Facebook passes 200 million mobile user mark, updates apps

Emil

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Facebook today held a mobile media event, in which it announced, among other things, that it has roughly 200 million active members using its mobile products. Last year, that number was at 65 million. Facebook has some 500 million users in total, and now the company is claiming that its mobile population is bigger than the iPhone or Android user base. Mobile users are twice as active on Facebook as people who are using just PCs, the social networking giant also noted.

To capitalize on the growth, Facebook announced several updated mobile offerings for iOS and Android. The new iOS Facebook application, now at version 1.4.0, will get the new Facebook Groups implementation, easier location tagging of people, and the ability to link and upload photos to Facebook Places. The new Android application, now at version 3.3, will also be getting the groups and places functionality. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised the two mobile applications will be more or less on par going forward (the Android release was lagging behind prior to today).

Facebook's strategy, the company says, is to make the mobile phone a more social experience. Oh, and throwing in some shopping discounts never hurt; businesses can now offer deals to users via their phone via "check-ins" (22 major retailers have already signed up). Facebook also revealed plans for a single sign-on feature: users only need to log in to applications once with their Facebook name and password. As a result, third party developers now have the opportunity to easily add a social layer to their applications.

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i use the android facebook app every once and a while but dont really like facebook that much except to put up pictures of my baby girl for family to see and the such. In a whole though mark has turned facebook into a super power and is the youngest billionaire in the world which is probably a plus.
 
I would thoroughly enjoy seeing the reaction from all the facebook-using drones if fb were to disable mobile access to its service for a full week.
 
I want to cheer for Facebook, because I use it... but at the same I really don't.
 
No surprise, I use facebook app for iPhone all the time, it´s really great, always in touch with my friends. I think this is the future of social networks, to bring them on the screens of smartphones.
 
I used to use Facebook until I got rid of mine, just to try eliminate any sort of risk of potential identity theft, or privacy invasion. When facebook first started, I remember it being really popular amongst college students. I'm surprised how much it's grown. It looks like it gets to be the Social Network that stays around.
 
I Have been using the new app on android and it is much better than the previous one. Navigation is a lot easier as you do it within the application instead of being sent to the webpage via your web browser.
 
I use facebook mobile only when i'm waiting or caught in a traffic road. Time sure flying when you use it..
 
Makes sense that the mobile device side of facebook is growing. No employer or school wants people screwing around on facebook. I believe it would be easier to access facebook through a phone rather than the computer in that case. I kinda want to see some heatmaps or something of when and where people login from in the country.
 
I use the mobile app on my iphone all the time. I love it. I can't wait to use some of these new features.
 
I think there are much better ways than spending my time on facebook, like socializing with people in person. Although it's quite a nice thing to chat and look at your friends from other countries and meeting new ones at the same time. Personally, I use it very seldom because the things that I don't like surpasses the things that I like. I suppose not all the things are meant for everybody, right?!
:)
 
All my friends use facebook in mobile during classes because they can't use PC or netbooks in front of the professor.But they facebook the entire day what's in it anyway.
 
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