Question from Naomi: I hate the ‘Stories’ thing that Facebook places at the top of my newsfeed.
Is there any way to remove it or am I just stuck with it? Surely there’s a setting for it but I can’t find it.
If it makes any difference I use Facebook on my Acer Windows 10 laptop.
Rick’s answer: Naomi, Facebook doesn’t provide an easy way to remove ‘Stories’ from your Newsfeed, but since you use Facebook in a desktop browser you can easily remove it using a fantastic free browser extension call FB Purity.
Simply install the extension on your browser and then read the User Guide and Help/FAQ pages (you’ll find them on the menu bar) for the information you need.
By the way, this amazing extension will allow you to make lots of awesome changes to your overall Facebook experience in addition to just hiding the ‘Stories’.
That takes care of your laptop…
If you also use Facebook on a mobile device you can remove ‘Stories’ from your Newsfeed on there as well, but it’s a little more complicated than simply using the FB Purity extension on a laptop or desktop computer.
What you’ll need to do is install and use a third-party social media app instead of the official Facebook app.
If you have an iPhone, and iPad or an Android device you can use an app called Friendly Social Browser. Just install the app on your device, use it to log into your Facebook account and then disable the ‘Stories’ feature in the Settings.
Important…
I have never personally used the Friendly Social Browser because there are some things in the Privacy Policy that concern me just a bit.
But that being said, Friendly’s Privacy Policy is pretty much in line with most other mainstream mobile apps. It’s just that I’m probably more concerned with privacy and the security of my personal information than most people. Therefore, “your mileage might vary” as they say.
You can read the Privacy Policy right here and then decide for yourself whether you wish to use it or not.
Also, a few of the most recent reviews on the app’s download pages discuss issues with using the app itself. So again, “your mileage might vary” should you decide to give it a try.
Conclusion…
I love the FB Purity extension and I use it on all of my computers. It works well, and to the best of my knowledge it’s completely safe.
I don’t use the mobile app for the reasons stated above, but it appears to be generally safe as well. If you use Facebook on a mobile device you might want to give it a try if you really despise Facebook’s ‘Stories’ feature.
The Friendly Social Browser app has plenty of users so you certainly won’t be alone if you decide to give it a go.
That’s all there is to it, Naomi. I hope this helps!
Update from Naomi: I installed FB Purity and I love it. I was able to remove ads and lots of other junk! Thanks so much!