Meta’s new multi-profile feature is now live, letting users create multiple Facebook profiles to explore different interests, share different content with different audiences, and more.
With the new “Create another profile” option, you can now create custom profiles for your different interests. This way, you can engage in a broader range of interests and build separate friend lists and feeds for each profile.
Facebook users can now create up to four additional personal profiles, each with its own username and feed. This will help users maintain a level of separation and privacy, and feel more comfortable sharing about more of their interests.
Meta began testing this feature last July, and many beta users have enjoyed having clearer separation between different elements of their Facebook experience.
This change comes as people are sharing less and less on Facebook in general. In January, Meta reported that Facebook usage was rising, but that creation and engagement elements were in decline.
Social media is becoming more entertainment-focused, with apps like TikTok and Instagram leading the way with their endless streams of algorithmically curated short-form videos. As a result, people are sharing their own content less and less.
Meta has noted that more people are now sharing content in their DMs with smaller groups of friends than they are posting to their main feeds. This could be due to a number of factors, such as the fear of backlash from divisive content and debates, or simply because people don’t want to share all of their updates with everyone they’re connected with.
Meta’s new multi-profile feature may help people feel more comfortable sharing by allowing them to post to specific communities in isolation. However, it’s unlikely that users will develop the habit of switching between profiles, and it could even encourage negative behaviors like trolling.
Ultimately, Meta is likely happy with any engagement, regardless of how it’s generated. It’s also worth noting that Meta is experimenting with a similar feature in groups, allowing users to create separate “About Me” sections for each community.
The biggest hurdle I see is that people will have to switch between profiles and check notifications on each one. They also need to be careful not to post from the wrong profile to the wrong community. For most people, I don’t think the benefits outweigh the extra effort.
But it’s an option, and Meta must have seen some positive indicators in its initial testing. So, we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.
