Submitted by Frank Macey on
Facebook has been working hard on its iOS app lately. It seems that every other week a new feature is added or deeper iPhone support rolls out. December and January in particular have seen several photo and video related additions to the official Facebook app, now at version 47.0. At its core, Facebook allows users to quickly access their accounts from anywhere to share updates, have conversations, play games and receive notifications. There have been five significant updates to the Facebook app over the past few weeks.
Photo Collages
Facebook created Collages to make it easy for people to share collections of photos that were shot at the same time or in the same place. Pictures are grouped automatically, and of course Collages can be edited manually before sharing. When a Collage is finished, it's displayed with slick graphics and animations to make the collection of images even more interesting to flip through.
Live Photos
Support for Apple's Live Photos was announced with the release of iOS 9. Facebook was one of the first companies to use the Apple Live Photos SDK, adding the feature to its app. Live photos can be shared just like normal still photos, except on compatible devices the Live Photo is viewable if iOS 9 or later is installed. Facebook started rolling out the feature in December.Live Video
Newest iPhone FAQs
Broadcasting is now possible with Facebook, which is interested in giving Twitter's live service Periscope a run for its money. The feature began rolling out in December, and will soon be widely available. Videos are streamed in real time to a live audience, then after the broadcast is over the video is be saved to the timeline for posterity. Users can sign up for notifications to find out when their favorite broadcasters are on the air.
3D Touch features
Peek and Pop have come to Facebook. While the company added home screen shortcuts in October, the app now sports deep 3D Touch integration. Not everyone will get these features immediately, however when they arrive, things like Peeking at web pages and Popping events will become commonplace. Of course, in order to use 3D Touch you must have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus.
Facebook Sports
Last but not least, and just in time for the Super Bowl is Facebook Sports. This new section dedicated entirely to scores and real-time game feedback brings fans together. In addition, Facebook will bring expert commentary and posts from official sources into the mix. Other sports besides football will be added soon. Currently Facebook Sports can be accessed by searching for a game.
Facebook requires iOS 7.0 or later and 108 MB of free space to install. Find Facebook free on iTunes for both iPhone and iPad, localized for 26 different languages.