Select users are getting a new version of the app’s UI

Feb 14, 2015 08:43 GMT  ·  By

Ever since Android 5.0 Lollipop came out a few months ago, more and more Android applications have been updated to include Material Design elements to help them better integrate into Google’s new OS.

Still, there are some major apps out there which are yet to receive the makeover. And one of them is the popular social media solution Facebook.

Luckily, as a report from the Android Police points out, Facebook is currently in the process of testing a Material Design-friendly app.

The Material Facebook version is currently in testing

It appears some lucky users are receiving a new version of the UI which brings about the sweet material scent. The changes aren’t radical, but a few subtle influences can be identified.

The most visible change centers the bottom bar where the Status, Photo and Check In buttons live.

So if in the old version you had the buttons standing on the lower end of the screen, in the new version they are replaced by floating, circular buttons hailing from the lower-right corner.

As we mentioned above, don’t expect a Material Design explosion with the new UI, but these small changes constitute a step in the right direction.

Do the new Facebook Material Design tweaks make you excited? Well sadly, the new UI is probably a server-side change, so in absence of an APK that can be downloaded and installed, you will have to wait until Facebook decides it is ready to roll it out.

On the other hand, the social media giant is constantly experimenting with several UIs at a time, so we don’t know whether this version will be made available to the masses or not.

Facebook is always up to something

Facebook is constantly experimenting with its Android app. Last month the company silently rolled out a Lite version of its application, which is optimized for low-end Android handsets.

Like in the case of the new UI, not everyone got a taste of Facebook Lite. The app was launched in select markets such as Bangladesh, Nepal or Nigeria.

Facebook Lite is based on Snaptu, Facebook’s feature phone client, but it also brings some native Android feats to the table like push notifications and camera integration.

Facebook's new UI (3 Images)

Static buttons compared to foating buttons
New Faceboor for Android version is in testsFloating buttons in new Facebook for Android version
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