Facebook for Android review

It’s a sad fact that poor old Android users have been given the cold shoulder by some of the major social networking sites. While the iPhone crowd has been showered with official apps that sync seamlessly with portals such as MySpace, LinkedIn and Flickr, those who dance to Google’s beat have had to make do with third-party programs which range from the passable to the downright broken.

While the release of Facebook for Android might suggest that this sorry state of affairs is finally being addressed, it’s worth nothing that this app has actually been produced by Google rather than the boffins behind the insanely popular time-wasting website.

It should also be noted that Android users aren’t being treated with the same full-bodied experience that is available on the iPhone; key features – such as the ability to send private messages or search for new contacts – are lamentably absent.

Although it’s possible to post photos to your account, investigate wall posts and change your status, this is very much a streamlined interface for Facebook and is intended purely as a mobile stopgap for when you’re away from your computer.

Such is the brevity of options that one might assume Facebook for Android is a complete write-off, but there are several features present here that currently aren’t available in the iPhone version and these mercifully prevent the app from being a total waste of time.

Firstly, there are notification options. You can configure the app to periodically check your Facebook account for messages, wall posts and other items of interest, and these announcements appear in your Notification Bar, just as a text message or email alert would.

Because of Apple’s tight control over the iPhone operating system this functionality isn’t possible on that device, so this is definitely an area where Android users can feel a little self-satisfied.

Another neat option is the Live Folder, which can be dropped onto your home screen. This contains all of your Facebook contacts that have detailed their telephone numbers, so you can quickly call them without even having to add them to your phone's main contact list.

It gets even better, though. Another Android-exclusive feature is the Facebook widget. This little box can be placed on one of your handset’s multiple home screens and will show recent status updates for contacts on your Facebook account. You can also update your status using the widget, which saves you having to actually open up the app itself. Even if you don’t use the main application, this element is worth the download alone.

As it stands, Facebook for Android offers an equal does of disappointment and joy. The core application is hopelessly lacking in key features and as a result is put in the shade by the equivalent version available for the iPhone. However, the Android-exclusive aspects – which may never be available to fans of Apple’s device – are excellent. Hopefully as time goes on Google will add more functionality to the main body of Facebook for Android, but until then it’s still worth looking into, if only for the home screen widget and those all-important notifications.