Our laptops, tablets and desktops provide so much that it’s easy to forget the things we do with them every day. If you have a computer with internet access, you probably visit Facebook frequently.
Facebook has it all. You can send instant messages to people regardless of geographic location or wireless carrier. You can search for clues on how their life is going by swiping their status updates. Facebook is where many people upload and store their photos. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft hoped to make activities that we repeat several times a day easier. Visiting Facebook is among those things. Here’s how to use Facebook in Windows 8.1.
First off, there are three different ways to use Facebook in Windows 8.1. Two of these ways are probably very familiar to you, and the third is a special feature of the Contacts app in Windows 8.1. You can use a web browser, download the special Facebook application for Windows PCs and this special Contacts application.
Download Facebook App
Located on your Windows 8.1 device, the Windows Store provides easy access to thousands of apps made by third-party companies and possibly a large number of apps dedicated to the tasks you now do in your web browser. Facebook has a free app in the Windows Store. This app includes everything from messaging to scanning status updates and uploading photos.
Download Facebook app to use Facebook on your Windows 8.1 PC here. Note that you will need to sign up for a Microsoft Account if you haven’t already. You can add a Microsoft Account to your computer from the Settings app under Account. Because the app is free, you don’t need to add a credit card if you don’t have a credit card added to your Microsoft Account.
After downloading the app, open it from the Start Screen. Since it’s not pinned to the Start Screen yet, you’ll need to add it here by tapping or clicking the arrow next to your screen to see a list of all your installed apps.
Open
Log in with the username and password you used to login to the Facebook website.
Welcome to the exclusive Facebook app for Windows 8. On the left, you’ll find it easy to navigate and browse through the collection of your activities, friends, photos, messages, and a news feed. At the top of the screen are buttons for adding Status updates, Photos, and Check-In. On the right is the list of your favorite friends.
Use the People App
Microsoft tries to combine your contacts and social networking messages into one app. This is the People app and is available in every version of Windows 8.1 and through the Windows Store.
The People app supports Twitter and Facebook, but here we focus on the latter. Go to the Start Screen and look for the orange Contacts icon. If you haven’t already, you need to add permissions to your Microsoft Account to access your Facebook Account. To do this, open the Contacts app and place your finger on the right side of the screen and swipe left slowly to reveal the Charms Bar. Then tap . If you have a mouse and keyboard, move your pointer to the upper-right corner of your screen and then click the Settings Charm. Now tap or click.
Welcome to the People app. Tap or click the tile to get a transcript of all incoming messages you’ve received from Twitter or Facebook. You can send new messages to Facebook in the What’s new area.
Tap or click on a specific status update to add a comment or like it.
The People app is a great way to take charge of your Twitter and Facebook accounts in one place. That being said, what it offers is really limited.
Another What’s New area on the apps’ homepage provides a real-time overview of what’s seen on both social networks. Unfortunately, it’s made to be truly touch-centric and not ideal for laptops and desktops.
use Internet Explorer
Finally, there’s Internet Explorer. Instead of using the dedicated Facebook application, you can open the Internet Explorer application and go directly to the Facebook website. Visiting the website gives you access to a familiar design and full feature list of the site. Once you’re on Facebook, click the icon to pin it to your Start Screen for easy access.
Then click or tap the icon.
Click or tap Pin to Start Now.
When you log into Facebook in Internet Explorer, you will be prompted to save your password, just as you would with an application.
Good luck using Facebook on your Windows 8.1 laptop, desktop or tablet.
