Facebook has opted out of designing a new phone and instead worked with the Google Android platform to create a new overlay that replaces your app icons with social info. The lockscreen’s replaced with Cover Feed and prioritizes updates from people instead of apps, whilst using an algorithm to determine the updates that are most important to you. Need access to your apps? Just swipe notifications off screen to dismiss them while using a long press can remove all notifications in one go. Full-screen images really give Home an engaging palette, with the end result being a blend between Android and iPhone social networking app Path. Plain text status updates are placed over a user’s cover photo, to keep the appearance consistent with photo-centric posts.
Chat Heads is Facebook’s new messaging app that’s featured in Home. It allows you to quickly and easily communicate with your friends without leaving the app yo’re in. Circular icons are featured on the right-hand side, with the ability to drag them to anywhere you like on the screen. Tap them and you open a pop-over chat dialog that combines IMs and text messages into a universal interface.
