Facebook is preparing to introduce some useful new features to its Android app. The latest screenshots from 9to5Google unveil a much-awaited dark mode interface, a coronavirus tracker, and a new time tracking feature for Facebook’s Android apps.
The company has been rolling out updates as users continue to stay indoors throughout the globe. Facebook recently launched Shops, Avatars, and Dark Mode for its desktop site, and now it seems to be focusing on bringing dark mode to its Android app.
Facebook’s new updates will have the following features.
Dark Mode
Facebook had previously resisted adding a dark mode to its main app, even after releasing it in other apps like Messenger, Facebook Lite, WhatsApp, Instagram, and desktop website. Recent leaks suggest that a dark mode is underway for Facebook’s Android app.
The new dark mode will work on all pages, posts, and home feeds. It will use dark gray and nearly-black shades with blue and white accent colors. Furthermore, the feature will support Android 10’s system-wide toggle as well as a manual toggle.
Local coronavirus transmissions tracker
Initiatives taken by tech giants to spread only authentic information about the pandemic are praised by users all over the world. On that note, Facebook is working on a new tracking feature for locally transmitted coronavirus cases.
The tracker will display a country-wise data and show confirmed cases within the last 3 weeks. The app will also display the number of coronavirus cases around the globe in the past three weeks.
Mock data for Seattle from Facebook’s coronavirus tracker was shown in the leaked images
Time on Facebook
Facebook for iOS currently supports a ‘Time on Facebook’ feature. The company is now working on a new user interface for the ‘Time on Facebook’ feature for Android. The new feature will keep track of each user’s daily activity on the app and will provide options to manage their time on the platform like limiting notifications and setting daily reminders.
Data for the ‘Time on Facebook’ feature will be displayed on a weekly basis. It will also introduce a new grid UI to show different sections within the feature.
The digital wellbeing of users is the biggest concern for tech giants. Many companies like Google, Facebook, and Youtube offer features for unplugging often and limiting the time spent by users in their apps. Instagram already offers a feature that is quite similar to ‘Time on Facebook’, called ‘Your Activity’, which displays the time spent daily in the app. Users can set a daily reminder for a time-limit, and limit the amount of notifications they get from Instagram.
Facebook has not announced a time frame for when these updates will be released. However, the coronavirus tracker suggests that the update might drop soon.
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