FacebookForAndroid
Latest
Facebook Home adds Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest to lock screen (video)
Starting today, Facebook Home is finally including non-Facebook content on the lock screen, though only a few users will be able to take advantage of the option at first. Facebook for Android Beta testers can now access content from Flickr, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram as well as standard Facebook fare by following a few easy steps. All you have to do is select which apps you want to sync up in Home's settings menu and punch in your account information. After all is said and done, you'll be able to browse and like posts right from Home with the option to view the content on the original site with a conveniently provided link. There's no word yet on when a wider audience will be able to access the feature, but we'll keep you posted as we learn more. To see the new Home in action, check out the video after the break.
Facebook updates Android SDK with native sharing and improved Open Graph support
You might remember that Facebook delivered a major update to its iOS SDK in April that packed a ton of new features, including much stronger Open Graph integration. Now Android is finally being blessed with the same capabilities. The brand new Facebook for Android SDK brings not only simplified Open Graph integration, but native sharing tools, streamlined native logins and improved in-app event tools. The latter even enables devs to collect data about when events are triggered and how often, then use that information to help them better understand how their apps are being used. Facebook is also promising that new features will be added to its abilities to provide insight and targeting data to developers. If you're not creating apps, but just using them, you won't notice much change initially, except, perhaps, for the shiny new "Log In with Facebook" button.
Native Facebook app for Android is in the final phases of internal testing
Remember when Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook's HTML5 Android app was a mistake? Well, one of our tipsters, embedded deep inside the Social Network, has let us know that the native version for Google's mobile OS has entered final testing. As such, it won't be long before the software is ready for consumption by the public at large, give or take an angry Winklevii or two. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Facebook redesigns mobile site and apps, takes a tip (or two) from Instagram
Maybe it was inspired by the other app's most recent update, or perhaps by Zuck's newly-minted commitment to mobile applications. Regardless, Facebook's redesigned its iPhone / iPod and Android apps along with its pocket-sized site, clearly taking some design tips from none other than its fresh acquisition, Instagram. As you can see in the image above, the news feed is now showing one large post rather than the usual two or three (at least on the iPhone / iPod variant), this mainly due to pictures now being up to 3X larger than before. Facebook didn't note any other major changes, and there was no mention on when, or if, this snap-driven design will make its way onto some of those not-so-mobile devices. Be sure to keep an eye out for the redesign, as it's said to be rolling out as we speak.
Facebook for Android update going live today, promises UI tweaks and faster photos (update: live!)
We already knew a much-needed update to Facebook's Android app was close at hand, but we finally have the confirmation from the horse's mouth that the upcoming refresh will go live at some point today. The new version of the app will offer photos and albums at double the speed, a new menu on the left-hand side, and the ability for messages to "float" above the rest of the screen rather than exiting the page you're currently viewing. And while the social networking app technically works on devices running Ice Cream Sandwich, plenty of concerns have arisen regarding its lack of integration with the new OS; fortunately, it shows the update as it would look on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- we're crossing our fingers that this is some type of hint that we'll see contact syncing for Android 4.0 included as part of the download, but it's all wishful thinking. We'll keep you posted if it actually happens. Update: As of 9:30PM ET or so the updated version is live on the Android Market. The description is still lagging as of this writing, but feel free to snatch the new version on the mobile device of your choice and let us know how it's working. Unfortunately contact sync in ICS is still a no-go, but at least the settings are actually accessible now. If you're having trouble (blank screen when launching the app, etc.) we're hearing clearing the cache may resolve any issues. [Thanks, Thomas]
Google disables contact sync in Facebook for Android, but only Nexus S for now
You know that Android 2.3.3 update that's trickling out to Nexus S smartphones right now? Google's decided to take this opportunity to push its data portability agenda with regards to Android. Simply put, the feature of the Facebook for Android app to provide the social network's stored contact information to your Nexus S has been revoked from here on out, and as soon as you get the update all that contact information will disappear from your contacts app on your phone. We've spent a while chatting with a Google rep, and they explained that the company is actually just reinstating the official rules -- typically, apps have to use Android's contacts API, but Facebook was granted an exception which allowed its contacts to remain in the cloud. In effect, what Google's claims it's doing here is the same thing that would happen if you uninstalled the app, or deleted your Facebook account -- your contacts created and stored in the network would no longer be visible in your contacts app. In other words, Google's attempting to push Facebook into making that data available to itself, which would be handy (think of the other apps that could use your Facebook data on the go) but potentially worrisome in terms of privacy as well. Either way, the argument is not likely to directly affect many individuals in the short term -- Google tells us that Facebook's sync privileges will only be revoked in the Nexus S (not the Nexus One) and other "lead devices" yet to come. Read the company's full statement after the break, and decide for yourself if this is worth arguing about.
Facebook for Android hits the Market, still playing a bit of catch up
Well, it's taken a little while, but it looks like Android users now have a Facebook app to call their own. As you might expect from an initial release, however, the app is a bit less full featured than some of its counterparts and, judging from the few initial comments, a bit buggy. The good news is that you'll be able to do all the basics like share status updates, check your news feed, look at your friends' walls, and even check up to 125 of your friends' phone numbers straight from the home screen. You won't, however, get things like messaging or chat and, at least at the moment, it appears to have some particular problems with the HTC Hero and HTC Magic (although those reports are obviously still preliminary). On the upside, the app is completely free, and available to download from Android Market right now.[Thanks, SliestDragon]
