Here we are again with another long list of updates to the social media platforms you’re most likely familiar with. Facebook, Twitter and Google have all made updates in the past week or so that improve the functionality of the platforms. Some of these social media updates may apply to you, and some won’t affect you at all. Either way, it’s important to know what has changed and how you can take advantage of the changes.
Social Media Updates
I’ll start with Facebook, as most of you should be aware of Facebook’s search tool. You may use it to find old friends, look up a business, or find a local shop or organization. With the newest updates from the company, you can now also search for posts in Facebook Search. The search will include any posts that you have already seen or that have been shared with you, so the results may vary from person to person. Let’s say you remember a post that your friend Sarah shared with you about puppies, but can’t find it anymore on your news feed. In the new Facebook Search, the post will show up when you type in “Sarah puppies.” Pretty cool, right? This new search tool will make it easier to find the things you want to see. According to the Facebook Newsroom and Mashable, the changes should roll out this week to iPhone and desktop users. This is just one example of how some social media updates can be beneficial.
Next, Twitter has also made some changes. The updates from Twitter involve two different areas of the platform. The first is more in the background and is called “app graph,” according to Mashable. The update will begin tracking which other apps you are downloading on your device to provide “a more tailored experience.” The company will use the feature to personalize ads and also the content that will appear in users’ timelines from accounts they don’t follow. Twitter users will have the option to opt out of this feature if they prefer. They also made it clear that they will not be getting any information from within the apps that are downloaded, only a list of the apps.
The second social media update from Twitter is a little more visible. The company has updated the photo filter options on the app. There are still 8 options for filters, but the names have been changed on some, and the filters are also now adjustable. Once you select a filter, you can choose to increase or decrease the strength of the effect. This update has made the filter options much more Instagram-like, but will be useful for many on Twitter.
There have also been some updates to social media giant Google on how businesses can be listed on Google Maps and Google My Business. Many of the changes will help Google users better search for and find local pages. The updates will enforce consistency among chain businesses, update category guidelines and also name guidelines. Google’s reasoning behind the update is “to maintain high quality information on Google.”
Updates to Come
The majority of these social media updates have already started rolling out for users and should soon be available for all. Although these large updates should greatly improve usability of the platforms, I wouldn’t get too comfortable. The trend seems to imply that social media updates will continue to roll out for different platforms quite often. The social media we use will keep improving and growing.