut.” This will add an icon to your desktop or taskbar for one-click access.
Mobile App Shortcuts
The Facebook mobile app also has some handy shortcuts to swiftly get to key features.
- iOS: Swipe right from the main menu to quickly open Events, Groups, Friends List, Pages Feed or Marketplace.
- Android: Swipe right to access shortcuts for Events, Groups, Friends, Pages, Jobs or Marketplace.
- Tap and hold the notification icon to instantly mark all notifications as read.
- Tap and hold on a message to quickly reply, react, forward or delete.
You can also add Facebook shortcuts to your mobile device’s home screen for fast 1-tap access:
- Open the Facebook app and go to the page you want to shortcut.
- Tap the Share button (iOS) or More Options menu (Android).
- Select “Add to Home Screen.”
- Name the shortcut and tap Add.
- The selected Facebook page will now appear as an icon on your home screen.
Facebook Messenger Shortcuts
Messenger is packed with shortcut features to help you message faster:
- Swipe right to open your Favorites, Calls or People sections.
- Press and hold a conversation to quickly Mute, Archive or Delete it.
- In group chats, tap and hold on a person’s message to Reply Privately or Block them.
- Double tap a message to Like it.
- Tap and hold the camera icon to directly open your camera and take a photo.
You can also access Messenger shortcuts from Facebook:
- Tap your Profile Picture then “Messenger” to directly open your Messenger app.
- Tap the Messages icon in the Facebook app to quickly scroll through recent conversations.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Facebook has built-in keyboard shortcuts that work across desktop and mobile browsers. Here are some of the most useful ones:
- Press H to open the Help Community page.
- Press ? to open the keyboard shortcut help article.
- Press / to focus your cursor in the search bar.
- Press N to go to your News Feed.
- Press P to navigate to your Profile.
- Press M for Messenger.
- Press L to like a News Feed post or comment.
You can discover more Facebook and Messenger keyboard shortcuts by typing the ? key.
Customize and Optimize
Take advantage of Facebook’s customization settings to tailor your experience:
- Reorder your navigation menu shortcuts.
- Favorite friends and Pages to stay atop your News Feed.
- Adjust notification settings.
- Create Friend Lists to easily access subsets of friends.
- Join custom Groups for your interests.
The many options for Facebook shortcut setup allow you to access what you need fastest. Try different shortcuts and see which boost your efficiency on desktop, mobile and Messenger.