Facebook is working on letting users hit the “snooze” button when they need to take a temporary break from posts by friends, pages or groups without unfriending, unfollowing or leaving them.

“We are testing new ways to give people control over their News Feeds so they can stay connected with the stories they find most relevant,” a Facebook spokesperson was quoted by TechCrunch as saying late on Thursday.

Users who click on the unfollow or “snooze” feature get the option of not seeing posts from the friend, page or group for 24 hours, seven days or 30 days.

They can also choose to unfollow the friend or the page altogether.

The “snooze” feature is being seen as a better way of managing a user’s News Feed while taking a break from a chatty person, group or page.

However, Facebook would continue to show users the most important posts further down the line, reports said.

Facebook has been ramping up to compete with its rivals and, in a recent development, the company has reportedly agreed to shell out a whopping $1 billion to become a major hub for videos.

The company has agreed to spend as much as $1 billion to cultivate original shows for its platform, according to people familiar with the matter.

The figure, which could fluctuate based on the success of Facebook’s’ programming, covers potential spending through 2018, a report in The Wall Street Journal said.

In a different development from Facebook on Thursday, the social media giant introduced a new centre for ‘Crisis Response’ where people can find information about recent crises and access the social network’s crisis response tools – including Safety Check, Community Help and Fundraisers to support crisis recovery – all in one place.

“We are also introducing links to articles, videos and photos posted publicly by the Facebook community, to help people be more informed about a crisis,” Mike Nowak, Product Director, Social Good, Facebook, posted on Thursday.

“People will be able to access Crisis Response on Facebook in the upcoming weeks from the homepage on desktop or from the menu button on their phone,” Nowak added.

When there is a crisis, people can use Facebook to let their friends and family know they are safe with the “Safety Check” feature.

“It will continue to work the same way it does today and will be featured at the top of each crisis page if you are in the affected area,” Nowak said.

“Safety Check activations and related information may also appear in News Feed to help provide additional details about a crisis,” Nowak added.

With the “Community Help” feature, people can ask for and give help to communities affected by the crisis.

The “Fundraisers” let people create fundraisers and donate to support those affected by the crisis and nonprofit organisations helping with relief efforts.

(Written with inputs from IANS)