You’ll soon notice changes to Facebook that focus on connecting people in more private ways

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Getty Images | Dan Kitwood

The next time you hop on Facebook, you might notice some major changes. In response to user preferences, the mobile app will now put much more emphasis on Events and Groups, while de-emphasizing the News Feed.

It’s all part of an overhaul designed to make the Facebook experience more private. These and other major changes were announced on the first day of FB 2019, the company’s annual conference that started on April 30.

The changes include a redesigned Groups tab, which will show a personalized feed of activity in all of your Groups. A new discovery tool will help users find new Groups that fit their interests. You will also see more content from Groups in your News Feed and have the ability to share content directly to Groups from the News Feed. Facebook is also rolling out new features that are specific to certain types of Groups. For example, Groups focused on jobs will have templates for employers to post openings and gaming Groups will get live chats.

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“This redesign makes it easy for people to go from public spaces to more private ones, like Groups,” read an official recap of the first day of the conference. “There are tens of millions of active groups on Facebook. When people find the right one, it often becomes the most meaningful part of how they use Facebook. Today, more than 400 million people on Facebook belong to a group that they find meaningful. That’s why we’re introducing new tools that will make it easier for you to discover and engage with groups of people who share your interests.”

If you love using Facebook to find all the fun happenings in your area, the new and improved Events tab will help you get recommendations on events, find new local businesses and make plans with your friends to meet up.

Outside of Groups and Events, there are changes coming to Messenger. The app is getting re-engineered to be faster and lighter. It’ll offer a way to watch videos together in real-time with other users, get a desktop version and provide improved communication with close friends and family through a dedicated space for Stories and messages. Facebook is also adding lead generation templates to Ads Manager, which will help businesses more easily connect with customers.

Facebook also announced new features for Instagram and WhatsApp along with new virtual reality and augmented reality products. The company will expand Facebook Dating, including a new feature called Secret Crush, to 14 additional countries (not including the U.S).

Learn more about all the new changes here. Do they better reflect the way you use Facebook today?

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About the Author
Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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