Facebook’s algorithm for determining top friends is complex and constantly evolving. However, there are some key factors that are known to influence who shows up in your “Top Friends” section on your Facebook profile.
Interaction Frequency
One of the most important factors is how often you interact with a friend on Facebook. This includes liking, commenting on, reacting to, and sharing their posts, messaging them, commenting on their photos, etc. The more frequently you interact with someone, the more likely they are to show up as a top friend.
Facebook’s algorithm tracks all of your interactions to determine who you engage with most regularly. Frequent commenting back and forth or tagging each other in posts indicates a close relationship and will boost a friend’s ranking.
Recency of Interaction
Recency of interaction is also key. Friends you have interacted with more recently are weighted more heavily than friends you may have interacted with a lot in the past. This means your top friends list is dynamic and responds to your current relationships and activity patterns.
If you had a close friend you talked to every day 6 months ago but have fallen out of touch, they likely won’t stay a top friend for long. But someone you’ve started engaging more with over the last few weeks can climb into your top friends.
Initiating Interactions
Who initiates interactions seems to also matter. Friends that you proactively reach out to and engage with first are ranked higher than friends who engage with you without prompting.
So consistently commenting on a friend’s posts first rather than just replying may give them a boost in the top friends algorithm.
Types of Interactions
Not all interactions are weighted equally either. Some types of engagement seem to signal a closer relationship and are more important for determining top friends.
Here are some of the interactions that seem to carry more weight:
- Liking profile pictures
- Liking and commenting on timeline posts
- Tagging in posts and photos
- Sharing private content like posts, photos, or videos
- Messaging back and forth frequently
- Commenting on and reacting to live videos
- Going live together in multi-person live videos
Public interactions like liking page posts or commenting on public posts seem to be less of a ranking factor. Private, one-on-one interactions reveal closer ties.
Affinity for Content
Facebook also determines how much you “care” about certain friends’ content. If you frequently like, react to, comment on, click on or share certain people’s posts, Facebook sees you have a high affinity for their content.
Friends whose posts you engage with most are more likely to end up as top friends since you clearly value their content.
Real-World Interactions
Real-world interactions can also influence top friends. While harder to track, Facebook does its best to determine who you interact with most in the real world as well.
Things like:
- Being tagged in photos together
- Checking into the same locations or events
- Saying you are with someone in a post
- Tagging your location as “with [friend’s name]”
All signal that you spend meaningful time together offline. Friends you seem to interact with a lot both online and in person are likely to end up higher in top friends.
Close Friends List
The new Close Friends list feature is also integrated with top friends. Friends you manually add to your Close Friends have a much higher chance of showing up as a top friend since you explicitly indicated them as close connections.
History of Friendship
How long you’ve been Facebook friends with someone can also play a role. Friends you’ve known and interacted with for years tend to be weighted heavier than newer friends you’ve recently added.
But this factor seems less important than current engagement and interactions. You can certainly elevate newer friends into your top friends quickly through consistent interactions.
Mutual Friends
Having many mutual friends can also signal a stronger, closer tie and boost a friend’s ranking. Think about it, if you have dozens of friends in common, chances are you share similar interests and social circles.
But mutual friends alone won’t make someone a top friend. You still need to regularly interact one-on-one as well.
Network Clustering
Facebook analyzes the overall structure of your friend network and the clusters within it. Friends who are tightly interconnected with many mutual connections within your network are seen as part of your “inner circle”.
So someone who is directly connected to several of your other top friends through multiple mutual friendships has a high chance of ranking. They are embedded in your closest cluster.
Romantic Partners
People you indicate are your significant other on Facebook (by setting your relationship status) get immediately boosted to the top spot in your top friends ranking.
Romantic partner connections are seen as super strong ties, so a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or wife will almost always take the #1 top friend slot while you are in that relationship.
