Facebook Wants to Make Your Recent Breakup Less Painful

Facebook prides itself on its effectiveness in connecting people and bringing them together. But what happens when two people decide they’re better off apart?

Today, the social network announced on its blog that it began testing out new tools to help people survive a breakup. U.S. mobile users will now see prompts to try these tools when they change their profile’s relationship status back to single. The option to “Take a Break” include seeing less updates and photos from a former partner without having to unfriend or hide them, and to limit what updates that person can see from the user as well. Newly single people will also have the option to customize who can see their previous posts and the ability to untag themselves from statuses and pictures.

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The changes are in response to customer feedback “This work is part of our ongoing effort to develop resources for people who may be going through difficult moments in their lives,” product manager Kelly Winters writes. “We hope these tools will help people end relationships on Facebook with greater ease, comfort and sense of control.” The tools will be tweaked and expanded based on additional feedback.

The “Take a Break” tools are available -- rather appropriately -- through the site’s help center. While users may still have to pick up pints of ice cream, this will make the minefield of social media a little safer for the brokenhearted.

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