Facebook Redesigns App Interface For Better Readability, Adds Features To Camera

Facebook has announced a redesign for the News Feed of its mobile app. The redesign of the user interface is part of Facebook’s efforts in improving the app’s readability and navigation.

Some of the changes on the Facebook app are directly linked to the changes that it introduced for Instagram recently. Instagram’s comments are now threaded, making it easier to make direct conversations.

“Every person’s News Feed is different and populated with a unique set of stories — from photos and videos to GIFs and links,” Facebook’s design team said. “And with so many types of stories available, each feed is more complex than ever. In order to make News Feed more conversational and easier to read and navigate, we’ll be making a few updates to its design over the coming weeks.”

The comments section of the Facebook app has been given a facelift, and it now resembles typical chat bubbles. Comments and replies are now inside greyed out and rounded boxes. This makes it easier for people to distinguish direct replies to another person.

Facebook has also changed the typography and the icons on the News Feed. The company has increased the color contrast, while the icons for the Like, Comment and Share buttons have all been made larger so that they’re easier to tap. The icons are also now hollow instead of greyed out, much like the icons on Instagram.

Previews for shared links on the News Feed have been given a slight redesign as well. Now, link previews are larger so that it’s easier to read. The website of the link has also been positioned above the title of an article, rather than beneath it.

Profile pictures shown on the News Feed are now circular rather than square. The Verge pointed out that this is also the same way how Twitter displays profile pictures on its app.

Going back to sharing links, Facebook also wanted to improve navigation when tapping on shared links on the News Feed. Facebook says that users will now be able to see where a link is taking them before clicking on it, and they will be able to see clearly whose post they’re commenting on while they’re on the post. Facebook also added a “more prominent” back button, so users can quickly go back to the News Feed once they’re done reading a post.

Facebook didn’t say when exactly these changes to the News Feed user interface will arrive, but it should arrive to both iOS and Android users over the next few weeks. Some of the UI changes are also set to arrive on Facebook’s desktop website, including the circular profile pictures and the new icon designs for the buttons.

Additionally, Facebook is also bring some enhancements to its built-in camera feature. The company is now widely rolling out its GIF making tool. This was actually first introduced to iOS users last month, but it is now rolling out to Android users as well. GIFs created on the Facebook Camera can be shared as a Story, a Direct message or as a post on the News Feed, according to 9To5Google.

Facebook is also improving live broadcasts by letting users add creative filters and doodles during their broadcasts. Lastly, the company has added the ability to share text posts through Facebook Stories. This is the same feature that enabled users to add colored backgrounds to text posts on the News Feed.