Facebook is rolling out a new feature called Chat Heads. Initially for iOS devices, it is designed to be a brand new way to chat.
On the iPhone and iPad, Facebook users will be able to continue chatting from anywhere within the app using “chat heads.” Users can also send “stickers” to other users via chat. These changes will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.
Additionally, there are changes to the News feed on the iOS platform. For iPhone users, you can explore new feeds like Music, Photos and Games. On iPad, you can browse “brighter, more beautiful stories.”
These adjustments to the News feed tracks with Facebook’s earlier announcement that desktop news feeds were being revamped, and that mobile platforms would be adjusted over time to make the Facebook experience as seamless as possible across devices.
After you apply the update, when you open your News feed within the app, you’ll see a drop down menu now at the top that’s labelled News Feed. Tapping on the arrows to the right will expand the feed to let you see the new Music, Photos and Games options, as well as any Facebook Lists that you may have created.
Tap on the Chat icon in the upper right corner to initiate a new chat and the person you’re chatting with will appear in a small circle which you can drag around the app. You can initiate multiple chats or close old chats, and the chat heads will stack on top of each other. Tapping the chat head stack from any screen will get you back into chat mode and you can converse with that person or select from one of the other open chats by tapping the appropriate chat head across the top.
Check it out and let us know what you think!