Facebook’s redesigned desktop site is now available worldwide, company announced on Friday. Prior to this change, the new version of Facebook was only available from March and only in some markets if you agreed to it, but the company said at the time that the majority of people will have access that month.
In a blog post published today, Facebook says the new site will “now be Facebook’s world-class web experience,” adding that it’s “faster, easier to use, and rests your eyes with a dark mode.”
Dark mode is indeed the highlight of the new version, but the update also introduces another pretty dramatic overhaul. The homepage layout includes a thinner News Feed, ample free space and larger icons on the left and right rails, and a menu bar that lets you easily jump to various parts of the app.
For those who want to turn on the new design and activate the dark mode immediately, here’s how:
- Click the down arrow at the end of the top menu bar to open the old Facebook’s settings menu.
- Click “Switch to new Facebook”.
- Click the same down arrow and toggle dark mode from off to on.
The goal that Facebook first introduced the desktop redesign at its F8 developer conference in 2019 was to refocus the core web experience around areas that most people still enjoy using: events, groups, and messaging. That wasn’t the end of News Feed in itself, but more Facebook leadership has acknowledged that having an algorithmic feed filled with garbage mostly from pages and public posts is now an obsolete concept.
People are increasingly drawn to private groups and messaging, and the only primary benefit of Facebook right now is that it’s still the best way to host a big event with friends or reach out to someone you don’t have contact information for.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the same thing a few months before the redesign was revealed when he announced a shift towards privacy-focused products and features for his entire company. And unless you’re in Facebook’s older demographic, or aren’t particularly interested in the site’s unique brand of ultra-partisan political content, most people are starting to spend most of their time on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms.
The new Facebook reflects the company’s priorities by focusing on videos for News Feed (because video ads still make a lot of money for the company) and easy access to events and groups alongside a redesigned Messenger panel. It may be a jarring visual change, but Facebook is much more enjoyable to use once you learn your way around the new interface.
