The folks from Facebook have apparently been having a pretty good month if recently released numbers are accurate, but changes are still coming to Facebook Home. Today they revealed more than 1 million users downloaded Home, and those who still enjoy it use Facebook 25% more. After many complaints however changes are coming, and Facebook is giving us back our standard Android icon dock we all love, and need.
As you saw in our Facebook Home Review, the idea is pretty great, the experience is decent and fun, but it completely limits many of the phone and Android features we know, love, and need. Well, if today’s reports from TechCrunch are accurate that’s about to change a bit. We’ll be getting a bug fixing update later today, and then an overhauled Facebook Home is in the works too.
Facebook’s VP Cory Ondrejka had a few things to say about Home, and we have all the details. They’ll be adding a “Dash Bar” to manage friends and start chats more easily, an improved “dock” as well as a better “new user experience”. The most important part here being the dock. Facebook Home removed the standard icon dock in Android for sending a text message, easily making a call, and much more. This made it a great social phone and launcher, but not a very good actual “Phone” to say the least.
The next version of Home will return our lovely dock tray of apps, and will also have a new user experience. On first install you’ll get a better navigation and instructional how-to, so users won’t be lost an quickly uninstall the app. We’ll be able to import our old dock of apps, and even create our own in Facebook Home. Lastly Facebook Home will still respect your old device, instead of taking over 100% and putting Facebook front and center while limiting everything else.
We won’t have to choose between having a function Android smartphone and all of our games and apps, or having our friends and social world front and center. Instead of taking over our homescreen Facebook Home will be a layer that will give you the best of both worlds. Or so they think. Do you guys buy it, or are you still staying away from Facebook Home?
I’ve always planned to install it as soon as the Play Store lets me (I’m currently told it’s not compatible with my Nexus 4) but from the sound of this article I’m glad they’ll be removing some of the limitations before my first play with it.