Facebook is proud to say that 20 per cent of the time we spend staring at a smartphone display is done with the iconic blue menu bar in view.
On average, smartphone users check Facebook 14 times a day, and a quarter of users’ social time on their phones in spent on this social network—a substantial figure. The study, sponsored by Facebook and conducted by the analytical firm IDC, can be found here.
There’s no doubt that Facebook has become an integral part of our lives. It’s a central hub for keeping in touch with friends and loved ones, as ubiquitous as the humble computer and as powerful as having the entire world in your hands—literally.
But there’s a problem. Right now your family, your friends, and the rest of the people you care about are locked in a 25 megabyte app somewhere on your phone’s home screen. As prevalent as Facebook has become, it needs an even larger presence; the question is how?
Welcome to Facebook Home.
Rumours began circulating late last month of yet another ‘Facebook phone’, designed by the folks at the social network and manufactured by a third party. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg debunked this year’s rumours himself during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt in September last year, saying that such a device “makes no sense”.
The company already released a similar product with the Taiwanese company HTC in June 2011. The phone, dubbed the HTC ChaCha (or the Status, depending on the market it was destined), was a failure—an undesirable piece of hardware for anyone but the diehard Facebook user.
However, the young billionaire seems to have changed his mind.
“Come See Our New Home on Android.” Large blue letters emblazoned on a white background, the invitation was sent out to members of the press and the technology blogosphere; the event was less than a week away when it was announced at the end of March.
Most surprising was the outright mention of Android, the open-source OS made by Google traditionally always a step or two behind Apple’s iOS (which powers iPads, iPhones and iPod touches). The popularity of Android has risen dramatically over the past few years. This increase is attributable to the growing market in countries like India and China, where budget smartphones running Android are plentiful and more accessible to the average consumer.
The open-source nature of Android means that developers are able to dig into the guts of the system more effectively than a closed product like iOS or Windows Phone. There are virtually no restrictions, allowing companies to provide “beautiful, immersive experiences” of their own that Apple would never allow.
So, the rumour mill churned again—would it be a Facebook phone, a new Android app, or even a launcher? Announced on April 5, the HTC First became the flagship product for Home, an aptly named 4.3”, 720p smartphone running Android 4.2.1 Jellybean. Proposed photos of the device had already been leaked in the days prior to the launch.
With a dual-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, one gigabyte of memory, a five megapixel rear camera and 16 gigabyte of fixed storage, there is no doubt that the First is a mid-range handset.
But Facebook says that doesn’t matter anymore. They want Home to be “a completely new experience that lets you see the world through people, not apps”. With such a people-centric focus, a well-optimised software package running on mid-range hardware is more than enough to keep users happy.
Being a launcher for your Android device, Facebook Home essentially takes over the entirety of your phone’s home and lock screens. The traditional array of pages containing icons of your apps and widgets disappear, giving way to a constantly updated stream of information shared by your friends.
“From the moment you wake up your phone, you become immersed in Cover Feed,” touts Facebook. Cover Feed presents your news feed in a full-screen view, with status updates overlaid on photos. Users are able to swipe between stories, which are sorted by popularity rather than most recent. Double-tapping anywhere on a story ‘likes’ it, and comments can be accessed through a button on the bottom left, which when open remains overlaid on Cover Feed.
Also residing at the bottom is your profile picture, encased in a circular container dubbed the ‘bobble’. Your friends can also have their own bobbles too, called ‘chat heads’, if you so desire. These float above the rest of the user interface, and offer quick access to chat conversations, reinforcing the importance of people above apps. Chat heads can be moved anywhere on the left or right edge of the screen by simply flicking them about, and work even without Home installed. (They are integrated into the Messenger app.)
You can’t help but relate the bobble to the ‘spot’ in the failed Microsoft Kin phone. The spot was placed in more or less the same location, and allowed users who purchased the device (in the less than three months it was on sale) to drag photos, videos, and what have you into the spot, for instant sharing with friends. It wasn’t the idea that was flawed—the execution was—and there is little doubt that Facebook will be eager to implement their own version in Home in the coming months.
Right now though, the bobble is used for accessing Facebook Messenger, your home screen, and the last used app. The animations are smooth, and contribute greatly to the refined but basic layout of the interface. There’s not much else to do apart from glancing at Cover Feed and scrolling through your apps, but there wasn’t much to do on the stock home screen either.
To the power user, it might appear bland, but to average user who is looking for a fresh, new experience, the cleanliness of Home is a welcome change.
Although Facebook Home has amassed over 500,000 downloads since it has been available in the Play Store, it sits at a depressingly low two stars out of five, with the majority of the over 11,000 people who voted declaring their disapproval.
There are serious privacy concerns regarding how Home circumvents the lock screen of your phone; a thief, or a friend attempting to “hack” (the term has risen in ambiguity ever since sliding to unlock someone’s phone became a form of hacking) your phone could see your news feed, post status updates, photos, and check in to venues. Only when you launch another app does the phone ask for your unlock code.
The unfavorable reviews could also be a result of users’ misunderstanding of what exactly a launcher is. The company has promised monthly updates, however, so it is very likely that entirely new features will be implemented, and some of the annoyances ironed out.
As much as they can introduce new features, the core components of Home will not change. The question is, do you trust your friends enough to allow them to take over your phone?
It’s all about bringing the stuff you like, and the people you care about, front and centre. Facebook wants to be there the minute you wake up, and the last thing you see before you sleep, delivering their status updates the second you hit the power button.
The type of experience users will have with Home is almost entirely dependent on the content posted by their friends. Do you want to see hyper-saturated photos of food after you wake up? Red-eyed and overexposed photos taken with flash before you sleep? Memes, memes and more memes throughout the day?
Your phone’s home screen is made to be a place of tranquillity, not the latest exhibition at a zoo. Facebook’s attempt at providing a pleasurable experience can only be achieved with the algorithms necessary to curate your news feed into something worth looking at, not the jumble of crap it probably is right now.
While Facebook Home is a welcome attempt at creating something new which leverages the power of open source, it has a long journey ahead if it wants to find a home on everyone’s phone.
Facebook Home is available as a free download on the Google Play store for select devices. If your device is not officially supported and you want to try Home, visit this XDA Developers thread for instructions.