Facebook Paper iOS app unveiled, but no Windows Phone or Android yet

Facebook Paper app

Facebook announces new separate app called “Paper” to bring trending news and updates in a whole new fast and fluid chromeless and immersive UI, but it will only be available for iPhone at the begin. The new app aims to bring similar features you’ll find the popular news reader, Flipboard, but for what I can see from the video the company uploaded to Vimeo, Facebook Paper is a lot better.

The Paper app is designed to re-bundled your Facebook News Feed and updates in a new enhanced and immersive interface layout that you can browse horizontally (and yes, you can post new updates from the app). Paper also features auto-play videos, and you’ll have the ability to subscriber to different sources of news and/or categories. Though, you cannot add your own sources, such as RSS feeds like you do, for example, with Digg Reader. Instead you have a Facebook team curating the content for you.

Facebook Paper sections

Perhaps the most important aspect worth noting is that the app seems to be very intuitive. You’ll see this when scrolling horizontality, flipping content, viewing images and videos, pretty much everything is gesture-based fading out options from the “main picture”. Paper is also very customizable, you can add or remove many sections, from technology, to sports, to food, science, photography, and more. All from a mix of different popular publications — but something I’m not happy to hear as there many small and not too popular publications are worth reading; sometimes better than the guys that get paid the big bucks.

Paper flip feature

Of course front and center, you’ll find the familiar Like, Comment, and Share buttons, alongside new features such as high-resolution panoramic photos, full-screen auto-play videos, and more.

Paper full-screen photo view

Facebook Paper presents content in a chromeless style, pretty much like Windows 8.1 does, but I hate to say that it seems that it will work better, something that Microsoft plans to fix moving forward with Windows 9. The video Facebook published on Vimeo shows that in theory Paper has a fast and fluid user-interface. Although, the new app won’t replace the current Facebook app, it does look a lot like the Facebook Home app for Android phones.

The Facebook Paper app will launch on February 3rd in the U.S., but it will only be available for iPhone, leaving in the cold Android and Windows Phone users. (By now, I’m used to see companies not releasing a Windows Phone version of their apps until a later date, but I would expect Facebook to also launch the app for Windows Phone users considering the company’s long relationship with Microsoft, but I think I’m asking too much.)

To take a tour of Paper visit this Facebook page (using the source link below) and below you can watch the official video of Facebook introducing Paper.

Source Facebook

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.