Facebook app seriously needs sorting, reflects badly on iOS

[GalvaJ]

It would be great if a third part developer would step in and make a new "Unofficial" Facebook app but I've read that one of the reasons that it hasn't happened is that Facebook's API sucks. Paul Haddad (Tweetbot) spoke of this as well. The ball's in Facebook's court to fix this thing but I doubt they will.

 

[Antoni Nygaard]

Have you ever tried a picture just stuck on the screen from the Newsfeed, even if I'm scrolling down it just stuck on the same spot until i just close Facebook in multitasking bar?

 

[chizzer2003]

Does Apple have any policy on their app regulations dealing with extremely buggy apps? Or has Facebook slipped through the net due to it's extreme popularity?

I know its completely impossible and never going to happen, but I wish Apple would somehow contact Facebook over the app and maybe work with each other if Facebook finds it so hard to develop a decent app - but i guess their relationship isn't that strong (ping). Maybe some potential iOS Facebook integration in iOS 6 could bring some look with Facebook developing maybe a decent app... big ask i know(!)

 

[white4s]

i actually deleted it and replaced it with a home screen icon from safari but then i quickly found out it's very limited on safari so i just reinstalled it

 

[barredfreak]

The app is unbelievable. I agree with what the OP said, but I think it doesn't reflect badly on Apple/iOS, just Facebook.

In the App Store, it says Facebook, and above that, where the developer's name should be, it also says Facebook. Not Apple. Facebook really needs to make some changes to their app, or they might just lose another account.

 

[kmpoboy2]

The app was way better before Facebook change its code so it can run the feed just like the full site.

 

[YMark]

While I agree that the Facebook app sucks bad, so does the desktop version. For a company that is worth so much cash (IPO scheduled soon), they must hire the cheapest programmers they can find.

The whole Facebook UI, no matter what platform is some of the sorriest written code I've ever used. A real POS.

 

[twigman08]

The reason it makes iOS and the iPhone looks bad is from a casual user stand point. While most of us here know it is entirely facebook, the casual user has no idea. I just started working at Verizon Wireless actually and you won't believe in the limited time I've been working their all the people that come in cussing out their phones because an App is slowing it down or acting stupid. From a casual user stand point it is always the phones fault and never just the apps fault for having poorly written code. Now try and tell that person that it is the Apps fault and not the phones fault is a entirely different story.

It really does reflect bad on the iPhone. The casual user has no idea what's going on.

 

[apollo1444]

Facebook used to be fast, now it seems like I oppen the app with an iPhone 3G (using a 4S)

the chat is horrible, sometimes it does not register your messages and forces you to resend them, after a while it delivers all the messages that didn't show up and you thought the app couldn't send causing a real dumb akward moment with the person you're talking to

 

[fedgrub]

What do you expect? Facebook is a dying platform.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Here's some food for thought....

Smartphones, not computers, drive most Facebook use

From the Article:

Besides showing that people spend a good chunk of time on Facebook, the data underscores the importance of a mobile strategy for the social network's business success. Facebook currently makes little revenue from its mobile app — the app doesn't include ads, and only started to include "sponsored posts" in users' news feeds last March.

Facebook admitted its mobile struggles in its recent IPO documents. "If users increasingly access mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetization strategies for our mobile users," the company writes in its filing documents, "our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected."

Maybe facebook either A) intentially makes the app terrible to drive broswer usage or B) just have an extremely low motivation to making the app great due to low profitability. I learn towards camp B.

 

[RoboCop001]

I still can't believe there's no "Share" button for things in the newsfeed you want to share. I mean, wtf is up with that??

If it's to drive browser usage it makes little sense. If you don't use the FB app much your only other option for a more featured Facebook is to load the desktop version in Safari, which most won't do. So then the only real option is to go home and use your laptop. Which you won't do because you want to be out doing what you planned to do in the first place.

But people will use the crap version anyway.

