Facebook on desktop will soon look a lot closer to the version of the social network that’s on your phone as a much-anticipated redesign begins to trickle out. On Thursday, March 19, Facebook began rolling out the option to opt in to a new streamlined desktop design that also offers new features like faster performance and a dark mode. The new design will become the default look for facebook.com later this year, the company told Digital Trends.
First announced at F8, the updated facebook.com uses a navigation similar to that of the mobile app, with tabs for home, Watch, Marketplace, Groups, and more. With the larger screen size, however, additional shortcuts are tucked in a sidebar on the left. Stories also jumps to the top, knocking the status update field down a notch.
The redesign is about more than just a more minimalist look consistent with the mobile app. Facebook says that the design helps users find what they are looking for faster, while the home page and subsequent pages will also load faster. When you’re creating a new Event, Page, or Group, the website will show a preview in real time as you work.
Opting in to the new design will give users access to the new dark mode early. The view option is designed to minimize the screen’s brightness and glare for nighttime scrolling.
While the new look will be the default for everyone later this year, Facebook is first rolling out the design as an opt-in feature — which means you can try it out early and go back to the classic Facebook (for now) if you hate it. Not every user has access yet, but Facebook is rolling out the design to “most users” starting today.
To turn on the new design, go to the Settings menu and choose the option that says “see new Facebook.” To switch back, go to the same menu, but select “switch to classic Facebook.”
As Facebook shared with the original redesign announcement, the design also focuses on community, with easier access to groups and the option to share posts straight to groups without leaving the news feed. Community joins privacy as a major focus for the platform and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
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Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
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I have lost count of how many times I have gone to bed thinking I will finally sleep on time, only to somehow end up scrolling Instagram or X again. A few minutes turn into an hour, then another, and before I notice, it is 2 or 3 a.m. The next morning, I am usually annoyed with myself because I could have just slept and felt considerably better for the day ahead.
It is also a surprisingly hard habit to beat. Knowing you should put the phone down does not always help once it is already in your hand. Brick Night is a new gadget built around that exact problem. Instead of relying on you to remember to turn on an app blocker, it automatically restricts selected apps and websites when your phone enters your chosen sleep space during the hours you set.