Friends for shared context
Use friends for everyday updates, familiar names, and the parts of life that need more context than a public timeline gives.
A private social network for friends and circles
Friends and circles let one account hold different rooms of your life without making every post a public performance.
Circles for smaller rooms
Use circles for family, work, hobbies, neighbors, travel, creative groups, wellness, or any audience you name yourself.
Federation caveat
Public posts can federate publicly. Friends and circle posts may federate only when the author opts into that audience and only to remote friends or explicit circle recipients where supported.