WELL PLAYED FACEBOOK.... well played.

 

[TonyC28]

Here's some food for thought....

Smartphones, not computers, drive most Facebook use

From the Article:

Maybe facebook either A) intentially makes the app terrible to drive broswer usage or B) just have an extremely low motivation to making the app great due to low profitability. I learn towards camp B.

I think it's probably low motivation due to the lack of profit. But if someone at Facebook didn't see this coming years ago then I don't know how that company is so successful.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

But if someone at Facebook didn't see this coming years ago then I don't know how that company is so successful.

Timing and dumb luck.

 

[VSMacOne]

The more I think about this, the more I realize there is only ONE reason for maintaing a mediocre app... browser usage! OF course they want to push people to the Facebook website on their computers because they can serve them ads and push them to spend more money on the stupid games and such. Facebook.com is what really makes Facebook money and they know it. That Zuckerberg dude is many things, but he's not dumb. The questions is, WHAT social service is going to replace Facebook or cause a big enough shake-up that Facebook will reconsider its priorities? My guess is it's gonna take a mass exodus of users for Facebook to get the message, but right now I don't see that happening any time soon..

 

[Hyper-X]

For the iPad, you could try FERA HD. It's probably the best FB app I've used but it's limited to the tablet version.

 

[CT1stMaxedOut09]

I have to agree that it is crap. When I go to look at a friends page I get a blank white screen with the loading icon for about 30-40 seconds (if not longer) before loads and pictures take forever to load. Facebook has always had problems since day one and every update seems to get worse. At first I thought the application just sucked because I have AT&T when I recently started having these issues but the application sucks itself.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

i actually deleted it and replaced it with a home screen icon from safari but then i quickly found out it's very limited on safari so i just reinstalled it

Try touch.facebook.com

 

[Dr McKay]

Try touch.facebook.com

Can you upload pics from that version?

 

[twigman08]

I'm just taking a stand and flat out not using Facebook anymore really.

Though with how many users Facebook has they won't miss one user. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate social networking sites like this?

 

[CT1stMaxedOut09]

I have to agree that it is crap. When I go to look at a friends page I get a blank white screen with the loading icon for about 30-40 seconds (if not longer) before loads and pictures take forever to load. Facebook has always had problems since day one and every update seems to get worse. At first I thought the application just sucked because I have AT&T when I recently started having these issues but the application sucks itself.

Forgot to mention that I have this issue when using wifi to.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

The Facebook App is just utter crap. I can open the app up now and it still says I have a notification from like a week ago. I click on that notification on Facebook and it takes me to the status post but guess what? Facebook still thinks I have a notification. A computer science student in high school could do a better job coding this app. If I was the lead programmer behind this app I would never allow it to be released and be refused to be apart of it if it was. It's almost as if they decided to release the Alpha version instead.

"Hey Mr Zuckybizzle, we've just been toying with a few changes to the Facebook app."

"Great, get them uploaded straight away!"

"Wait shouldn't we, you know, test it or something first? Just so it's stable and ready for the mass audience - we wouldn't want them getting the wrong idea about us if it went wrong would we?"

"Don't be absurd, they're all Facebook-obsessed sheep, they'll never say a bad word about us..."

 

[white4s]

Can you upload pics from that version?

nope. its the same exact thing as the website

 

[AlphaVictor87]

HAH, just had this interesting experience with the app.

I was looking at my news feed and saw an article someone posted so i clicked on it. The page COMPLETELY loaded, but i wasn't going to read it right away so i locked my phone and put it away. I opened it up later, started reading then all of a sudden got the "Lost connection try again" message.

now how would a fully loaded article disappear because of a "connection problem"? all thanks to the crappy Facebook app.

 

[TonyC28]

http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/12/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-says-mobile-apps-top-focus/

Supposedly their mobile platforms are the main focus. I'm sure when he says that he means main focus to generate revenue. But hopefully they improve the quality in the process.