What Are Shortcuts on Facebook? The Tab Bar, Your Shortcuts List and How to Pin or Hide Them

Shortcuts confuse people because the word covers three different things on Facebook: the tab bar in the app, the shortcuts list on a computer, and keyboard shortcuts. Here's each one, and how to take control of what shows up.

The tab bar: shortcuts in the Facebook app

Facebook's help centre explains that when you open the app on an iPhone or Android, you'll see a menu of shortcuts along the tab bar, such as Groups. The tab bar also shows notification dots to tell you about recent activity in each one. You can change what appears there, but Facebook notes there are two you can't remove: Notifications and Facebook home.

Pin, Auto or Hide: customising the Facebook tab bar

These steps are from Facebook's help centre. You'll need the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, because the tab bar can't be changed from a computer.

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap Menu on your tab bar and select Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Settings, then tap Tab bar.
4. Tap Customize the bar.
5. Tap the dropdown next to a shortcut and choose Pin, Auto or Hide.

Choice	What it does
Pin	Keeps the shortcut on your tab bar all the time
Auto	Lets Facebook decide when to show it, based on how you use Facebook
Hide	Removes the shortcut from the tab bar, without deleting the feature

Menu names move around between app versions, so if you can't see Tab bar, search for it in the settings search box.

Auto is the default for most shortcuts, which is why your tab bar can look different from a friend's, or change from week to week. If you want a tab bar that stays put, set the shortcuts you use to Pin and everything else to Hide. Then Facebook stops rearranging it based on your activity.

If the shortcuts themselves are fine but the little red notification dots drive you mad, Facebook's help centre gives a quicker fix:

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap and hold a shortcut on the tab bar.
3. Tap Turn off notification dots.

This keeps the shortcut in place but stops it nagging you. It's a good middle ground for features you use now and then, like Video, without hiding them completely.

"Your shortcuts" in the Facebook side menu on a computer

On a computer, shortcuts live in the left-hand menu under the heading "Your shortcuts". A long-running Facebook beginners' guide explains that Facebook adds items here as you use the site: spend a lot of time in a particular group, and it'll be added automatically. Once you've got more than fit, Facebook shows the ones you click most and tucks the rest behind See More. Groups, Pages you manage and games are the usual residents, and you'll often find a forgotten group or two in there from years ago.

Pinning, unpinning and hiding a shortcut on desktop

1. Hover your mouse over the shortcut.
2. Click the ellipsis icon that appears to the right of it.
3. Choose Pin to Top to keep it at the top of the list, or Hide from Shortcuts to remove it.
4. To pin something that's tucked away, click See More first to expand the full list.

The same guide notes that each shortcut has at least two options, and that a hidden shortcut disappears from the list entirely. Hiding a group shortcut doesn't make you leave the group, and hiding a game doesn't delete your progress. It only tidies the menu, and you can bring the shortcut back whenever you like. Facebook updates its desktop design regularly, so the wording may differ slightly on your screen.

If a shortcut you hid keeps coming back, check whether you hid it in the app or on a computer. The app's tab bar and the desktop shortcuts list are separate, so hiding a group on one doesn't hide it on the other.

Keyboard shortcuts on Facebook

There's a third kind of Facebook shortcut that has nothing to do with menus. Facebook's help centre lists keyboard shortcuts for people who navigate with a keyboard on a computer. They only work when you're not typing in a text box.

Key	What it does
J and K	Scroll between Feed stories
L	Like or unlike the selected story
C	Comment on the selected story
S	Share the selected story
P	Post a new status
/	Search
?	Show the list of keyboard shortcuts while you're in Feed

Facebook adds that keyboard shortcuts may not work in video calls or video players, and that most common screen readers support them automatically.

Shortcuts versus Favourites and the Feeds tab

Shortcuts get you to places. Favourites change whose posts you see first in your feed. If what you want is to see more from certain friends or Pages, that's Facebook Favourites, not shortcuts. And if you want an ordered feed of friends, groups and Pages, the Feeds tab does that.

My advice for business owners on Facebook shortcuts

If you manage a business Page or a community group, pin it. It's the simplest way to cut the number of taps between opening Facebook and doing your actual job, and it stops you getting lost in your feed on the way. Hide the shortcuts you never use, such as games, so the ones that matter stand out. If a busy group is the noisy one, turning off group notifications works better than hiding its shortcut, because you'll still find it when you need it.

For the rest of the series, see the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

What are shortcuts on Facebook?

They're quick links to places you use most, shown on the app's tab bar and in the Your shortcuts list on a computer.

How do I remove a shortcut from the Facebook app?

Go to Menu, Settings and privacy, Settings, Tab bar, then Customize the bar, and choose Hide next to the shortcut.

Can I remove Notifications from the Facebook tab bar?

No. Facebook says you can't remove Notifications or Facebook home from the tab bar.

Does hiding a group shortcut make me leave the group?

No. Hiding a shortcut only removes it from the menu, and you stay in the group.

Why did a shortcut appear on its own?

Facebook adds shortcuts automatically for things you use often, unless you've set them to Hide.