How to Fix “Nearby Friends” Not Showing on Facebook

Are you unable to share your location with Facebook friends? Is the “Nearby Friends” feature not working for you? We have explained how to fix “Nearby Friends” not showing on Facebook.

The “Nearby Friends” feature has not been shown to some Facebook users lately. This option lets you share your location with your Facebook friends.

If you enable “Nearby Friends”, your “Location History” must also be enabled to work effectively. Otherwise, it will not work.

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The “Nearby Friends” feature is embedded in the Facebook app on Android and iOS and can be used by leaving your device location-enabled.

However, for some reason, the feature has disappeared for some users.

Below, we have explained why you cannot see the “Nearby Friends” feature and how to fix this issue.

Why can't I see nearby friends on Facebook?

You can no longer see nearby friends on Facebook because the feature has been removed. Earlier in June 2022, Facebook removed the “Nearby Friends” and some other features from its mobile app.

Other features removed from the app include Weather Alerts, Location History, and Background Location. Although, the nearby friends' feature came into place to help you keep in touch with friends.

The nearby friends have some similarities to Snap Map, a Snapchat feature that shows friends' locations in real-time.

Privacy has been one of the subjects of concern in the modern-day. As a result, major tech firms, including Apple, Google and Facebook, are already going toward a privacy-centric web, making no exception in stating their data practices clearer.

The Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook, Michel Protti, said that Meta wants to develop personalized experiences while protecting the privacy of its users. This promise led to the “Nearby Friends” and other features being removed.

Hence, people who are friends with you will no longer be able to know your location.

How to fix “Nearby Friends” not showing on Facebook

As you have been informed, the nearby friends' feature has been discontinued. However, if you still want to continue using this feature, you need to install a previous version of the app with the feature.

The new update comes with the feature already removed. Hence, if you have already updated to the most recent version, you won't be able to see the feature any longer.

Also, note that you can roll back to a previous update if you have already updated your Facebook app. Else, you have to completely uninstall the app and download an earlier version from the web.

Be careful with this process, so you don't download malware on your device. Only download APKs from trusted websites. If you are downloading an app from a browser like Chrome, you might get an alert warning you from downloading from Untrusted sources, choose “Download anyway”, and wait for the file to finish downloading.

You can then open the file and install the app. When you relaunch Facebook, enter your login details, and you will see the “Nearby Friends” feature again.

Did Facebook remove nearby friends?

Facebook removed the nearby friends feature from its app earlier in June 2022. Also removed alongside the Nearby Friends are Weather Alerts, Location History and Background Location. Data used to show these features are no longer collected.

However, Facebook declared that you could view and download your location history till 1st August 2022. Afterwards, location history will be cleared and will not be recovered.

If you are interested in downloading this information, you can do so till 1st August 2022.

How do I see nearby friends on Facebook?

To see nearby friends on Facebook, you have to enable the feature.

Go to your device settings and enable Location Services.
Next, launch Facebook and tap the Menu icon. Locate and choose Nearby Friends.
Now, you will see three dots close to your name. Choose Settings and then enable Nearby Friends.

Please note that the “Nearby Friends” has been removed from Facebook. The process explained above was in place before the removal of the feature.

We have also explained that you can still get the feature by removing and installing a previous Facebook app update on your Android device.

However, enabling the feature is not enough to see friends close by. If your friend has not turned on the feature, you won't see them even when they are close.

Conclusion

In the new age, protecting the privacy and data of users has become an essential topic for big tech firms.

For example, since iOS 14.5 update, iPhone apps require permission before they can track your activity. If you refuse such permission, you will be excluded from getting personalized ads.

Interestingly, Google also promises to remove third-party cookies on Chrome by 2023. The Facebook team has followed this trend by making timely updates to their policy.

In addition, they introduced the Privacy Center, where people can learn more about Meta's stand when it comes to privacy on their apps. Hence, removing the Nearby Friends feature by Facebook is in line with protecting its users' privacy.