We know how to add friends on Facebook, right? Just send them a friend request, and you will be connected with them. But what does following mean on Facebook? And how is it different from being friends on FB?
Following is usually the term you see on other social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram, where any profile you want on your feed you have to start following. So does it mean the same on Facebook? Yes and no. On FB, following isn’t the only option to connect with a profile. You can follow celebrity profiles, accounts, and brand pages so that their content appears on your feed, but the same doesn’t apply to regular profiles. If you want to connect with a friend, you have the option to send them a friend request. People that accept your friend request immediately get added to your following.
Let’s dig a little deeper and see more about what does following mean on facebook:
What Does It Mean To Follow Someone On Facebook?
Following someone on Facebook means adding them to your feed. Whatever posts they make and updates they share will appear on your FB newsfeed. You can follow people without adding them as friends. There are profiles that won’t give you the option to add friends, so for them, you will have to follow them in order to keep up with their updates.
Remember that when you add someone as a friend, you automatically start following them, but when you just follow someone, you don’t automatically get added as a friend. Earlier, you had the option to like pages which made you follow the page automatically. But now, you cannot like a page on Facebook; just follow it.
How To Follow Someone On Facebook?
Follow these steps to follow someone on Facebook:
- Open Facebook and tap on the magnifying glass.
- Type the name of the person or page you wish to follow and select their profile.
- Tap on their profile icon and then tap on Follow.
You might not find the Follow button, just the Add Friend button on certain profiles that is because they have their ‘Who can follow me’ set to Friends. So unless you send them a friend request, you won’t be able to follow them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What Is The Difference Between Friends And Followers On Facebook?
Friends are when 2 people are mutually following each other. On the other hand, following can be just one person following the other.
Q2. Do People Know If You Follow Them On Facebook?
No. You can follow people without them getting a notification about it. Unless you’re following a page because, in that case, the page owner will get a notification.
Q3. What Does It Mean When Someone Follow You On Facebook?
People who want to keep updated on your posts follow you on FB. All your friends automatically become your followers.
Q4. Who Can See My Friends List On Facebook?
Anyone on FB can see your friends list unless you set it to private.
Conclusion
Were you wondering why certain profiles show a following button instead of an Add friend button? Well, certain profiles or pages aren’t available for everyone to be friends with. Sometimes you will even find that you aren’t able to add friend to people. You will very commonly see this with celebrity profiles on Facebook. So to keep up with their updates, you will have to follow their profile. Following on Facebook is a little different than following on Instagram or Twitter. On those platforms, you don’t have a friends option; you have to follow everyone. On Facebook, when you can’t add someone as a friend, you can follow them instead. Also, every time you become friends with someone on Facebook, they are automatically added as a following.
If you don’t find a Follow button on a profile, it is because they have set their ‘Who can follow me’ settings to Friends. So to follow them, you will have to add them as friends. So now you know what does following mean on Facebook.