Thanks to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, getting a clean break from an ex is basically impossible. Your own profile is probably full of photos of when you were happily in love, and Facebook stalking is a very real thing, especially when you see that your ex seems to be hanging out with a new girl/guy.
Facebook is aware of this very real struggle and announced yesterday that they are working on new tools to help their users avoid the awkward Facebook run-ins after a breakup.
Starting today, we are testing tools to help people manage how they interact with their former partners on Facebook after a relationship has ended, product manager Kelly Winters wrote in a blog post. When people change their relationship status to indicate they are no longer in a relationship, they will be prompted to try these tools.
These tools will include removing your ex’s updates from your newsfeed without actually unfriending or blocking them. Another tool will remove your ex from suggested names when tagging pictures or starting new messages. Facebook will also allow you to limit what photos, status updates and videos your ex can see.
Perhaps the most useful tool of them all, Facebook will take you through past posts that both you and your ex are tagged in and give you the option to either untag yourself or edit who can see the post.
These tools are currently being tested in the US among mobile users. The next rollout will depend on user feedback.
