Facebook has introduced a number of big changes to the user profile, which, according to Facebook, is viewed as many as four billion times per day.
The features are designed to be mobile friendly and to add life to the Facebook user profile, which is now over 10 years old. A lot has changed since 2004, and Facebook is trying to keep up with the changes that have come about over the years.
Perhaps the biggest change to the profile is the ability to use seven-second looped videos as profile pictures, now known as "profile videos." These videos will play for anyone who visits the user's profile, and according to Facebook, will add a new dimension to the user profile. They operate similarly to GIFs.
The company has also introduced a feature called temporary profile pictures. This allows users to implement things like the Celebrate Pride filter for a pre-specified amount of time. This could also be used for things like throwback Thursday, being displayed for one day, after which the profile picture will revert back to what it was before.
Next up is the ability to control information shown on a profile when another user visits it. A new space at the top of the profile can be changed to show things like the new "one line bio," or can be used to show "featured photos." Users can set five photos to be featured photos, offering a way for friends to see more of the user at a glance than the profile picture and cover photo can offer.
As mentioned, the changes are very mobile-centric, and users are able to better customize mobile profiles. Profile pictures, and now videos, are put front and center and have been made bigger to show off the new features like videos and temporary profile pictures.
In general, the changes represent the fact that Facebook needs to make some changes to keep up. Offering more customizability and different media options is a good way to do so and should help make the Facebook profile more interactive.
Via: TechCrunch
