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This week Facebook held its annual f8 Developers Conference and announced many updates that may significantly change the way you use the Social Network. Facebook is becoming a powerful hub, broadly expanding its capabilities on the Internet. If you’re looking forward to making the most of Facebook, you’ll want to know about these new features.
Facebook is updating its platforms so users, businesses and developers can connect directly. Developers will have increased abilities to create apps within Facebook for uses such as gaming, controlling household objects and playing music. Businesses will be able to connect directly with customers via Facebook with a new source for communication.
Someday you may not have much reason to visit a website besides Facebook. This week’s announcements made that possibility closer to a reality.
Messenger Platform Apps
In 2011 Facebook split its Messenger service from the Facebook app with a separate Messenger app for mobile devices, giving you an alternative to text messages. Much of the f8 announcements were about Messenger, illustrating the importance of the service for the future of Facebook. Soon you’ll be able to liven up your messages with Platform apps that work within the Messenger app, well beyond the stickers currently available.
You’ll be able to add music, animation, GIF’s and more to your Facebook messages using the updated Messenger app. If a friend sends you a message using a Messenger Platform app, you’ll be able to install that app directly from their message.
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Developers will be able to program Messenger apps to control household objects. Someday you may be able to turn on lights, open your garage door and check on your home security system using Facebook.
Messenger for Business
Facebook envisions a future where businesses can communicate with their customers using Messenger. Instead of calling Customer Service and waiting on hold, you could use Messenger to contact a business directly.
You’ll be able to use Facebook to connect with businesses to place orders online, make restaurant reservations, get shipping updates and ask questions about your order. If you give permission to a business they’ll be able to contact you via Facebook Messenger to ask you questions about your order, notify you of special offers and more.
Sending Money
You’ll be able to send money to your Facebook friends via Messenger. Although not announced at f8, the ability to pay businesses using Facebook seems like a natural expansion of this feature.
Imagine seeing photos of a friend’s exotic trip and being able to book a vacation to that destination without ever leaving Facebook.
Messenger as a Platform
Facebook will also be expanding use of Messenger so that websites will be able to add a Messenger button for sharing. Read an article you think a friend would enjoy? Use the Messenger button to share the article with your friend directly.
Videos
Facebook is adding a video feature so you can add videos directly into Facebook to share them with your friends. No more need to upload videos to YouTube first, you can add them directly to Facebook and control sharing with your friends, friends of friends or the public.
Facebook is adding a spherical video capability so you’ll be able move around certain videos 360° to get different perspectives.
Drone Internet
The airspace above you may be getting more crowded as Facebook announced tests to use solar-powered drones to bring Internet service to remote locations. Like Amazon, which is investing in drone delivery of its products, Facebook is developing a fleet of unmanned drone planes, called Aquila, that will offer aerial Internet connectivity to areas with low-density populations.
The drone planes will be about the size of a Boeing 747 but weigh less than a car. Test flights of the full-sized planes will begin this summer and tests of a smaller version have already been conducted.
On This Day
Another new Facebook feature announced this week is On This Day. Similar to Timehop, On This Day shows you what happened on this date in previous years.
» Check out Timehop: Get a Daily Blast from Your Past!
Unlike Timehop though, Facebook has implemented a filter to prevent your sadder memories from being revisited. Facebook will show you posts to your timeline by others and posts and photos you’ve been tagged in.
You can subscribe to notifications to get an alert when you have a new On This Day. Only you can see your On This Day unless you choose to share them with friends. Facebook lets you delete any of the posts, photos, etc. that you’d rather not see.
On This Day is being rolled out to Facebook users globally.
Your Thoughts
Are you excited about these new developments from Facebook? Which ones interest you the most? Do you look forward to a day when Facebook is the Internet of Everything? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Hi Carolyn,
Trust you to come up with the latest developments and share it with us 🙂
This is news to our ears, and I am sure many like me would be unaware of what Facebook is coming up with. I think they are all good changes and one would learn of them as they roll out, once we use them – tough to say which ones will really work for us or how it would be taken up by the masses. But I am glad they are making timely changes and would remain in the run with the other social media and the new ones coming up.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a nice weekend 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, this week was filled with Facebook news that could mean major changes for the way we use the Social Network. I’m especially excited for the ways Messenger will be changing. I use Messenger a lot and these updates will make it even more useful.
Thanks for your comment and for sharing this article, Harleena. Have a lovely weekend!
Hi Carolyn,
Nicely done covering latest Facebook changes at one place 🙂
This week, it has been all about Facebook. Isn’t it? Especially about the new move on Messenger – it’s getting enriched with cool features and a new perspective for messaging. I think lately tech giants are getting into a serious battle and probably, the competition gonna serve users very well.
Spherical video capability is an awesome feature. Love it! I’ve been missing the On This Day tab on Facebook, and glad to have it back as well.
Have a lovely weekend, Carolyn 🙂
Cheers…
Hi Mayura, How lovely to see you back here at The Wonder of Tech! I hope you are well.
Yes, Facebook was filled with news this week, announcing many major updates. Yes, competition is a very good thing, especially for us consumers.
I really look forward to seeing the first spherical video on Facebook. I’ve seen them before, mostly on real estate websites and they are very cool!
This is great development and I know with all these developments,we shall all benefit from the social site. Facebook has been one powerful tool in online marketing and with the intended developments, much will be achieved.
Hi Edwin, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, these updates have the potential to benefit many people and businesses. It will be interesting to see how many businesses implement Facebook Messenger as a method for communicating with their customers.
Hey Carolyn,
I’m using Facebook more for the business now, and messenger more for personal things. It’s very interesting the development of a messenger for businesses. We still use email a lot, using a messenger app or a different communication system would be very interesting.
Hi Jens, Yes, Messenger could prove to be a very useful communication tool, especially for small businesses. Many smaller firms want to provide customer service but don’t have the budget for Live Chats on their websites. By using Messenger, businesses can connect with their Facebook customers and communicate with them more easily.
Hi Carolyn,
I was not aware of any of the updates which you have mentioned here. I had heard about drone internet. But i never thought that Facebook was serious about it. I’m also amazed to know that On This Day is rolled out to Facebook users. I would surely try it. Thanks very much for this post.
Hi Rahul, Yes, I am looking forward to getting On This Day. Facebook hasn’t rolled it out to me yet, but I am very much enjoying Timehop so I know I’ll like On This Day.
Facebook drones are very cool and may bring a valuable way for people in remote areas to connect to the Internet. Someday you may be able to get Internet from anywhere in the world!
Hi Carolyn,
I saw the Facebook ‘on this day’ this morning. It took me back to April 1st 2014, which was interesting. It worked on April 1st, I’m not sure it’ll work on other days. I found a reference online to my Great grandmother yesterday which was cool and allowed me to give younger members of the family a link and see who their ancestor was!
Hi Mike, Yes, once you have On This Day, you should keep having it. I don’t have the feature yet, but I’m enjoying Timehop. Seeing pictures from the past is very cool!
Facebook is coming with some exiting features …
Thus it has created the same excitement as when it has launched few years back ..
It is a sign of good business to adept changing trends to stay up with the current ..
Well done Mark Zukerberg and his team …
Thanks you CAROLYN to sharing a post based on trendy developments …