The order of the friends list on Facebook is not random. Facebook uses an algorithm to determine the sequence of friends in your list. There are a few key factors that influence the ranking:
Recency of Interaction
Friends you have interacted with more recently (likes, comments, messages, etc.) will appear higher up in your friends list. This makes sense, as Facebook assumes you are more likely to engage with friends you’ve interacted with more recently.
So if you comment on your friend Jane’s post today, she will likely appear higher in your friends list than your friend John, who you haven’t interacted with in weeks.
Frequency of Interaction
The number of times you interact with a friend also impacts their ranking. Friends you interact with frequently (liking their posts, commenting, tagging, etc.) are more likely to appear near the top of your list.
For example, if you like and comment on your friend Sarah’s posts multiple times per week, she’ll likely stay higher up than friends you interact with less frequently.
Closeness of Relationship
Facebook has data on how close your relationships are with your friends based on:
- How many mutual friends you share
- How much you interact on Facebook privately (likes, comments, messages, etc.)
- Whether you’ve indicated a relationship status with the friend
Friends who you have closer relationships with according to this criteria will tend to rank higher in your list.
Similarity
Facebook may factor in how similar you are to certain friends based on shared interests, education, job history, location, and other attributes. Friends who are more “similar” to you likely appear higher up.
Importance
Facebook designates a level of “importance” to certain friends based on how likely they determine you are to interact with them. Friends deemed more “important” rank higher.
Lists and Groups
Friends who you’ve added to lists like Close Friends or who are in groups you created like Family may get priority ranking in your friends list.
New Friends
When you add new friends, they tend to appear at the top of your friends list initially. This allows you to easily find and interact with these new connections.
Manual Rearrangement
If you manually drag and rearrange your friends list, Facebook will remember the custom order. So friends you deliberately moved higher will tend to stay higher.
Activity Level
How active a friend is on Facebook may impact their ranking. Friends who post, like, and comment more often may get prioritized over less active connections.
Age of Friendship
Friends you’ve known longer on Facebook may be ranked higher than newer friends.
Summary
In summary, Facebook’s friends list ranking algorithm considers:
- Recency of interaction
- Frequency of interaction
- Closeness of relationship
- Similarity
- Importance
- Lists and groups
- New friends
- Manual rearrangement
- Activity level
- Age of friendship
By taking all these factors into account, Facebook tries to customize your friends list to show the connections most likely to matter to you at the top. The ranking is not permanent and will shift around based on your ongoing interactions and affinity with friends over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the Facebook friends list order update?
The friends list order is updated dynamically based on your interactions. There is no set schedule for when rankings are recalculated, as the algorithm runs continuously to detect changes in your activity and relationships.
Can I choose to disable Facebook’s friends ranking algorithm?
There is no setting to disable Facebook’s automated friends ranking. The algorithm-based ordering is on by default for all users.
Is the friends list order the same across devices and platforms?
Yes, the ranking of your friends list is synced across mobile, desktop, and other platforms. So the order will be consistent regardless of where you access Facebook from.
Can I sort my friends manually in a custom order?
You can manually rearrange your friends using the drag-and-drop feature and Facebook will remember that custom order. However, over time the automated algorithm may change the order again based on your interactions.
Why do some inactive friends stay near the top of my list?
Even less active friends may maintain a higher ranking if your past interactions indicate a closer relationship based on factors like mutual friends, shared interests, photos tagged, etc. But extremely inactive friends will gradually fall lower in your list over time.
Can I filter my friends list in other ways besides the default ranking?
Yes, you can use filters like acquaintances, close friends, family, and others to view subsets of your friends list in different groupings.
Comparisons With Other Social Networks
Every social media platform orders their friends/followers/connections lists differently. Here is a comparison of how major networks rank users:
| Network | Ordering Factors |
|---|---|
| Recency, frequency, closeness, similarity of interactions | |
| Manual order, stories, recency of likes | |
| Most recent tweets, recency of interactions | |
| Snapchat | Recency, frequency of snaps |
| Relationships, profile views, feed interactions |
As you can see, recency and frequency of interactions are common ranking factors, but each platform uses a different specific algorithm tailored to how people engage on that network.
Tips for Managing Your Friends List Order
Here are some tips to influence your Facebook friends list ranking:
- Interact frequently with your closest friends by liking, commenting, messaging, etc.
- Add friends you want higher to lists like Close Friends.
- Manually drag your best friends to the top of your list.
- Filter by Close Friends when possible to focus on your inner circle.
- Interact with old friends you want to reconnect with.
- Remove or unfollow friends you no longer want to see higher up.
While you can’t completely control the algorithm, these tips can help shape your list to highlight the friends most important to you.
Conclusion
Facebook’s friends list order is customized for each user based on factors like your recency of interaction, history of engagement, closeness of relationships, and more. The ranking is not permanent, so friends will move up and down over time. While you can’t disable the algorithmic order, you can use manual rearrangement, lists, filters, and thoughtful interaction to influence which friends appear at the top of your list.