Facebook is turning into TikTok

Meta is making some updates to reels on Facebook, including that it has upgraded the platform’s “recommendations engine” so that “it learns your interests quicker and shows you newer and more relevant reels.” This year, Meta has been making a big push into making Facebook relevant again, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying in January that he’s “excited this year to get back to some OG Facebook,” and part of those efforts includes changes to the platform’s video experience to better compete with other short-form video apps like TikTok.

In an effort to help you see more recent videos, for example, Facebook now surfaces 50 percent more reels from creators published the day you’re watching, Meta says. The company is also making it easier to see if a friend has already liked a reel with what it calls “friend bubbles,” which show up in the bottom left of a video. If you see a friend bubble and want to chat with your pal about the video, you can tap the bubble to open up a private chat.

“Seeing likes from your friends has always been core to the Facebook experience, and we are continuing to build features – like bubbles – that bring us back to our roots,” Meta says.

Meta’s work to improve its ranking systems has already increased time spent on videos on Facebook by more than 20 percent year-over-year, the company revealed in its latest earnings report. In June, Meta announced that it would be making all Facebook videos reels and that it would be dropping length restrictions for reels on the platform.