Facebook app coming soon to iPad?

By Jeff Hughes Published June 16, 2011

There’s more news about Facebook’s push into the mobile territory. On top of this Project Spartan business and the Facebook photo-sharing app, there is more conclusive buzz about the iPad getting a Facebook app.

The free app is planned to be unveiled in the coming weeks. The design will be tailored for the iPad’s touchscreen surface and it’s been said that the Facebook Chat and Facebook Group features will be overhauled. Developers are also pushing a feature using the iPad’s camera that will allow users to upload photos or video directly.

Recommended Videos

It’s been over a year since the iPad came out and Facebook has been lagging on a native app; though, they were right there with a free official Facebook app for the iPhone when the App Store was opened in 2008. The iOS version, being formatted for small screen, has been taunting hardcore Facebook yearning iPad users. There have been outside developers who’ve done their best to create iPad friendly apps, they’re not the same.

There are many reasons why this marriage should happen. Facebook has 700 million worldwide users as well as 250 million logging on through mobile. Apple has sold 25 million iPad units in the year it’s been out for. Besides the numbers and the possible boost in Facebook’s much needed mobile growth, the iPad app would also help Apple in their competition with Google’s tablet. So why have we been waiting around this whole time?

According to the New York Times’ Nick Bilton, the app has actually been in production for almost a year. Developers have been refining the app but now it’s in its final testing stages. The Mark Zuckerberg himself has invested time in the project and oversaw development of the many new features and designs for the iPad.

One person who saw the app said, “The photo and video experience is amazing, offering full resolution and full-screen images”.

The New York Times did not reveal any of their sources saying that these people chose anonymity because the product plans were confidential. Spokespeople for Apple and Facebook have so far declined to talk about any future products.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

I'm a SF Bay Area-based writer/ninja that loves anything geek, tech, comic, social media or gaming-related.

Mobile

What’s the best iPad screen size: should you go 11-inch or 13-inch?

13-inch iPad Air (2025) with iPad Air 4 and iPad Mini 7 in the background.

The Apple iPad lineup is bigger than ever. Previously, when choosing an iPad Air, you just needed to consider storage capacity and cellular capabilities. Now, like the iPad Pro, you also get to choose between two screen sizes. I’ve received emails from readers confused about whether the 13-inch model is a better pick for watching movies. The short answer? No. A bigger iPad doesn’t necessarily mean a better screen for video consumption.

I recently switched to the 13-inch iPad Air (2025) from my 11-inch iPad Air (2020), and it made me realize that both tablets are made for different use cases. If you're confused about which screen size is right for your next iPad Air or iPad Pro, here’s a breakdown based on my experience.
Look at the aspect ratio, not the display size
13-inch iPad Air (2025) display Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

Mobile

Even the iOS 19 leakers can’t agree on what the next iPhone update will look like

iOS 19 render from FPT YouTube chnanel.

Front Page Tech, the YouTube channel behind some of the most widely discussed iOS 19 leaks, has posted a new video showing off even more renders of the upcoming OS redesign. The last renders they posted a couple of weeks ago prompted Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to take to X and cast doubt on their accuracy -- a post that he has now reposted in response to the newest video.

https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1904676788669690087

Computing

iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook

You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad.