Facebook iOS App Update Expands 3D Touch Support

Facebook has begun rolling out support for further 3D Touch actions on compatible iPhones in the latest update to its primary iOS app.

The newest iteration in the social media company's series of weekly app updates allows iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus owners to use "peek" and "pop" gestures directly from within a Facebook timeline. A light press or "peek" on a profile, link, page, group or photo triggers a preview of the content in question, while a harder press or "pop" opens the link, photo, profile or group.

A new "Quick Action" also comes to the Facebook app icon, with a homescreen shortcut that takes users directly to their account’s profile page.

Facebook iOS app Quick Actions

Original Quick Actions (left); a new Action takes users to their Facebook profile (right).

The introduction of new 3D Touch features follows support for several Quick Actions that Facebook brought to its app back in October. However, unlike the first 3D Touch-equipped update, the company is limiting access to the latest features to "a small group of people," before rolling them out globally "over the coming months," reports The Verge.

Despite the potential for frustrating some of its users, Facebook's gradual rollout strategy is in line with last month's muted announcement of staggered support for Live Photos, which allows Facebook users to share motion-enabled pictures taken on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices with followers running iOS 9.

Increased support for 3D Touch comes on the heels of similar features introduced in other Facebook-owned apps, including Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, while other third-party developers continue to implement and deploy their own support for the pressure-sensitive technology following Apple's own encouragement to do so.

Facebook is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Related Forums: iOS 9, iPhone

Top Rated Comments

SteveJobs2.0 Avatar
108 months ago
We need to be able to customize the 3D Touch shortcuts in the future.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dengar Avatar
108 months ago
What about iPad Pro support?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SimonTheSoundMa Avatar
108 months ago
This is newsworthy?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
108 months ago
You are one step closer to developing your first app.
Thanks, but I have 3 apps on the iOS App Store, 1 in the OS X App Store, and plenty more in various states of development (plus tons of Java and Python stuff that's platform independent.)
[doublepost=1453486656][/doublepost]
A front page story because Facebook added a 'view profile' option to the menu. WOW.
It's in the iOS blog, not the front page. If you're in the mobile layout, it doesn't split the different sections up - everything just gets lumped together.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
108 months ago
A front page story because Facebook added a 'view profile' option to the menu. WOW.
An iOS Blog story about changes to one of the more popular apps. Stories about lesser things have been written. Nothing new or surprising. If it's not of interest it can be easily skipped.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eorlas Avatar
108 months ago
This is newsworthy?
It's in the blog, not news. If you don't find it interesting, don't read it, and especially do not post about your disinterest just to seek attention.

I find it to be news considering facebook no longer provides a changelog in the update description any more. It just says "we'll highlight changes for you in the app" but no where did it highlight for me that I can 3D touch the app to do anything at all.

+1 for MacRumors.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator

Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...