Facebook users will be in a position to have up to five separate profiles tied to a single account, to allow individuals to connect with specific groups exclusively. Once the test currently underway goes through, Users will be able to switch between their different profiles in a few taps.
In the past, Facebook has barred regular users from having multiple accounts to curb violations. If the test proves viable, the additional accounts tied to one account will be under pseudo identification depending on the individual’s preference. The move by the social media giant is expected to drive engagement on its platform while also encouraging users to post more content.
Through this new plan, Facebook is also trying to expand the diversity of content posted on the platform, away from just updates with family and friends. The new profiles can be used to go deeper into topics you care about and want to learn more about.
For example, if your interests are in politics and also science, the different profiles will be used to connect you to the topics and people of similar interests without using one profile for all. However, some parts of the platform such as creating and managing a page or using Facebook dating will only be available for people’s main profiles.
The invention of multiple profiles is meant to increase users on the platform as well as encourage activity to those already signed up to the platform. This comes after metrics revealed that the giant company is not growing any bigger as it has in previous years.
Facebook’s monthly active users remained flat from the third quarter of 2021 to the fourth at 2.9 billion. Worse, its daily active users fell from 1.93 to 1.929 billion in the same period — a first for Facebook, which is known for a growth-at-all-costs approach. However much the company reported an increase in daily users in the first quarter of 2022, sources say that the results are low compared to past quarters.