Facebook's Team of Former Apple Engineers Focused on Improving iOS App

Last month, The New York Times reported that Facebook has been working on a major overhaul of its iOS app, seeking to improve performance by transitioning from the current HTML5-based app to a native Objective-C one. At the time, Facebook was said to be releasing the app the following month.

facebook iphone screenshots
Facebook's current iPhone app

Bloomberg now follows up with a more extensive report looking at Facebook's mobile efforts, which reportedly include work with HTC on a Facebook smartphone targeted for mid-2013. That effort has been previously disclosed, with the company reportedly having hired former Apple engineers to drive the project.

Today's report indicates that this team of former Apple engineers has actually been focused primarily on the iOS app rebuild, although the company's timeline appears to be a bit longer than suggested last month.

This team from Apple has been primarily focused on rebuilding Facebook’s iPhone application, which has been criticized by users for being slow. An initial release could be announced within a couple of months, with another broader overhaul of the iPhone app coming next near, one person said.

Facebook's team of former Apple employees includes Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris, two iOS interface designers who left the company to start digital publishing company Push Pop Press, which Facebook acquired last year.

Former Apple staff hired by Facebook to work on mobile are: Greg Novick, who helped develop the touch-screen user interface; Tim Omernick and Chris Tremblay, who also worked on the device’s software; and Scott Goodson, who helped create the stock-market application, according to people with knowledge of the hires.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that transitioning to mobile devices is among the most difficult tasks for the company, given the differences in user experiences between mobile and desktop. While the company has embraced mobile with apps for iOS and Android, it is still seeking ways to improve the user experience on those devices and bring new features to those platforms.

Top Rated Comments

mms13 Avatar
146 months ago
Good, because the Facebook app is truly awful.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
146 months ago
i cannot believe that the iPad app still has no timeline. how hard could it be ... the app itself is basically just the mobile web page anyway
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apollo231 Avatar
146 months ago
Facebook has a history of saying that something will be done 'soon' and then it ends up being up to a year when it actually happens!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
palmerc2 Avatar
146 months ago
First order of business: allow me to copy the text in posts.

Second order of business: add a "share" button.

That is all
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sbrhwkp3 Avatar
146 months ago
Long overdue, Zuck.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainApple Avatar
146 months ago
This update can't come soon enough. I normally wouldn't give a damn about Facebook, but as a parent, it really comes in handy with communicating with other parents in the community. The app is so bad that I resort to using the mobile version in Safari.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
BMW Logo iPhone 15 Pro

Warning: BMW Wireless Charging May Break iPhone 15's Apple Pay Chip

Sunday October 1, 2023 6:14 am PDT by
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions

Friday September 29, 2023 12:34 pm PDT by
MacRumors has obtained preliminary information on the weights and dimensions planned for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The information corroborates previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will feature larger displays. iPhone 16 and 16 Plus Current information suggests that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will maintain the same...
uk bank account apple wallet 2

Apple Wallet's New Bank Account Feature Likely to Expand to U.S.

Friday September 29, 2023 8:11 pm PDT by
Starting with the iOS 17.1 beta released this week, iPhone users in the U.K. can add debit and credit cards from select banks in the country to the Wallet app and view their available balances and latest transactions for those accounts. Apple calls this feature Connected Cards, and it's currently available in the U.K. only, but there is now evidence to suggest it will expand to the U.S. in...
iPhone 15 Pro Cameras

Apple Says iPhone 15 Pro's Titanium Frame Does Not Contribute to Overheating Issue

Saturday September 30, 2023 11:10 am PDT by
Apple today said it plans to release an iOS 17 software update with a bug fix for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, and the company has since shared additional details about the matter with MacRumors. Importantly, Apple said the issue is not related to the titanium frame. Contrary to a report this week, Apple said the iPhone 15 Pro's design does not contribute to...