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Facebook iOS App Update Expands 3D Touch Support

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Apr 12, 2001
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Facebook has begun rolling out support for further 3D Touch actions on compatible iPhones in the latest update to its primary iOS app.

The newest iteration in the social media company's series of weekly app updates allows iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus owners to use "peek" and "pop" gestures directly from within a Facebook timeline. A light press or "peek" on a profile, link, page, group or photo triggers a preview of the content in question, while a harder press or "pop" opens the link, photo, profile or group.

A new "Quick Action" also comes to the Facebook app icon, with a homescreen shortcut that takes users directly to their account's profile page.

Facebook-iOS-app-Quick-Actions.jpg
Original Quick Actions (left); a new Action takes users to their Facebook profile (right).​

The introduction of new 3D Touch features follows support for several Quick Actions that Facebook brought to its app back in October. However, unlike the first 3D Touch-equipped update, the company is limiting access to the latest features to "a small group of people," before rolling them out globally "over the coming months," reports The Verge.

Despite the potential for frustrating some of its users, Facebook's gradual rollout strategy is in line with last month's muted announcement of staggered support for Live Photos, which allows Facebook users to share motion-enabled pictures taken on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices with followers running iOS 9.

Increased support for 3D Touch comes on the heels of similar features introduced in other Facebook-owned apps, including Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, while other third-party developers continue to implement and deploy their own support for the pressure-sensitive technology following Apple's own encouragement to do so.

Facebook is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Facebook iOS App Update Expands 3D Touch Support
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/22/facebook-ios-expands-3d-touch/
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I have the impression that facebook and many others don't really make force touch usefull. I don't want to view my profile or write post all the time. I just want to check the notifications right away and that kind of stuff. I really like force touch but it's not yet at full potential. (except for Shazam, 10/10)
 
Facebook is just AOL for the 21st century. The only thing it's missing is those CDs sent in the mail.
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Wasn't sure if that was possible or not, so I looked it up, and it looks like it definitely is. Looks like you just set the shortcutItems property of UIApplication.
Click to expand...

You are one step closer to developing your first app. There are actually two types of quick actions though.

Static
These are as you described defined in the properly list and are preinstalled (if property is set) without having to launch the app. These are good for generic shortcuts, like write a post, etc.

Dynamic
These are created by code when needed. For example, Facebook can have a dynamic shortcut for a profile you marked (for example your girlfriends), so you can check her profile quicker. Since these are configured by code you will need to launch the app and when the code gets executed, they will appear.

To the end user, both quick actions appear in identical manner.

I'm actually not sure if modifying the static ones through property list will get updated, but I'm certain that customization can be achieved with the dynamic type.

The real question is, is this customization worth the effort at that point. In part because the devices with 3D touch are still a minority. Facebook is a big app so the approach will always be:

1. Get the basic implementation on time for feature launch (or a few months later) out to a select few for testing
2. Stagger the rollout to the rest of the world
3. Measure engagement and importance
4. Potentially roll out more customization etc
 
Nice to see a bit more force touch but it is still only one more option in a limited list. It would be most handy for applications with deep menus I'd imagine, or 'Load save' for a game to skip the intro and go straight to where you left off.
 
Dengar said:
What about iPad Pro support?
Click to expand...

Facebook is notoriously slow at adapting to new tech. They were one of the last major apps to build a native iOS app (remember how sllloooowwwww their app was at first?). Every update I see from them I keep hoping will include iPad Pro support, but for now, we're just stuck with a hilariously expanded balloon-stretchy app. Whee.
 
acegreen said:
You are one step closer to developing your first app.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I have 3 apps on the iOS App Store, 1 in the OS X App Store, and plenty more in various states of development (plus tons of Java and Python stuff that's platform independent.)
[doublepost=1453486656][/doublepost]
iBreatheApple said:
A front page story because Facebook added a 'view profile' option to the menu. WOW.
Click to expand...

It's in the iOS blog, not the front page. If you're in the mobile layout, it doesn't split the different sections up - everything just gets lumped together.
 
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iBreatheApple said:
A front page story because Facebook added a 'view profile' option to the menu. WOW.
Click to expand...
An iOS Blog story about changes to one of the more popular apps. Stories about lesser things have been written. Nothing new or surprising. If it's not of interest it can be easily skipped.
 
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SimonTheSoundMa said:
This is newsworthy?
Click to expand...

It's in the blog, not news. If you don't find it interesting, don't read it, and especially do not post about your disinterest just to seek attention.

I find it to be news considering facebook no longer provides a changelog in the update description any more. It just says "we'll highlight changes for you in the app" but no where did it highlight for me that I can 3D touch the app to do anything at all.

+1 for MacRumors.
 
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Eorlas said:
It's in the blog, not news. If you don't find it interesting, don't read it, and especially do not post about your disinterest just to seek attention.

I find it to be news considering facebook no longer provides a changelog in the update description any more. It just says "we'll highlight changes for you in the app" but no where did it highlight for me that I can 3D touch the app to do anything at all.

+1 for MacRumors.
Click to expand...
I'm getting the feeling that at least part of the reason why Facebook might not really be providing release notes is because things might not be the same for everyone. For example, with this change that is being discussed there are already a few people that posted that they don't see these changes with the latest update. Perhaps it's because Facebook is doing some bucket or A/B testing in relation to it (and other features) or is doing a slow roll out of changes somehow (as they and many other companies have been known to do for various changes).
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Thanks, but I have 3 apps on the iOS App Store, 1 in the OS X App Store, and plenty more in various states of development (plus tons of Java and Python stuff that's platform independent.)
[doublepost=1453486656][/doublepost]

It's in the iOS blog, not the front page. If you're in the mobile layout, it doesn't split the different sections up - everything just gets lumped together.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome. Share a link to your iOS apps. I'm curious to see them
 
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SimonTheSoundMa said:
This is newsworthy?
Click to expand...
Could have been worse. Could have been an article about a new android phone on "Mac" rumours.
[doublepost=1453671482][/doublepost]
Eorlas said:
It's in the blog, not news. If you don't find it interesting, don't read it, and especially do not post about your disinterest just to seek attention.

I find it to be news considering facebook no longer provides a changelog in the update description any more. It just says "we'll highlight changes for you in the app" but no where did it highlight for me that I can 3D touch the app to do anything at all.

+1 for MacRumors.
Click to expand...
He's not seeking attention. I believe he is subtly suggesting let's have something more interesting. I agree.
[doublepost=1453671815][/doublepost]I'm off
shandyman said:
If you don't like it, skip past it. There's always going to be news or blog posts that someone doesn't have an interest it, but others will.



Good for you. We need to know this why?
Click to expand...
I'm off to 9to5.
 
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