• by Colin Kirkland , September 21, 2023

Facebook is making it possible for the first time for users to create multiple personal profiles. After almost 20 years in the social-media game, the Meta-owned platform wants users to be able to showcase various parts of themselves in separate forms, because “sometimes separate is simpler.”

“Whether you are new to Facebook or a longtime user, you may want to keep your personal and professional relationships separate, or you may want to keep on profile tied to a community you are a part of and another profile just for friends,” the tech giant explained in a blog post.

“Think one profile for the foodie scene you love and another one to keep up with your friends and family,” the company suggested.

After experimenting with the multiple profiles feature over the past year, the company said that people enjoyed the “clearer organization of friends, groups, and interests” because it helped them feel “freer to engage with the audience they believe is most relevant.”

This is not the first time Meta has experimented with multiple profiles. Users are already able to create separate profiles on Facebook's sister platform Instagram.

Meta said that the ability to create multiple personal Facebook profiles is rolling out globally and will continue over the next few months. Each profile will feature a unique feed with relevant content and users will be able to switch between profiles without having to log in.

Some features, however, such as dating, marketplace, professional mode and payments, will not be available to additional personal profiles for some time.

Despite facing competition from newer social-media leaders like TikTok, Facebook still has over 3 billion monthly active users, according to Meta's most recent quarterly report. The platform has bounced back from its first-ever quarterly decline of daily active users in 2021.