One of the annoying things about tablets is lack of support for smartphone apps. For iPad users the ‘1x/2x’ screen doubling for iPhone apps is the bane of their existence, and for Android tablet users they often find that their favorite apps simply aren’t available on the Android Market. Facebook is one of the worst offenders of this – though they ironically have one of their best versions for the now defunct webOS platform!
Today brings a fresh update for Facebok for Android solves one of those issues by restoring it to the tablet market for Android devices!
AndroidPolice notes the updates:
Users now have access to the same privacy controls for posts as in Facebook’s online interface and can tag friends and places as well. The update also brings improved messages and notifications, fixes for performance issues, and a couple of interface changes including redesigned profile and group walls, and a swipe interface for photo browsing. The developers have also added some other subtle enhancements such as pull-to-refresh capabilities iOS users are already so used to.
Last but not least, the updated Facebook app is back on the tablet Market from where it mysteriously disappeared a few versions ago. About time!
On my Acer Iconia Tab A100 (7″) I was able to install and get going easily enough, but found the update did little more for me than simply allow the app to run. It looks like a stretched out smartphone app, and the 7″ size seems even worse in terms of redraws in the wrong place, cropped text, and all sorts of graphical fugliness.
Anyone who has a 10″ Android tablet should definitely check things out and see how it works for them … and let us know in the comments!
on the Xoom with Honeycomb 3.2, trying to search for friends or opening the friends panel causes a force close, but otherwise it seems to be working.
Just loaded this onto my Galaxy Tab 10.1. Works fine and is better than anything else I have for Facebook on my tablet. Unfortunately, this is just a smart phone app that stretches out to fit my tablet dimensions. I would love for someone to design an app meant to work with the bigger tablets.
FYI the TouchPad Facebook app was written by HP, not Facebook.