Meta revamps Facebook with new Local, Explore and Video tabs

Meta has made many major adjustments to its Facebook and Messenger services. The features are in various phases of availability, so you may not see them all at once. The new features include new Local and Explore sections, more immersive Reels, and other AI tools. Messenger is receiving a feature called Communities that allows small and medium-sized groups to interact around shared interests.

The new Local tab aggregates the greatest local content from Facebook, including Marketplace, Groups, and Events. This new tab is now being tested in Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

Another new page on Facebook is the Explore tab, which allows you to find material based on what you enjoy. According to Meta, the algorithm for the Explore tab uses a number of signals to display material that is relevant to you.

The third new feature is a single continuous video tab, which makes it easy to locate Reels and other movies. This will be a full-screen video tab that allows you to watch short, long, and live videos all in one spot. Young adults spend 60% of their time on Facebook watching videos, so adding a video tab should make it even easier to consume this information.

Finally, Facebook has incorporated some AI functions. The first will enable group admins to activate Group AI, which will allow members to ask it questions and provide links to relevant group posts. This is being rolled out in the United States and Canada on a limited basis at first.

Meta's second AI upgrade was that it has integrated Meta AI to improve creativity. It recently introduced Imagine Yourself in the Feed and Story composers on your Profile page. Earlier this year, it included AI Comment Summaries from public Groups, Pages, and Creators to make it easier to keep up with conversations.