The new Facebook iOS app — a speed demon of social media

I’ve been waiting months for this. The new Facebook iOS app, version 5.0 is out and it’s a doozy. Grab it here. Why do I love it so? Speed, pure speed. It’s more than an update, it’s a new goddamn experience built from the ground up.

In the beginning

The Facebook app iOS users were previously saddled with was like a lethargic slug melting in a pyramid of salt. It sucked, it pissed me off, it pissed others off (if the user comments from the iOS app are anything to go by) and above all, it was slow as balls. But here’s version 5.0. and all issues have been wiped clean from the slate of app embarrassment. What’s Facebook got to say about the updates?

“We’ve rebuilt the app so it’s faster and easier to use.” — Confirmed.

“Scrolling through news feed is faster than ever.” — Scrolling through feeds used to equal eye-bleeding and lag despite any connection. Now in tests, my feeds loaded in under three seconds.

“New banner lets you tap to quickly see more stories — no need to refresh” — Yes, it’s here and it works. Nothing more to say.

“Photos open fast and close with one downward swipe” — This is a radical new feature in terms of intuitiveness. Facebook’s made this feel as natural as possible and I love the addition.

“Instant access to your notifications” — True that. The notification window used to take as long as the Facebook app to load. Now for some reason, most likely dark magic, it loads instantly.

So that’s it. Facebook’s app for iOS version 5.0 is a major new update. I love it, you need it, so grab it right goddamn now.