Facebook had more than a few surprises for the web and mobile during today's F8 conference held in San Francisco. Three in particular are going to add recognizable Facebook-friendly functionality to many of your favorite apps.
The first, called "send to mobile," will allow developers to connect users who frequent the web version of their app to the reciprocal mobile app.
That sounds tricky, but hear us out. Say someone goes to Pandora.com to listen to the latest tunes. Once there, they'll be notified about the availability of Pandora's mobile app that they may or may not have heard about before.
Click the button and a notification will pop up on their phone with a link to the app's page on the iTunes or Google Play storefront. Viola! No more scouring the app store for your favorite desktop app on your smartphone's tiny screen.
Mobile Like
"Mobile Like" is a bit easier to comprehend.
In addition to sharing content like you've done in the past, you'll now be able to like app content to quickly and easily share your day-to-day activity. Using Flipboard and read something cool? All you need to do is click the Like button and all your friends will know how passionate you are about whatever it is you're reading.
Unfortunately this technology's still in beta, but according to Ime Archibong, director of product partnerships at Facebook, you should start seeing mobile-like functionality popping up in your apps over the coming weeks.
Message Dialog
There's always been a problem with Facebook's share function. Sometimes you just don't want every one of your high school classmates to see how much you dig TaySwift's new single.
But maybe you know another member of the guilty pleasure club and you think they'd like to give it a listen. All you need to do is click Facebook's new built-in Messenger tool and you'll be able to send mobile content directly to your country-loving buddy.
It's interesting technology and should help extend Facebook's reach in the mobile app sector ... not that they needed it.
