Facebook app for Windows Phone gets new Live Tiles, push notifications, login URI and more in huge update

News
By Daniel Rubino
published

Just in time for the holidays, the official Facebook app has received its 5.2.x update today. That’s the same set of overhauls that the beta received last month, which really improved how the app works for notifications and Live Tile updates.  

The last time the main development line of Facebook was updated, according to our records, was way back in October with version 5.1.2.0. During that time, the beta has had numerous updates to test out new features.

So what’s new in version 5.2.1? Read on as this is much more than just bug fixes and speed improvements!

Facebook 5.2.1.0

  • Faster and more reliable notifications
  • Toasts for Facebook chat
  • Redesigned primary tile
  • Redesigned secondary tiles for chat, events, groups, pages, and photo albums
  • Messaging improvements
  • Performance improvements
  • Support for additional languages

New developer tools for universal login

In addition to all of that, developers can now start to use the new Facebook login URI for their apps. That new feature, announced last month, will allow devs to use a tool to auto login via Facebook without the user having to punch in their information.

For example, let’s say you have Facebook 5.2.1 installed on your phone, logged in, and you decide to run another app that also uses Facebook universal login. Previously, you would receive a new login screen where you would have to re-enter your information. Now, if the developer uses the new URI schema, it will pull your credentials from the Facebook app and login you automatically. Developers need to opt in to the new URI, so we should start to see apps with that functionality in the very near future. For developers, you should read on how to implement here on the Windows Phone Blog.

With all the changes in version 5.2, the official Facebook app for Windows Phone is starting to feel like the app people have wanted. New Live Tiles, more reliable push notifications and of course, it now “feels faster”.

All in all, a nice wrap up for 2013 and Windows Phone 7.x and 8.

Pick up the official Facebook app version 5.2.1 here in the Store or scan the QR code below. [Update: link fixed, no longer beta]

QR: facebook

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.