I’m trying to find a way to stop seeing stories appear on my Facebook news feed while using an iPhone. It’s distracting, and I would like to customize my feed but couldn’t figure out how to turn them off. Any advice on whether this is possible or steps to do it?
You can’t completely remove stories from the Facebook app on your iPhone because it’s like Facebook is desperately trying to make stories ‘a thing.’ It’s their thing now, and you’re stuck with it. But hey, you can kinda dodge them. Here’s the deal:
- Ignore them. Yeah, just scroll past the stories like they don’t exist. Out of sight, out of mind—sorta.
- Engage less with stories. If Facebook senses you’re uninterested (like skips or no interactions), their lovely algorithm might deprioritize stories for you.
- If you don’t follow someone, their stories won’t haunt you. So, unfollow liberally! Keep friends, but unfollow their endless brunch pics.
- Third-party blockers? If you’re using Facebook in a browser, you can get tools that might mute stories. On the app though? Good luck, Facebook owns you.
TL;DR: You can’t ‘disable’ stories, you can only hope to minimize the madness.
Let me just say it upfront: Facebook stories are like that one fly at a picnic—you can’t really get rid of it, though waving it away seems to work momentarily. I get the frustration, and while @chasseurdetoiles made solid points (especially about minimizing interaction), I’m not even sure doing less with stories really starves the algorithm like people claim. Here’s an alternative idea:
Use the ‘Favorites’ feature. Go into your settings and prioritize what shows up on your feed—this won’t hide stories entirely, but it’ll push posts from people you actually care about up top, giving you less of a chance to even notice stories. Call it a sneaky bypass move.
Oh, and if you completely hate Facebook’s visual clutter, consider deleting the app and accessing it via a browser. Mobile browsers tend to compress things differently, sometimes shrinking how much space stories take up. (But yeah, it doesn’t disable them either. Thanks, Facebook overlords.)
Tbh, your other option might just be accepting that stories are Facebook’s attempt to mimic Snapchat and Instagram—because innovation? Nah, let’s copy-paste new distractions into our lives. Anyway, I’m skeptical there’s a magic fix here unless Facebook decides to give people actual control… which, let’s be real, will never happen.
Alright, listen up—Facebook stories won’t just vanish from your feed on iPhone, no matter how many settings you poke around in. But let’s try a slightly different perspective than what’s suggested by others here:
1. Use “Quiet Mode” Strategically:
Facebook has a feature called “Quiet Mode” under its settings, and while it’s marketed as a way to reduce notifications, it can also help you take mental breaks. While in this mode, you can train yourself to scroll less on autopilot and possibly overlook stories entirely. Not a perfect fix, but it helps reduce distractions overall.
2. Archive-Snooze Combo Move:
If certain people’s stories are driving you especially bonkers—like Karen’s daily cat updates—mute their stories specifically. Go to one of their stories, hit the three dots (…), and you’ll see an option to mute or “archive” them. It’s a sneaky way to take control without outright unfriending or unfollowing anyone.
3. Poll Your Network:
Here’s one thing no one talks about: if you’re feeling particularly bold, drop a “social experiment” post asking friends to skip story uploads for a week. Many might comply out of curiosity, giving you temporary peace from photos of soups, sunsets, and gym memes.
4. Create a New Social Habit:
If you’re looking at Facebook purely for updates like birthdays or events, consider using the browser version exclusive for that. Bonus? On browsers, third-party blockers like Social Fixer can work wonders to hide Stories (not on the app, though, as @caminantenocturno gloomily pointed out).
CONS of This “Solution”:
- Quiet Mode doesn’t directly remove stories—it’s a mindset hack.
- Browser use limits app-exclusive functionality, so if you’re an app loyalist, this might sting.
- Temporarily muting people consumes your time.
PROS:
- No more accidental story clicks.
- Gives the illusion of customization.
- You’re mentally liberated from Karen’s cat and other unnecessary visuals for a bit.
Comparing with @chasseurdetoiles’ suggestions, minimizing app interaction seems useful but passive—my approach focuses on active decision-making to slightly declutter.
Want Zero Stories? Honestly, delete Facebook altogether or dive into alternative-focused platforms where YOU control visuals. Still staying? These are about the best workarounds. Facebook designed it to trap you, but hey, maybe you’ll just evolve to ignore.