Social throwback 2025: Facebook new features, policy changes and more

Throughout 2025, Meta implemented multiple and significant changes across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

This year, Facebook saw a major shift in content moderation with the transition from third-party fact-checking to a Community Notes model in the United States.

The company also introduced numerous advertising tools powered by artificial intelligence, expanded its Meta Verified subscription service, and made several adjustments to user privacy and safety features. From video format changes that turned all uploads into Reels to new creator monetisation options on Facebook, it continued adapting its platforms to changing user behaviours and regulatory requirements.

This timeline documents all major updates rolled out by Facebook each month in 2025.

January 2025

• Meta announced the end of its third-party fact-checking program in the United States. The platform will now use a Community Notes model instead.
• It also introduced a more personalised approach to political content, allowing users who want to see more political posts to adjust their feed preferences.
• Launched a feature that remembers details shared in one-on-one chats. This feature was made available on Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp in the US and Canada.

• Meta reportedly explored a partnership with eBay that would allow eBay listings to appear on Facebook Marketplace alongside existing posts and offers.
• Removed the Audience Types option for Advantage+ catalog ads with the sales objective, shifting to additional personalisation to show more relevant products to individual users.

February 2025

• Changed its storage policy for live streams. To cut costs related to video data, live streams will be automatically removed from the platform after 30 days.
• Following the January announcement, it released detailed information about how the new Community Notes model works and outlined the eligibility requirements for participation.
• Added more transparency with labels to indicate when images or videos are created or significantly edited using its in-house generative AI tools, appearing in the three-dot menu or next to the Sponsored tag.
• Tested a streamlined Advantage+ campaign setup, introducing Advantage+ leads campaigns using AI optimisations, and expanding its opportunity score tool to more advertisers.

• Meta expanded its brand safety measures by offering advertisers greater control over their ad placements through an extension of its support for third-party blocklists.

March 2025

• Extended its facial recognition test to the United Kingdom and the European Union to tackle scam ads and help users recover compromised Facebook and Instagram accounts.
• Announced an initial rollout of its Community Notes feature on Facebook and Instagram in the United States, using a crowd-sourced model to add context to potentially misleading posts.

• Announced new AI-driven tools and ad placements aimed at helping retail and e-commerce businesses boost sales online and in stores, including expanded omnichannel ads and new generative AI.
• Added Facebook stories to its creator monetisation program, giving creators an additional way to earn income on the platform.
• Brought back the original Friends tab, which displays content exclusively from friends without any recommended content.

April 2025

• Added a new provision into the requirements for its Meta Verified paid verification offering to stop scammers from impersonating others.
• Added new elements to its Meta Verified subscription service to attract more brands. New features include advanced original content protection and in-feed engagement recommendations that appear at the top of search results.

• The file-sharing limit on Facebook Messenger increased to 100 MB. Users could share larger files in multiple formats, including Word, Excel, and PDF documents.
• Rolled out Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger, a feature that automatically places younger users into a more protected version of the platforms.
• Took new steps to crack down on spammy content on Facebook, to combat the rise of inauthentic profiles seeking to game its algorithms for engagement.

May 2025

• Introduced an update to its Advantage+ Catalog campaigns by adding 'dynamic overlays,' a new way to display key product information such as price, discounts, and shipping offers directly on ad images for ads shown in the Facebook Feed.
• Introduced new ad formats on Facebook and Instagram, including the ability to run Partnership Ads with one partner in the ad’s header and Facebook Live Partnership ads.
• Announced a slate of new advertising products and creator-focused tools across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, as part of its presentation at the IAB NewFronts 2025.

• Rolled out broader access to its 'Opportunity Score' feature within Ads Manager, a metric designed to help advertisers enhance the performance of their campaigns through AI-generated recommendations.
• Announced a series of updates to its Marketing API, Graph API, and Ad Copies API, introducing new monetisation insights for creators and expanded functionality for advertisers and third-party platforms.

June 2025

• Facebook began displaying warnings when users include links in post captions. The platform states that links in captions can be distracting and may reduce reach. Facebook now suggests placing links in the comments section instead.
• Changed its video format policy. All videos uploaded to Facebook will now automatically be formatted as Reels.
• Rolled out a suite of new artificial intelligence-powered advertising tools designed to enhance campaign creation and engagement across its platforms.

• Introduced Passkeys to enhance account security. Users can now verify their accounts using the same fingerprint, face recognition, or PIN they use on their phones.
•  Made 'Opportunity Score' feature in Meta Ads Manager available to all advertisers, following a phased rollout that began earlier this year.

July 2025

• Meta introduced a copyright check feature designed for accounts that create Reels on Facebook.
• Implemented new requirements for advertisers running securities and investment promotions in India, in line with updated requirements from Indian regulators.
• Facebook added the ability to attach music to text posts.
• Announced plans to restrict the reach of unoriginal content. The update aims to protect and elevate creators by reducing the visibility of copied or repurposed content.

August 2025

• Updated the web version of the Professional Dashboard with a new home screen and simplified navigation.

September 2025

• Enabled users to provide feedback on Community Notes through upvoting and downvoting options.
• Announced the removal of Community Chats. All chats linked to Facebook Groups will be deleted.

• Announced the global expansion of its Teen Accounts feature across Facebook and Messenger, following its initial rollout on Instagram a year ago.
• Brought the Poke button back to user profiles, so they can easily poke somebody by heading to their profile page.
• Announced some new updates for its relationship connection tool, Facebook Dating, which was first launched back in 2019.

• Introduced new tools to boost in-stream engagement and help creators grow their communities, including fan challenges, custom Top Fan badges and added engagement metrics.

October 2025

• Announced new ad personalisation based on conversations users have with its AI assistant.
• Facebook Reels began showing floating friend bubbles that display which posts friends are liking, similar to Instagram's existing feature.

• Streamlined its Page creation process aimed at helping users more easily distinguish between business and creator profiles when building a presence on the platform.
• Announced the shutdown of the Facebook Gaming Creator Program in 2026. Creators would still be able to use monetisation tools until the program ends.
• Tried to push personal sharing by expanding photo and video recommendations that scan users’ camera rolls to suggest shareable moments for Stories or main feed posts.

November 2025

• Enabled private Facebook Groups to switch to public status. The company stated this change creates new opportunities for growth and connection while protecting member privacy and previously shared content.
• Introduced a feature that alerts creators when matches of their Reels are detected on Facebook or Instagram.

• Enabled users to post in Groups using a nickname. This feature makes it easier to participate in conversations without revealing full identity, though users are not made completely anonymous.

December 2025

• Announced updates to feed formatting and algorithms as it seeks to make the platform more relevant amid changes in the social media landscape.
• Started notifying some users that limits may soon apply to how many link posts they can share each month unless they subscribe to its paid Meta Verified service.