In a move that could redefine how users manage their online identities, Meta announced last Thursday that Facebook users can now create up to four additional profiles attached to their main account.
Key Highlights:
- Meta announces the ability for Facebook users to create up to four additional profiles linked to their main account.
- The feature aims to help users separate their personal, professional, and interest-based interactions.
- Each new profile will have its own unique content feed based on its specific interests.
- Initial restrictions include the unavailability of Dating, Marketplace, Professional Mode, and payments for secondary profiles.
- The feature is inspired by Instagram’s success with similar functionality and will roll out globally in the coming months.
This feature, which was initially tested last July, allows users to switch between profiles without the hassle of logging in and out.
The company suggests that these multiple profiles can serve various facets of a user’s life. “Whether it’s your work life, personal life, or specific communities you’re part of, these profiles help you compartmentalize your interactions,” Meta stated in its announcement blog post.
Each of these profiles will come with its own unique content feed, tailored to the interests and activities associated with that specific profile. “Imagine having one profile dedicated to your culinary interests and another for staying connected with family and friends,” the company elaborated. This move was inspired by Instagram’s success with a similar feature, which has shown that users appreciate a more organized way to engage with different audiences.
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However, there are some caveats. The new profiles will start with Facebook’s default privacy and notification settings, requiring users to manually adjust them. Moreover, certain features like Facebook’s Dating, Marketplace, Professional Mode, and payments will not be available for these secondary profiles at launch. Messaging for these profiles will initially be limited to the Facebook app and web, with Messenger support expected to arrive “in the coming months.”
The introduction of this feature could have significant implications for user engagement and online identity management. It allows for a more nuanced approach to social media interactions, enabling users to segregate their personal and professional lives or even create profiles dedicated to specific hobbies or interests.
This feature is especially timely given the increasing focus on personal branding and the blurring lines between personal and professional lives in the digital age. It also opens up new avenues for targeted advertising and user analytics, offering a more segmented view of a user’s varied interests and interactions.
The multi-profile feature began its global rollout last Thursday and will continue to be introduced to users over the coming months.