Conclusion
Facebook’s top friends algorithm is multifaceted and always evolving. But in general, the friends that show up at the top are determined by:
– How frequently you interact and who initiates it most
– What types of interactions you have
– How recently you’ve interacted
– Who you engage with both online and offline
– How you’ve grouped certain friends into lists like Close Friends
– How long you’ve been connected to people
– How interconnected your friend network is
– Who you’re in romantic relationships with
The goal is to define the group of friends you’re closest with based on these signals of tie strength and intimacy. So interacting more one-on-one with people you consider close companions will organically shape your top friends ranking over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does who you chat with most on Messenger become a top friend?
Yes, frequent Messenger conversations, especially 1-on-1 chats, are a strong signal for Facebook’s algorithm. Friends you message back and forth with regularly will likely end up as a top friend.
Can someone pay to become a top friend?
No, there is no way to pay or advertise to artificially increase your ranking. Top friends are determined purely by natural engagement patterns and signals of relationship strength.
Do likes and reactions impact top friends?
Yes, liking and reacting to someone’s posts signals you value their content and care about their life updates. More likes/reactions will positively impact a friend’s ranking.
Does commenting on posts increase top friend rank?
Definitely. Commenting shows deeper engagement than just liking. Back-and-forth comment chains with a friend are a strong top friend signal.
Do I need to add someone to my Close Friends list for them to be a top friend?
No, you don’t have to manually add them as a Close Friend. Organic interactions will increase their ranking over time. But adding them to the list can give them an initial boost.
Can I reorder my top friends manually?
Unfortunately no, Facebook’s algorithm controls the ranking. You can’t drag-and-drop to reorder top friends yourself. The only way to change it is by interacting more or less with certain friends naturally over time.
Does having no mutual friends exclude someone from being a top friend?
No, not necessarily. You can have top friends with zero mutual connections through consistent one-on-one interactions alone. But having lots of mutual friends can help boost someone’s ranking.
Do in-person hangouts impact the algorithm?
Yes. Facebook will detect real-world interactions from things like check-ins together, being tagged in the same photos, saying you’re “with” someone in posts, etc. Real-life hangouts help signal closeness.
Can someone be a top friend if they rarely post?
Yes, it’s possible to be a top friend even with minimal posting activity. Frequent messaging, reactions to their limited posts, and real-world interactions can compensate for less feed activity.
Does having a new significant other change your top friends?
Absolutely. New romantic partners shoot right to the #1 spot once the relationship status is set. And when single again, the ex drops out of the top friends entirely in most cases.
Can close family members be top friends?
Yes. Siblings, parents, and other close family connections showing up as top friends is common if you interact frequently on Facebook. Family relationships signal high tie strength to the algorithm.
Do games and apps with friends increase ranking?
Potentially. Playing games like Words With Friends and interacting within Facebook apps signals engagement. But feeds and profiles interactions tend to have a bigger impact.
How often does the top friends ranking update?
The list refreshes regularly as the algorithm detects new patterns in your interactions and relationships. There is no set schedule, but changes can happen daily or weekly.
If I limit interactions with someone will they drop off?
In most cases, yes. Consistently interacting less over time – liking, commenting, messaging less – will cause a friend’s ranking to gradually decrease and fall off your top friends list.
Can I refresh my top friends manually?
No, there is no manual refresh button. The list updates automatically based on algorithmic analysis of your activity. You have to change interactions to reshape your top friends organically.
Do my posts impact how others rank me as a top friend?
Yes. If you post content they consistently like, comment on, and share, it makes them more likely to have you as a top friend. Valuable, engaging content influences your ranking in others’ lists.
Does having maximum friend count impact ranking?
Possibly. With a 5,000 friend limit, the more friends you have, the harder it may be for any one friend to stand out and rank highly. But consistent engagement can still boost rankings even at max count.
Summary
In summary, Facebook’s top friends algorithm aims to identify and rank the people you interact with most intimately both online and offline. No one factor determines the list. It’s a complex blend of signals like recency, frequency, type of interactions, grouping friends into lists like Close Friends, real-world hangouts, relationship length, mutual connections, romantic bonds, and more. There’s no way to cheat the system or pay for ranking. The best way to become and remain someone’s top friend is to consistently initiate meaningful one-on-one interactions that demonstrate true closeness.