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If Facebook keeps opening at facebook.com/?sk=h_chr, the parameter is not, by itself, evidence that your account has been hacked. It has been used historically by third-party scripts to send Facebook to a “Most Recent” feed view, but Meta does not currently document it as a supported way to choose feed order. The redirect may come from an extension or userscript, a saved link, browser data, or Facebook itself.

What does ?sk=h_chr mean?

In https://www.facebook.com/?sk=h_chr, the question mark starts a URL query string; sk=h_chr is a parameter Facebook receives along with the address. It is not a separate website or executable code on its own.

Historically, third-party feed-customization scripts used this parameter to direct Facebook to a “Most Recent Stories” view. For example, a userscript published on Greasy Fork redirected Facebook’s home page to that URL. That history does not establish that Meta currently supports the parameter or that it will reliably show a chronological feed today.

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Is it dangerous?

The parameter alone is not a sign of malware or account compromise. Check the actual domain in the address bar: facebook.com or an official Facebook subdomain is different from a misspelled or unfamiliar site. Do not enter your password or payment details on a lookalike domain or a page reached through a suspicious redirect. Meta’s guidance on suspicious links is a useful reminder to check where a link leads.

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If the address stays on Facebook and the only unusual part is ?sk=h_chr, start with browser troubleshooting rather than changing your password. Take account-security steps if you also see unfamiliar account activity, unexpected security alerts, or redirects to unrelated sites.

How to stop the redirect

  1. Open the plain Facebook address. Type or paste https://www.facebook.com/ into the address bar and press Enter. Replace the whole address rather than editing only the visible page. If Facebook immediately adds ?sk=h_chr again, continue below.
  2. Test in a private or incognito window. If Facebook opens normally there, browser data or an extension is a likely cause. This is not a conclusive test: some browsers allow selected extensions in private windows, so check the browser’s extension settings.
  3. Temporarily disable extensions that can change pages. Test ad blockers, feed-customizing extensions, privacy tools, userscript managers such as Tampermonkey or Violentmonkey, and user-style tools. Reload Facebook after disabling them. If that fixes it, re-enable extensions one at a time to find the cause. Meta also notes that ad blockers can interfere with feeds and other Facebook features (Meta’s ad-blocker guidance).
  4. Check userscripts and custom filter rules. In your userscript manager or blocker’s custom rules, search for sk=h_chr and facebook.com/?sk=h_chr. Disable a rule that rewrites Facebook’s home-page address. The historical userscript linked above shows how a local script can produce this exact URL.
  5. Clear Facebook’s site data. Use your browser’s site-data or privacy controls to remove cookies and cached data for Facebook, then reopen the site. Browser menus vary, so use your browser’s current help or settings search rather than following a menu path meant for another version. This may sign you out and remove local preferences, but it does not delete your Facebook account, posts, or messages stored on Meta’s servers. Meta recommends clearing cache or temporary data when Facebook has browser problems (Meta troubleshooting).
  6. Replace saved Facebook links. Check bookmarks, homepage and startup-page settings, desktop or phone shortcuts, and launcher or password-manager shortcuts. Replace any Facebook address ending in ?sk=h_chr with https://www.facebook.com/. If the redirect happens only after clicking one shortcut, that saved link is the likely source.
  7. Compare browsers, accounts, and devices. Try the same account in another browser, then on another device. You can also compare another account in the original browser. For a mobile-site check, try m.facebook.com where appropriate. These comparisons help narrow down the cause; they do not prove a particular account or device is compromised.
  8. Refresh, update, and restart. Reload Facebook, close and reopen the browser or app, and install available updates. For mobile problems, Meta recommends checking the connection, updating and reopening the app, and restarting the device; its general troubleshooting guidance also covers computer and mobile-browser issues.

Use the test results to narrow it down

What you observe Likely place to investigate
It happens in one browser but not another That browser’s extensions, cookies, profile, or startup settings
It happens with every account in one browser Browser configuration, an extension, or a browser-profile policy
It happens across browsers on one device Device-level software, security tools, or a saved shortcut
It follows one account across devices Account-specific Facebook behavior or a Facebook-side problem
It happens only after using a particular shortcut The shortcut or saved URL
The destination is not Facebook, or unrelated sites also redirect Stop before entering credentials; investigate the link and browser or device for a broader security issue

If clearing site data does not help, look next at extensions, userscripts, shortcuts, and browser-profile settings. If the redirect occurs only when clicking Facebook’s logo, a script or modified navigation link is particularly worth checking.

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If you want a chronological feed

Stopping an unwanted redirect and choosing the order of posts are separate issues. Removing ?sk=h_chr may stop a URL rewrite, but it does not guarantee a particular feed order. The parameter’s historical association with “Most Recent” comes from third-party tooling, not current official documentation, and Facebook’s feed controls and their availability can vary. Use the Feed or Feeds controls shown in your current Facebook interface rather than relying on this legacy parameter.

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If the problem persists

If the URL remains on Facebook but the behavior continues after checking extensions, site data, and saved links, it may be a browser-specific, account-specific, or Facebook-side bug. Meta’s troubleshooting guidance suggests trying another browser and reporting a problem if it persists. Use Help & Support → Report a problem where that option is available; Meta also describes reporting flows for mobile devices and mobile browsers in its troubleshooting guidance.

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Include the starting and final URLs, browser and version, operating system, and whether private browsing, disabling extensions, another browser, or another device changed the result. Screenshots or a screen recording can help; hide passwords and other personal information. If the issue occurs inside Facebook’s in-app browser, its browsing data is separate from your whole account; see Meta’s in-app browser guidance.

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