Today seems to be Facebook’s test feature unveiling day and that too ones related to the news feed, in particular. After our report about the tabbed post notification feature rolling out on the desktop platform, we’re bringing you updates on the mobile front. And one could also call it a coincidence as this latest feature is also related to tabs.
On its Android Beta app #111.0.0.4.69, the social networking giant has today started testing the addition of a new ‘Explore’ tab at the bottom of the interface. This move now brings an interface change to the said application with the addition of two tabs, namely Home and Explore.
Currently, you are only interacting with content surfacing on your news feed only from friends and business pages you have followed. The said information and content is restricted to something you’ve yourself chosen to receive updates about. The new tab is aimed at providing users access to more recommended and popular content from across the platform.
The new Explore test feature, however, is going to provide you with an avenue to scroll through and access fresh content under one roof. As we’ve experienced in our interaction with the said tab, Explore is surfacing posts based on your interests and page likes. It seems to be taking into account the types of content pieces you have already consumed to provide you with relevant information at the touch of a button.
It was first spotted by Mbedded, who has correctly defined the said feature saying that it closely resembles the Explore tab already available on Instagram. But, the discovery of an Explore tab in the beta app led me to believe that Facebook might shift the ‘related articles’ feature to this new tab but my apprehension was proved wrong. It still remains within the Home tab and surfaces content related to the video or link you’ve just recently clicked. Thus, it seems like Explore is a worthy add-on for people who like content exploration.
This is, however, not the first sighting of the Explore tab in the Facebook beta app. Earlier in January, it was reported that a similar tab had appeared for a handful of iOS users. But the feature never made its way to a larger audience. The appearance of this test feature on Android, however, begs the question — is Facebook is finally planning a wider rollout of Explore to all of its nearly 2 billion users?
