For the past couple of days, Facebook has been hosting its annual conference for developers, also known as F8. The first day of F8 was filled with announcements covering Facebook’s new redesign, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus.
Not too long ago, Facebook Messenger got a new dark mode, an Unsend button, and threaded replies. As Mark Zuckerberg has decided to spice things up for 2019, there are a lot of new changes to look forward to.
Facebook’s New Redesign for 2019
Facebook has started to redesign both its website and app. The redesigned app for Android and iOS is rolling out right now. The new desktop site will follow “in the next few months”.
Visually, Facebook is being bleached. Almost all the blue is taken away, leaving a simpler, cleaner, and very white palette. This makeover kind of makes Facebook look like Instagram.
Content-wise, the new Facebook is intending to move people away from News Feed and more into Group and Events. This is to create a brand-new sense of communities.
Discover More Groups and Events
Facebook stated in the Facebook Newsroom that while people use “Facebook to connect with friends and family […] it’s also a place to connect with people who share your interests and passions.”
With Mark Zuckerberg claiming Facebook is becoming a “more privacy-focused social platform,” this is a crucial move when groups provide a more convenient privacy.
As a result, Facebook is launching a new and improved Groups tab to help you find new groups easier.
Along with Groups comes the Events tab. This will let you “see what’s happening around you, get recommendations, discover local businesses, and coordinate with friends to make plans to get together.”
Facebook is also testing a new feature called Meet New Friends. This will “help people start friendships with new people from their shared communities like a school, workplace or city.” Meet New Friends is opt-in only and still a work in progress.
Facebook Dating
What’s Facebook Dating?
Another interesting feature is Facebook Dating. Facebook Dating was first announced at F8 2018. You can use this new opt-in to seek for potential dates.
Facebook Dating has been available for a while in Colombia, Thailand, Canada, Argentina, and Mexico. It’s now also available in the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname.
Facebook’s Making It Easier for Friends to Hook up
At F8 2019, Facebook unveiled Secret Crush.
Once you have opted in to using Secret Crush, you can select up to nine friends who you secretly crushing. If any of those friends is also on Facebook Dating, they’ll get a notification saying that someone is fancying them.
However, unless they’re also on Facebook Dating, have created a Secret Crush list, and put you on their list, they’ll never know you’re crushing on them.
Facebook Is Trying to Bring People Together
Since 2019, Facebook has committed to fostering communities. However, some people consider this new act of Facebook is both beneficial and creepy as hell.
With the redesigned Facebook website and app come the new Groups and Events tabs, and the Secret Crush.
Let’s wait and see if all these new Facebook features can finally change the way people think and interact with the biggest social media platform of the decade.