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Following vs. Friending on Facebook
To follow someone and to add someone as a friend are two different things on Facebook.
When you follow someone, you don’t have to add them as a friend. You can see that entity’s posts and other content in your news feed while not becoming a part of their friends list. This option is usually used to follow celebrities and the pages that interest you on this social platform.
The convention on Facebook is that when you add someone as a friend, it’s likely you know that person personally. You add people like your real-life friends, colleagues, and family as “friends” on Facebook.
Know that while Facebook allows you to have up to 5,000 friends at a time, there’s no such limit for followers. Also, keep in mind that people and pages can choose not to allow themselves to be followed. In such cases, you won’t see the “Follow” button on these entities’ pages on Facebook.
Follow People on Facebook
To follow a personal account on Facebook, all you have to do is visit that person’s profile page and click or tap an option. Here’s how to do that on a computer and on mobile.
On Desktop
On your computer, launch a web browser and open Facebook. Log in to your account if you haven’t already. It’s easy to recover your Facebook password if you’ve forgotten it.
After logging in, access the profile page of the person you want to follow. On this page, in the tab list beneath the person’s name, click the three dots.
In the three-dot menu, choose “Follow.”
You’re now following the selected person in your Facebook account. The person’s posts will appear in your news feed.
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On Mobile
To follow a person from your phone or tablet, first, launch the Facebook app on your mobile device. Then, open the profile page of the person you want to follow.
On the profile page, beneath the person’s name, tap the three dots.
In the “Profile Settings” menu, choose “Follow.”
And you’re all set.
Follow Pages on Facebook
Following a page is as easy as doing so for a personal account.
On Desktop
On your desktop, launch a web browser and open Facebook. Sign in to your account if required.
Next, open the page you wish to follow. On the page screen, at the far right of the tab list, click the three dots.
In the menu that opens, choose “Follow.”
Your chosen page’s posts will now appear in your news feed. Enjoy, and be sure to clean up your news feed so that the page’s updates don’t get pushed down by clutter.
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On Mobile
On your mobile phone or tablet, launch the Facebook app. Access the page to follow, then tap the three dots.
From the menu that pops up, select “Follow.”
You’re now following your favorite page on Facebook.
If you’d like more control over your account, you can use Facebook’s unfriend, mute, and block options to keep people away from your profile on this platform. Check out our guides to learn how they work and how to use them.
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