Facebook’s constant pushing of reels in the feed is frustrating many users who simply want to see posts from their friends and Pages they follow. While reels can be enjoyable, many find the autoplaying videos disruptive to the classic Facebook experience. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to cut back on the number of reels you see.
Why Does Facebook Show So Many Reels?
Facebook is prioritizing reels for a couple of key reasons:
- Competition with TikTok – Reels are Facebook’s version of the hugely popular short form video app TikTok. Pushing reels is part of Facebook’s strategy to compete with TikTok for user attention and time spent on the platform.
- Advertising revenue – Video ads generate higher revenue compared to standard image and text posts. Autoplaying reels with sound on by default makes them more engaging for users, and more profitable for advertisers.
Facebook is aggressively promoting reels to keep up with shifting demands and capitalize on the explosive growth of short form video. This explains why reels have gone from a small addition to dominating the Facebook feed. Power users in particular have noticed their feeds changing almost overnight as reels took over.
How to See Fewer Reels in Facebook Feed
If you find reels distracting and want your regular feed posts back, here are some methods to filter them out:
1. Pause Reels
The easiest way to temporarily hide reels from your feed is to use the Pause feature:
- Go to the three dot menu in the top right of a reel.
- Select “Pause all reels for 30 days”.
This will stop reels auto-playing in your feed for the next 30 days. Repeat when the time period expires if you want to continue avoiding them.
2. See First Preference
Facebook now allows you to choose to See First either friends or Reels in your feed preferences:
- Go to the three line menu in the Facebook app and tap “Settings & privacy”.
- Select “Feed preferences”.
- Choose “Friends” or “Favorites” instead of “Reels”.
Prioritizing friends means you’ll see more regular status updates and fewer reels at the top of your feed.
3. News Feed Preferences
Diving deeper into News Feed Preferences gives you more control over what you see:
- Go to “Settings & privacy” then “News Feed preferences”.
- Under “Prioritize who to see first”, choose friends and Pages you interact with frequently.
- Set “Reels” lower down in your priorities.
Facebook will then tailor your feed to focus on the people and sources you actually care about.
4. Follow Hashtags
Instead of browsing reels aimlessly, follow specific hashtags you’re interested in:
- Search for a hashtag like #cookingtips or #travelreels.
- Tap “Follow” on the hashtag page.
You’ll now get reels based on your interests rather than random viral videos.
5. Reels Feedback
Let Facebook know you don’t want to see as many reels:
- Tap the three dot menu on a reel.
- Choose “See less like this” or “Don’t show posts like this”.
Facebook will adjust the algorithm based on your feedback.
6. Hide Reels
For a more nuclear option, you can hide reels from specific people entirely:
- Tap the three dot menu on their reel.
- Select “Hide all from [person]”.
You won’t see any of their future reels posts without unhiding them.
7. Facebook Feed Eraser Extension
This browser extension for Chrome and Firefox lets you permanently remove recommended posts and reels from your feed:
- Install the Facebook Feed Eraser extension.
- Go to your Facebook feed and click the extension icon.
- Check the box for “Enable feed cleaning”.
The extension will automatically hide non-friend posts including all reels.
Troubleshooting Reels Issues
If you’re still seeing too many reels after trying these solutions, here are some steps to troubleshoot:
- Make sure you don’t have Reels set as a “Favorite” in feed preferences.
- Double check you don’t have Reels prioritized too high in News Feed Preferences.
- Try adjusting the settings on desktop if you changed them in the mobile app.
- Log out and log back in so feed changes fully take effect.
- Update to the latest version of the Facebook app.
It may also take some time for adjustments to be reflected in your updated feed, so be patient.
Give Feedback to Facebook
To encourage Facebook to give users better control, it’s important to provide direct feedback on unwanted reels:
- Use “See less like this” and “Don’t show posts like this” options.
- Submit feedback through Facebook’s “Help Center”.
- Tweet feedback at @Facebook and @Meta.
- Post feedback on Facebook’s official forums.
The more users that speak up, the more pressure on Facebook to address concerns around irrelevant reels and respect feed preferences.
Use Facebook Less
If Facebook refuses to give you satisfactory control over your feed, reducing your time on Facebook may be your best option:
- Delete the app from your phone and access Facebook on desktop only.
- Limit Facebook browsing to set times of the day or week.
- Try switching to alternative social networks like Twitter.
- Post and engage less – starve the algorithm!
By using Facebook less frequently, your feed will stay more focused on meaningful posts from friends when you do log in.
The Future of the Facebook Feed
| Year | Prediction |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Reels to continue dominating feeds despite user complaints. |
| 2024 | Facebook rolls out “Classics” mode after attrition of long-time users. |
| 2025 | New legislation around algorithm transparency and user controls. |
| 2026 | Facebook rebrands as a “metaverse-first” company, feed becomes less relevant. |
Based on Facebook’s doubling down on short form video to date, reels will likely be unavoidable on Facebook feeds for some time. The company shows little sign of pulling back the algorithmic pushing of video.
However, if user engagement starts to meaningfully drop off, Facebook may be forced to relent to some degree. Rolling back their full screen news feed redesign demonstrates past precedent of Facebook removing widely hated changes.
Potential future pressure could come from legal regulations requiring transparent news feed algorithms and giving users greater say over their feeds. But Facebook will resist any changes that reduce their ability to run the profitable platform on their terms.
In the long-term, Facebook’s shift to becoming a metaverse company may eventually frame the classic news feed as legacy functionality. But the feed remains too lucrative for Facebook today to alter their reels-first approach. Users frustrated with reels are left with the options outlined in this article to try and manage the situation as best they can.
Conclusion
Facebook pushing reels may seem unavoidable, but users do have tactics at their disposal to enjoy their feeds more on their own terms. Combining pausing reels, updating news feed preferences, providing feedback, and being more selective with browsing time can help significantly reduce reels. Staying vocal with criticism and using Facebook less overall send important signals. Unfortunately, substantial change likely depends on Facebook deciding reels have gone too far at the expense of the user experience many cherish from the classic news feed. Until then, individuals can try restoring some balance with the steps above. Fundamentally, Facebook wants to keep you engaged on their platform – if they go too far with disruptive features like autoplay reels, reducing your time on Facebook may be the most persuadable message.