Facebook's New Test Allows Users to Even have Up to Five Profiles

As part of a test, Facebook will enable certain users to have several profiles, the company stated, suggesting a significant move as Meta seeks new methods to convince users to stay on the platform in the face of rising competition from rivals.

Some Facebook users will be able to create up to four extra profiles linked to their original account as part of the test. The concept is that other profiles can be created for various reasons, such as one for friends, one for coworkers, and another for connecting with interest groups and influencers. Users will retain one account but will be able to move between profiles with a few clicks.

According to Facebook spokesperson Leonard Lam, profiles will be subject to Facebook’s regulations, and infractions on one profile would affect the account as a whole.

“To help people tailor their experience based on interests and relationships, we’re testing a way for people to have more than one profile tied to a single Facebook account. Anyone who uses Facebook must continue to follow our rules,” Lam said.

Users who create additional accounts will not be required to use their true identity for their display name, according to Lam, as long as the stand-in does not violate the platform’s regulations and does not include digits or special characters. For years, Facebook’s regulation requiring account holders to use the name they use in real life has been a source of disagreement, even sparking legal action in Germany.

Facebook’s move away from a single profile comes as the network battles to retain users, particularly young people, while existential threats like as TikTok develop. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the company lost daily users for the very first time in its history.