How to turn off Facebook auto-refresh
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Barrgi last edited by leocg
I'm trying to to turn off Facebook's annoying auto-refresh feature. I have searched for a solution online and all the solutions either assume you are using Opera on a phone (which I'm not: I'm using a PC) or, as is almost always the case, the instructions provided online describe a procedure (either in Facebook or in a browser) that isn't possible because at some point you will be told to do something that is impossible because an item you are told to click on doesn't actually exist!
Does anybody know of a way to turn off auto-refresh that actually can be done? -
Moved from Opera for Windows by
leocg
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Barrgi last edited by
@leocg Thanks for your response. Yes, I had noticed that this was a solution that's suggested online, but I couldn't find an extension in Opera. Now, thanks to you, I looked a bit more closely and realised that I had misunderstood the Extensions page. I was using the search field where it says "Search extensions" at the top, and was finding nothing. Now I realise that this only searches the extensions that are already installed. To me that seems a bit pointless, as I only have a couple, but maybe other users have a lot more? Anyway, I now remember that you have to click "Get more extensions" first, before searching! When I did so, I found several auto refresh extensions. Most of them seem to be for setting up auto refresh after a certain number of seconds or minutes, but I found one that has an option for "no auto refresh", and set that up. And sure enough, Facebook now only refreshes when I ask it to (by clicking on the "home" icon).
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Barrgi last edited by
@leocg I thought the extension called "Super Auto Refresh" worked. At least it seemed to reduce the frequency of refreshing, but now I'm finding that Facebook still refreshes annoyingly often. I find this really annoying! If, for example, I am reading comments to a FB post and one of these includes a link that I want to check out, when I come back, FB automatically refreshes and I have to search to find the post I was reading!
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mjz2325 last edited by
@Barrgi I tried it too, with the same result. I decided to ask Meta AI for a solution. It suggested I add the Ublock Origin extension to Opera, then to add the following code lines to the filters in the dashboard: facebook.com##.ticker_stream
facebook.com/ajax/pagelet/generic.php##I did this about ten minutes ago. To begin with, it sort of worked. I jumped tabs for five minutes, and I came back to a refresh button option, which I was able to ignore. Then I did another five minutes, and it automatically refreshed when I jumped back, so it would seem I need to find some more Facebook filters. The AI did have other suggestions, so I'll do some more research, based on what it said. If I come up with anything that works consistently, I'll post another reply in this thread.
The AI also recommended that users provide feedback to Facebook, that Facebook should give people the option to disable the auto-refresh function within Facebook settings. I suggest we all do that. If enough people say it, then they might listen, as it's alienating a lot of users. The AI thought it might be a misguided attempt to keep users engaged! You've got to love its honesty.
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Barrgi last edited by
@mjz2325 Unfortunately, in my experience, trying to get any sort of support from Facebook is a waste of time. You never even get a response or even an acknowledgement of receipt from them. In fact, it's several years since I tried to get help, and I doubt if it's even possible to "contact" their support any longer.
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Cinathan last edited by@Barrgi Facebook doesn't have a built-in setting to completely disable auto-refresh on its website or mobile app, as the platform relies on automatic updates to show new content in your feed. However, you can try these workarounds to reduce unwanted refreshes:
On Desktop (Web Browser):
Use a Browser Extension:Install an extension like "Stop Auto Refresh" (available for Chrome/Firefox) to prevent webpage reloads.
Configure it to block refreshes only on Facebook (facebook.com).
Disable Push Notifications:
Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Notifications → Browser → Turn off "Allow notifications."
Switch to "Most Recent" Feed:
Click the three dots (⋮) next to News Feed and select Most Recent to reduce algorithmic refreshes.
On Mobile (Android/iOS):
Disable Background App Refresh:iOS: Go to Settings → Facebook → Background App Refresh → Off.
Android: Go to Settings → Apps → Facebook → Mobile Data & Wi-Fi → Disable "Background data."
Use a Third-Party App (Limited):
Apps like Friendly or Frost (unofficial Facebook wrappers) may offer more control over refreshing.
Turn Off Auto-Play Videos:
Go to Facebook Settings → Media → Autoplay → Never Autoplay Videos (reduces data-triggered refreshes).
General Tip:
Use Facebook Lite (a lighter version of the app) which may refresh less aggressively.Unfortunately, Facebook’s design prioritizes real-time updates, so a complete disablement isn’t possible without third-party tools. If you're facing excessive refreshes, check your internet connection, as a weak signal can sometimes trigger reloads.
