Facebook continues to grow its social network by adding new features for its users. This latest update might help improve users' living situation.
Finding Home Professionals
Deborah Liu, Facebook's vice president of marketplace, announced on Wednesday, May 23, that Facebook Marketplace would be expanding its services. U.S. users would now be able to use the service to find the correct professional to assist with home services. Liu wrote that millions of users have asked for recommendations regarding professionals such as electricians, plumbers, and house cleaners.
The company announced that it would work with Handy, HomeAdvisor, and Porch to provide Facebook users an all-in-one place to find help for completing home projects. Users would gain access to thousands of exceptional service professionals. Facebook Marketplace would also allow users to communicate with the worker of their choice through Messenger.
How It Works
Facebook users only have to go to the Marketplace menu and pick the service they want. Next, users must answer a series of questions that would narrow their search. Once those questions are answered, they must put in their ZIP code, and a list of ranked professionals from their area would appear.
Users will have the chance to visit the professionals' respective profiles. They would be able to access vital information about the company, including ratings and reviews. When users find the right professional, they would be able to send out a project request. Messenger will notify users when a prospective professional responds.
"By partnering with Handy, HomeAdvisor, and Porch, people will now have a place on Marketplace to find the right professional to help with their next home project," said Bowen Pan, Facebook Product Manager, to Tech Times.
Facebook News
While Liu wrote that the product rolls out today and would be available across the country in the coming weeks, Facebook previously announced other projects. The social media company announced that it would collaborate with Qualcomm to bring high-speed internet to cities dealing with persistent network congestion. Facebook plans to use Terragraph to blast internet through urban area buildings. The companies are set to begin trials in 2019. It is heavily rumored that trials might take place in San Jose, California.
Facebook also released new features for the Indian version of its app. The new features that might debut stateside include Cloud Storage. This will give users the chance to load photos and videos directly onto their account from entry-level devices. Also, it gave Indian users the opportunity to save their Stories. It would be like Instagram's Archive option, which allows users to save clips even after they expire and could be shared on News Feed.
