Facebook is Launching a Major Redesign

Facebook today announced that it will soon launch a major refresh of its core social networking service dubbed FB5.

“FB5 is a fresh new design for Facebook that’s simpler, faster, more immersive and puts your communities at the center,” the Facebook announcement notes. “Overall, we’ve made it easier to find what you’re looking for and get to your most-used features. People will start seeing some of these updates in the Facebook app right away, and the new desktop site will come in the next few months.”

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To my eyes, the new Facebook looks almost like a Google Material Design-style refresh, with lots of white space and clean iconography and borders.

All Facebook is really saying right now is that the new design is focused specifically on Groups as part of the service’s move to private sharing over public sharing. Groups is a Facebook community feature that lets people connect virtually. To this end, Facebook will make it easier to find groups throughout the user experience and enhance the community feeling.

There will also be new shopping features and new functionality aimed at helping users connect with new friends from their communities who share their interests, Facebook says. A new Facebook Dating feature called Secret Crush will even help people “explore potential romantic relationships within their own extended circle of friends.”

Facebook FB5 will rollout throughout 2019 on desktop/web and mobile.

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Conversation 17 comments

  • robotraccoon

    Premium Member
    30 April, 2019 - 3:49 pm

    <p>NB4 secret crush data is leaked.</p>

  • Robert_Wood

    30 April, 2019 - 4:15 pm

    <p>So, would you say "Groups" is sort of like Google + "Circles?" Sort of sounds like it to me. </p>

    • c_j_martinez

      Premium Member
      30 April, 2019 - 4:52 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#424484">In reply to Robert_Wood:</a></em></blockquote><p>It’s very different. Facebook Groups are more similar to a discussion group or Internet forum, with admins, rules their own pictures, comments, etc. while Google+ Circles were a fancy name for friends lists. Circles let you fine tune who could see or interact with each specific post very easily. It was my favorite G+ feature from the start. </p>

  • compunut

    Premium Member
    30 April, 2019 - 4:24 pm

    <p>OK… mandatory comment here… Is there a dark mode? :)</p>

  • iantrem

    Premium Member
    30 April, 2019 - 4:28 pm

    <p>As long as it's still easy to find the switch between "Top Stories" and "Most Recent". It would be nice if the new update remembered your choice so you didn't have to make it every time you logged in though.</p>

    • SvenJ

      30 April, 2019 - 4:32 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#424490"><em>In reply to iantrem:</em></a><em> </em>Can't upvote this enough<em>. </em>Maybe keep this setting and just show me all my stuff in chronological order. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    30 April, 2019 - 5:57 pm

    <p>Ok this screenshot is missing the biggest part of Facebook….the ads! </p>

  • zeratul456

    30 April, 2019 - 7:04 pm

    <p>One can always dream that it will have a dark mode. </p>

  • skane2600

    30 April, 2019 - 7:49 pm

    <p>Always nice to see features you ignore front and center taking up space.</p>

  • provision l-3

    30 April, 2019 - 8:32 pm

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“A new Facebook Dating feature called Secret Crush will even help people ‘explore potential romantic relationships within their own extended circle of friends.’.”</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">yeah umm that’s called stalking. </span></p>

    • Alastair Cooper

      01 May, 2019 - 5:37 am

      <p>I'm not sure it's really that different from the modern equivalent of noticing a friend's friend at a party. It does though make it even more important that people know about privacy settings.</p>

      • provision l-3

        01 May, 2019 - 7:35 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#424667">In reply to Alastair_Cooper:</a></em></blockquote><p>My comment was intentionally over the top as a joke. There really isn't enough detail about the actual feature for me to draw any sort of real life comparison but it is Facebook so we can kind of assume it will be done with the least amount of concern for individual privacy as possible. </p>

  • Tiny

    Premium Member
    30 April, 2019 - 9:02 pm

    <p>I wonder if they'll keep giving me those great ads like, "You won't believe who we lost today" and then list a famous person. So far, I think Chuck Norris has died about 15 times.</p>

  • waethorn

    30 April, 2019 - 10:19 pm

    <p>Welcome to MySpace vNext.</p>

  • madthinus

    Premium Member
    01 May, 2019 - 4:46 am

    <p>Talk about a clueless company.</p>

  • Paul Tarnowski

    01 May, 2019 - 8:49 am

    <p>I can't <em><u>wait</u></em> for all the confused support calls from my grandma client list. /s</p><p><br></p><p>Thank you Facebook for ensuring my side-gig is gonna be busy with inane calls about where to click what.</p>

  • Jason Peter

    01 May, 2019 - 9:53 am

    <p>I quit FB 1/2 a year ago. One of the best decisions of my life. </p>

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