It may seem that the order of people in Messenger is random. The top of the list is not always occupied by friends with whom we have recently spoken or with whom we often keep in touch.
So what other factors does Facebook’s algorithm take into account when determining the order of friends on Messenger? Take a look! 🙂
Why does the order of people on Messenger seem illogical?
Facebook‘s algorithm can sometimes be unguessable. Although it meticulously monitors users’ behavior to best match them with advertising content and friends’ publications, its suggestions are often misguided. For example, the top of a contact list on Messenger often includes people with whom we have never exchanged messages or haven’t done so in a long time and with whom we no longer want to talk.
Despite appearances, Facebook’s algorithm works in a very deliberate way. When determining the order of people on Messenger, it simply takes into account various factors, not just the conversation history.
As artificial intelligence is not yet able to match each user individually, there is a misconception that it works in a random way. However, this is not true – Facebook algorithms are constantly evolving and learning to best match the majority of users. However, due to the huge number of variables, they are not perfect.
How does Facebook order your friends in Messenger? 5 main factors
Below I have included the main factors that affect the order of people on Messenger.
1. Conversations on Messenger
The main, but not the only, factor that affects how Facebook orders your friends in Messenger is the frequency of exchanging messages. If we frequently text with someone, the algorithm will want to make it easier for us to contact that person, just by putting them at the top of the chat list.
2. Profile views, reactions to content, tags
Facebook places higher on Messenger list those people whose profiles we frequently view and react to the content they post. In addition, those contacts we tag in our photos, posts or comments are displayed first in Messenger.
These people may be at the top of our list even though we haven’t exchanged a single message with them in Messenger. The algorithm, seeing our interest in the profiles and content of these people, estimates that sooner or later we will want to write to them and contact them.
3. Activity of other users
Another factor that affects the order of people on Messenger is the activity of other users. The more often they are available on Messenger, the more often they will appear higher in their friends’ chats. Even those they don’t talk to very often.
4. Contacts with whom we have something in common
Working together, school, college, group, or attending the same event can cause the people in question to display higher on our Messenger list, even if we haven’t exchanged a single message with them. Facebook matches us with people with whom we have something in common, because we are then more likely to want to contact them. It’s no secret that Facebook’s algorithms use GPS location so they know which users are near each other at any given time.
5. New acquaintances
A common phenomenon that can be observed on Messenger is the appearance of new friends at the top of the chat. Why do contacts that we have added recently display higher for a while?
The answer to this question is quite simple. Analyzing the behavior of millions of users, Facebook deduced that people who have recently made friendships are more likely to exchange messages with each other. For many users, new acquaintances are more exciting and therefore more likely to show interest in a conversation on Messenger.
Is it possible to change the order of people displayed on Messenger?
The order of people on Messenger is not uniform, but constantly changing. Unfortunately, there is no way to set the order of friends on Messenger yourself – everything is done for users by the platform’s algorithms.
However, we can indirectly influence which of our friends will be displayed higher and which lower. If we want specific people to appear at the top of the list, we should frequently respond to their content, display their profiles, write to them on Messenger or tag them in comments. The more interactions Facebook notices on our part, the more likely it is to facilitate our interactions with people of interest.
In conclusion, the order of people on Messenger depends on many factors. How often we chat with specific people is just one of them. It may happen that at the top of our list we will see a person with whom we have never spoken. This is perfectly normal, as the algorithms also take into account other dependent factors, such as profile views, interactions, user activity, interconnectedness and chronology of friendships made, among others.
Hopefully, thanks to my post, you already know what the order of people in your Messenger list results from. I also encourage you to read my other posts with practical tips.
