On its 13th birthday on Friday -- and calling it "Friends Day" -- Facebook is launching new products to encourage people to connect with their friends.

"Through friendship, our world grows more connected, powerful things can happen, and lives and communities can be changed. Today, connecting is more important than ever," Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook hosted an event at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, where members who have been using "Groups" to connect with friends around the world shared how technology made it easier for people to build truly global communities.

 

The social media giant also released personalised "Friends Day Video" this week that users around the globe saw at the top of the News Feed in celebration of "Friends Day".

The video is a compilation of a user's Facebook friends and the memories they had shared together.

For a fun and easy way to start conversations with friends, Favebook Messenger will also highlight friendship-themed GIFs.