Facebook updates its iOS 8 app ahead of the iPhone 6 launch

sincity · September 17, 2014

Just as folks are starting to download iOS 8 today and get on line for the iPhone 6 launch on Friday, Facebook is also tidying up its smartphone apps.

The social network detailed in a blog post that it's making its Facebook app bigger and clearer to match the larger screen resolutions of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Facebook also wrote a short walkthrough on how sharing photos from users' libraries or webpage clippings though Safari will lead users to a sharing page with a new layout. After tapping on Facebook, the usual sharing overlay will display on the screen allowing users to pick who they want to share with, add a location, tag friends, and add a status update.

In reality nothing has changed here on Facebook's end as it seems its smartphone app does not support iOS 8's extensibility feature, which lets apps to communicate directly with each other. The new feature allows users to share an item they see in Safari on Pintrest without ever having to leave their browser or edit their images in the photo library with Waterlogue effects.

Facebook says its update will roll out to users over the coming weeks.

It's Apple, not us

Aside from the small UI refresh, Facebook is took the time to make it very clear that it has not changed its privacy rules regarding users' Location Services.

Users on Apple's latest mobile OS may note that their Location Services settings have been updated with an option to be turned always on, never or just when using an app.

Worried that it would be accused of tracking users (again), Facebook wrote it "does not get location information from your device in the background (that is, while you're not using the app)." The social network went on to explain Location Services only activates when users geotag their status updates or turn on a feature that requires the service such as Nearby Friends.