Facebook is testing multiple feeds based on topics instead of the traditional one main News Feed on its mobile app.
This is a continuation of a process started back in October. The feature is now fully operational on the web, and the company has shifted efforts to its mobile app. Main News Feed, currently, is an amalgamation of events, pictures and links that the company thinks users might be attracted to.
Speaking to The Verge, the Facebook spokesperson said the traditional way of scrolling is inconveniencing users who may be interested in particular areas. Consequently, the California-based company is testing multiple News Feeds. The Main News Feed will now be joined by secondary News Feeds that automatically sort specific content that might be interesting to the users as well.
Users who have been given the new feature report that the new topic-based News Feeds include “Style”, “Travel”, “Headlines” and “More”. Facebook aims to unburden its users from the traditional way of scrolling through the news. The new feature will allow people to look for precise varieties of content, instead of choosing from a combination of everything that has been posted by pages followed and posts by friends. Currently, the feature is still under tests. However, the company intends to test the popularity of the feature by adding it for sampled users, before rolling it out if a good number likes it.
Wider rollout of Marketplace also features under testing
Besides, Facebook is testing a wider rollout of Marketplace feature widely known as “Shopping”. This feature was tested as far back as October but has not been availed conspicuously on the app. Screenshots received by The Verge from one of its readers, Andrew Watts, show Marketplace option featured much more blatantly.
In the iOS app, Marketplace icon replaces the Messenger icon at the bottom. The Messenger icon is pushed to the top near the search bar, which is its natural position on the Android app. A tap on the tab (Marketplace) displays a shopping page from which users can buy products sold by different Pages they have liked. The tab also displays “sale groups” a user has joined and a search bar. Therefore, you can search for commodities posted for sale across all your groups and pages.
The design change is only accessible to a few users in the U.S., and wider rollout is not shortly according to a statement by a Facebook spokesperson. Furthermore, the feature is still subject to several changes as Facebook continues to learn what is effective for businesses and useful to people.
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