Use Facebook without their algorithm

In light of recent changes at Facebook and evolving social media landscapes, many users are reassessing their relationship with the platform. While some are choosing to leave entirely, others may need or want to maintain a presence there—whether for keeping in touch with specific communities, managing business pages, or staying connected with family members who primarily use Facebook.

If you’re among those continuing to use Facebook, it’s more important than ever to do so mindfully and maintain control over your experience. One powerful way to do this is by viewing posts in chronological order, bypassing Facebook’s algorithm entirely.

This approach not only gives you more control over what you see but also helps limit the time you spend on the platform—something particularly valuable given recent platform changes and concerns about content moderation.

Facebook’s algorithm is designed to keep you scrolling endlessly, but there’s a simple trick to reclaim your social media experience—viewing posts in chronological order.

The magic URL: How to escape the algorithm

Just add ?sk=h_chr to Facebook’s web address, and you’ll transform your feed. Here’s the exact URL to bookmark:

facebook.com/?sk=h_chr

(Or if you want to see only your friends’ posts, use this URL: facebook.com/?filter=friends&sk=h_chr)

What this special URL does:

• Shows the newest posts first
• Eliminates random page recommendations
• Displays only posts from people you actually follow

Chronological order

I first wrote about this technique back in 2018, and it’s worth repeating: chronological order gives you control. No more endless scrolling. No more mysterious algorithmic selections dictating what you see.

How to use this effectively

1. Bookmark the URL: Make facebook.com/?sk=h_chr your go-to Facebook link. (Or if you want to see only your friends’ posts, use this URL: facebook.com/?filter=friends&sk=h_chr)
2. Avoid the default homepage: Never return to the standard Facebook homepage.
3. Set boundaries: When you’ve seen all new posts, close the tab.

A personal observation

Occasionally, I’ll check the standard Facebook homepage out of curiosity. Every single time, I’m overwhelmed by the noise. How do people tolerate this constant algorithmic bombardment?

Managing Your Facebook experience

With the chronological view, your Facebook experience becomes:

• More intentional
• Less time-consuming
• Truly under your control

Pro tip: manage oversharers

If someone posts too frequently and clutters your feed, use Facebook’s “Snooze for 30 days” feature. This isn’t about being cold—it’s about curating your own digital space.

The mobile app: just don’t

Oh, you say, “I use the Facebook app on my phone”? Jaw drop.

Wait. You use Facebook on your phone? Please. Delete that app right now.

You don’t want the constant temptation to scroll Facebook. Get Facebook out of your hands. Please only use Facebook on a desktop browser. Limit it to when you are sitting in front of a computer. You’ll be much happier.

The bottom line

Here’s that URL again: facebook.com/?sk=h_chr

(Or if you want to see only your friends’ posts, use this URL: facebook.com/?filter=friends&sk=h_chr)

You don’t have to be a passive consumer of social media. With this simple URL trick, you can:

• See posts in the order they’re shared
• Avoid algorithmic manipulation
• Spend less time mindlessly scrolling

Take back your Facebook experience. One chronological post at a time. (That is, if you are still using Facebook. For now, I’ve been posting more to Bluesky. If you’d like to follow me on Bluesky, I’m at: bsky.app/profile/spudart.bsky.social)