If you’re an Android user, you’ve probably noticed that the Facebook app isn’t exactly up to snuff. Today, however, Facebook has updated their client, complete with native event and video viewing, as well as an improved layout.
Given how long Android has been out (and popular), it was always a bit surprising how half-finished the Facebook app seemed to be. It would always direct you to the mobile site for events and friend requests (which is ridiculous since all Android devices are touch-based and should have used the touchscreen optimised site), and couldn’t play video at all. Now, not only does the app have native event and friend request support, but you can also play videos, view notifications and see a “photo reel” on the bottom of the redesigned home page.
Note that while there is a working notification drawer in the app (finally!), you still can’t get menu bar notifications for anything except event invites, friend requests and messages. You can, however, periodically check the app to see if anything new has happened; the notifications just won’t be pushed to your phone. It isn’t ideal for everyone, but I’ll take what I can get at this point. Overall, it’s a much needed update and makes the app much more usable and less of a Droid-thrown-against-the-wall liability.
Facebook 1.3 is a free download for devices running Android. There doesn’t seem to be any official word, but it looks like the app is only available for Android 2.0 and up — so let us know if you find out anything different in the comments.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.