Facebook Stories have become an incredibly popular way for people to share photos, videos, and updates throughout their day. When you post a Story, you can see a list of who has viewed it and in what order. But what determines the order that your Facebook friends appear in the viewers list? Here’s an in-depth look at how Facebook story viewer order is arranged.
How Does the Order of Facebook Story Viewers Change Over Time
The order can change multiple times as you accumulate more views and as your interactions and friend connections shift over time. But those you interact with frequently will likely keep appearing higher up.
Order For the First 50 Views
For the first 50 views of your Facebook Story, the viewers are shown in chronological order. The first person to view your Story will be at the bottom of the list, while the most recent viewer is shown at the top.
So if your friend Jane was the first to view your Story an hour ago, she’ll now be close to the bottom. And if your friend Alex just viewed it, he’ll appear at the top. This allows you to see a timeline of who saw your Story most recently in the first 50 views.
Order After 50 Views
Once your Story exceeds 50 views, Facebook employs an algorithm to determine the order. The exact details of this algorithm are proprietary, but it likely ranks your friends based on how much you interact with them.
People you exchange more comments, reactions and direct messages with may appear higher in your viewers list. Close friends that engage frequently with your profile tend to show up near the top once your views pass 50.
The algorithm also gives priority to friends that have a lot of mutual friends with you. The assumption is that if you share a lot of common connections, you’re more likely to care about that person’s activity.
What Factors Affect Facebook Story Viewer Order Arrangement?
There are a few key factors that affect the order of Facebook story viewers:
1. Interactions
People you interact with more (likes, comments, messages, etc.) will appear higher in your story viewer list. The algorithm ranks people based on your activity and closeness with them.
2. New friends
People you’ve recently added as friends may appear higher as Facebook’s algorithm assumes you want to see their stories.
3. Location
People physically closer to your location are more likely to appear higher in your story viewer list.
4. Verified/popular accounts
Accounts with verification badges or a large number of friends/followers are often ranked higher.
5. Number of friends
When you first open Facebook, people with more friends may rank higher as the algorithm assumes mutual friends.
6. Timing
The first 50 views are ordered chronologically with the most recent viewer on top. After 50 views, the ranking becomes based more on interactions.
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Order?
Seeing the same person always at the top of your Facebook story viewers can be puzzling. But there’s no need to worry or be embarrassed if it’s an acquaintance or someone you don’t talk to much.
The algorithms are designed to surface friends you interact with often, not make judgments about relationships. Focus on creating fun Stories and connecting with your friends rather than the viewers order.
Recommended: How to Remove Your Reaction from a Facebook Story
And if you ever feel uncomfortable with who can view your Stories, you can always customize the privacy settings to exclude certain people to edit the Facebook story viewer order. So have fun sharing Stories without worrying about algorithms or viewers! The feature is intended for spreading joy, not causing stress.
