Master Facebook on iOS: the complete guide

The notifications icon will most likely be your most active one, and tapping an entry will take you to the picture or update it's referring to.

5. Check In

Part of Facebook's appeal is the ability to keep your friends abreast of your actions. If you find yourself somewhere particularly interesting or brag-worthy, the Check In feature will use Location Services to determine your position.

You can then post what amounts to a quick status update - with an interactive location - and tag the people who are with you. If you have Location Services switched off, you won't be able to use Check In.

6. Photo

Although you can add a photo to any status update by tapping the appropriate icon at the appropriate time, this is the quickest way to get a photo - or even a video - online. Just type a caption, then either choose a shot from your photo library or take a new picture with your device's built-in camera.

7. News Feed

This is the core of Facebook - it's the bit where you can find out what everyone else is doing. As people add status updates, they'll show up in your News Feed, although Facebook uses some strange algorithm to determine exactly what you'll see, so tapping a person's name to see their profile is the best way to ensure you get all the latest news.

The top line below your friend's name says how long ago they posted their update, and the small symbol to the right of this indicates how many people could potentially have seen it - from a globe, representing the fact that the update was broadcast to the world, to a lock, which means the post was so private only its writer could see it. You'll only see this on your own private posts, obviously.

You can Like posts from here - basically registering your interest, if nothing else - and add your own thoughts by choosing the 'Comment' link. Tap a photo to see it full screen, and tap 'Play' on video icons to activate them. The News Feed also includes updates from pages you've liked, so you can keep up with products and services as well as people.

Need to find something? It won't come as a desperate shock to learn that the search bar is where you do it. But this isn't restricted just to poking around your friends list; you can type all sorts of things into the search bar to find related groups and pages.

Like a particular TV show? Type its name, and you should find an appropriate connection. You could even try typing the name of your hobbies to find other people who share your interests. Perhaps you'll make an international connection?

2. Favorites

When you're navigating through the Facebook interface, you'll find yourself coming back to the News Feed with great regularity. It's at the top of the Favorites list. Below it is Messages, which takes you to the same message list you'd find by tapping the speech bubble at the top of the main page.

The Nearby page really isn't a lot of use unless your friends check in (or post with their location) often, because it's a list of the most recent global tags. Ostensibly it lets you seek out friends that are in the local area, but that does seem a little creepy.

The Events list covers, yes, events. If you've been invited to something, you'll find it here. There's a not-so useful 'past' tab that enables you to see events that have already happened, and a birthdays tab that ensures you'll be the best friend ever.

3. Pages

You might not see this section, since it only appears if you've set up a page about a topic or product, or are an administrator of one. Basically, it offers a quick jump to your page so you can see exactly what's going on. Page administration isn't particularly hot on iOS, at least within the official app.