Facebook’s bottom bar interface now comes to Android

Facebook’s new bottom panel interface will be useful for users with bigger screens.

Facebook’s latest update is said to be aimed at making it easier for users to single-hand operation of the app. (REUTERS)

Facebook's new interface with a bottom panel is now reaching to more Android users. The panel housing shortcuts to home, groups, marketplace, and notification was earlier available on the top. The Facebook app for iPhone already had this bottom panel for quite some time.

The new bottom bar isn't available to all Facebook for Android users right now. According to XDA Developers, the updated interface is available with the 264.0.0.44.111 and above version. The website says Facebook will show users a prompt about the UI change when they have downloaded the latest iteration of the app.

 

#Facebook for Android is now rolling out bottom navigation bar for better one hand usage. pic.twitter.com/HCMVyAffAX

— Droid TeQ (@droid_teq) April 7, 2020

According to some users on Twitter, Facebook is rolling back the updated interface shortly after making it available.

 

In these crazy and uncertain times, I'd really appreciate it if Facebook could make up it's mind and stop messing with mine by moving the tool bar or whatever they call it from the top to the bottom and back to the top #pickaspot

— Frank McGettigan (@frankmcgettigan) April 7, 2020

Facebook's latest update is said to be aimed at making it easier for users to single-hand operation of the app. A bottom bar also becomes convenient for users with bigger screens.

That said, Facebook has made some changes to the interface in the past few weeks. This include tab-like "Menu" with easier to spot the added functionalities such as "Covid-19 Information Centre", "Friends", "Videos on Watch", and "Nearby Friends" among others.

Separately, Facebook on Tuesday announced rolling out the 'Tournaments' feature for its Gaming users. The feature allows users to set up their own tournaments and invite their friends and others to join. Facebook's latest addition is aimed at encouraging social distancing while allowing users to connect online.

"Our mission for Facebook gaming is to build the world's gaming community and organized gameplay has always been a big part of gaming, regardless of levels of competition… Whether it's someone getting together with family and friends or whether it's a creator of a tournament for viewers or supporters, or whether it's an esports organization, this is a big part of gaming," Mina Abouseif, the engineer behind Tournaments, told VentureBeat.