The Facebook for iPhone app has always been solid and robust but at times fell short of the users’ expectations. And today, Facebook has felt the need to give it a healthy update to version 3.5, and we must say that the improvements found in this version are rather welcome and sought after by many users.
This new update for the well-known Facebook iPhone and iPod touch client focus on two main aspects: tagging friends added to your Facebook profile and a slight user interface overhaul. For the first time ever, it will finally be possible to tag friends and places in posts, something that was awkwardly missing before in the previous updates of the app. When making a post on Facebook, it is now possible to tag anyone in your friends list with the push of a button, as well as check in to nearby places, as you can tell from the screenshot below:
You have likely noticed something different in the “new post” screen: indeed, it has been completely redesigned. Instead of the dark and somewhat rudimentary pop-up box found on previous versions of the Facebook client, this one is incredibly clean and to-the-point, and at the same time, blends in much more nicely with the rest of the app.
A few other features sports a new look and feel, namely the profile and group walls, which look slightly less cluttered now, and have a much more cleaner look.
There are a few other slight enhancements, such as more granular privacy controls similar to the ones that were recently introduced on Facebook’s website, love them or hate them. As with the web version of Facebook, it’s now possible to choose to publish a post only to certain friend lists or even post an update publicly, if you so choose.
Bugs have also been fixed in all sections of this app, ranging from the chat feature which was plagued with several connectivity issues (that are now fixed), photo viewing and the notification bar, which would occasionally magically disappear, even when new notifications were available. Facebook also promises several other bug fixes, although they’re not detailed in the app’s change log.
This new update continues giving Facebook’s iOS client an edge over other devices whose clients aren’t as packed with this many features. If you’re a Facebook user, we highly recommend that you download this update immediately, you won’t regret it, even if you hate the new privacy controls; the improvements strongly outweigh the possible ordeals.
Download Facebook for iPhone and iPod touch [iTunes Link]
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