How to Add and Remove Shortcuts on Facebook
As the Facebook app keeps getting updated, all of the new features can start to get overwhelming. If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re looking to manage your shortcuts on your home screen a bit better.
Luckily, there are a few methods you can use to simplify your navigation by customizing the shortcuts tab. Here’s what to know about these icons and how to add and remove shortcuts on the Facebook app.
Facebook Shortcuts Bar on Mobile App
Shortcuts on the Facebook app provide access points to different pages and features in one place—you’ll see these icons on the shortcut bar. For Android users, this bar will be at the top, and for iPhone users, it’s at the bottom. It also appears at the top of the page of the Facebook website on desktop browsers.
The Facebook shortcuts bar makes navigation quick and easy since there’s no need to scroll through a menu to get to where you want. Most of the shortcuts can be removed and re-added, and their notification dots can also be disabled and enabled, we’ll show you how later on. First, let’s have a look at the shortcuts you can expect to find in the shortcut bar.
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How to Edit Your Facebook Shortcuts
Facebook Shortcuts on web browser
Homepage
The first shortcut to the left is the Homepage, represented by a house icon. This is where you’ll access your Newsfeed. This shortcut can’t be removed.
Settings
Settings are on the far right (the hamburger icon) and will open a page where you can have quick access to things like saved posts, events, as well as some of the Facebook shortcuts that are also accessed through the shortcuts bar. There are several menu tabs in this Settings page, from where you can customize the app’s settings. This is an essential tab and can therefore not be removed.
Notifications
The bell icon is the Notifications tab. Here, you’ll find all your notifications (that you have turned on) such as comments, likes, shares, invitations to like pages, and birthday reminders. This tab can’t be removed either.
Profile
The Profile shortcut is a circular avatar icon and it’s where you can access your profile and all your posts. You can remove it, and if you do, your profile is still accessible from the Settings page via the hamburger icon.
Friends
The Friends shortcut is an icon with two people. This is where you can view all your friend requests and suggested friends to add. If you remove the tab, you’ll get friend request notifications in the Notifications tab instead.
Marketplace
The Facebook Marketplace shortcut is represented with a tent icon, and here you can discover, buy, and sell items. It comes with its own list of settings where you can filter through specific items. Listings will be based on your location by default, but you can change it.
Groups
Facebook Groups combines posts from all the groups you’re a part of into its own feed. Similar to suggestions that pop up on your regular feed, you’ll see some suggested groups here. It’s a circular icon with three people and can be removed.
Watch
Watch suggests videos from creators that you might be interested in. It’s a rectangular play button icon and can be removed.
How to Remove Shortcuts by Long-Pressing
Long-pressing on an icon from the shortcuts bar is the simplest way to remove a shortcut in the Facebook app. But you can only remove shortcuts with this method, not add them.
Facebook Confirm Remove Shortcut
To remove shortcuts by long-pressing, follow these steps:
Long-press on the shortcut you want to remove.
From the pop-up menu, tap Remove from shortcut bar.
Another pop-up will appear confirming that you want to remove the shortcut. Select Remove.
A temporary dialog box will appear at the bottom to confirm the changes you’ve made. Tap on Settings if you want to reverse the change—but be quick since the box will disappear after a few seconds.
How to Add or Remove Shortcuts Using Facebook Settings
Not only can you remove shortcuts using your settings on Facebook, but you also can add new ones.
Facebook App Shortcuts Customization
To add or remove shortcuts via the settings, follow these steps:
Locate the hamburger icon on the right of the shortcut bar and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
Scroll down to Preferences and select Shortcuts > Shortcut bar. You will be taken to a page where you can manage your shortcut bar preferences. If you haven’t updated your Facebook app in a while, then you might have to scroll to Shortcuts and select the Shortcut bar from there.
Toggle the tabs on and off for the shortcuts you want to add or remove. It might take a while for removed shortcuts to reappear if you toggle them on.
How to Turn Notification Dots On and Off by Long-Pressing
If you’d prefer not to see notification dots on the shortcut icons, you can disable them by long-pressing.
Facebook Disable Shortcut Notification Dots
To disable and enable notification dots by long-pressing, follow these steps:
Hold down on a shortcut icon in the shortcut bar that you want to remove the notification dots from.
From the pop-up, select Turn off notification dots.
To turn these dots back on, long press on the shortcut icon, and select Turn on notification dots.
How to Turn Notification Dots On and Off From Settings
You can also customize the notification dots from your Facebook settings.
Facebook App Notification Dots Customization
To disable and enable notification dots from the settings, follow these steps:
Locate the hamburger icon on the right of the shortcut bar and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
Scroll down to Preferences and select Shortcuts > Notification dots. Again, if you haven’t updated the app in a while, then you might have to scroll down to Notifications and select Notification dots from there.
Toggle the tabs on and off to enable or disable notification dots for a shortcut.
Customize Your Facebook Shortcuts
Shortcuts are there to make navigation quick and convenient. But let’s be real, they can also clog up your screen. Follow the above guide to choose which shortcuts you want to display and whether or not you want to see their notification dots.
