- Understanding Social Networking
- Using Facebook on Your iPad
- Using Pinterest on Your iPad
- Using Twitter on Your iPad
- Using LinkedIn on Your iPad
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Using Facebook on Your iPad
With more than two billion users worldwide, chances are many of your friends and family are already using Facebook.
Although Facebook started as a network for college students, today it’s the social network of choice, especially for older users. In fact, half of all people aged 65 or older who are online make Facebook their hub for online social activity—and browse the site for at least an hour each day.
People of all ages use Facebook to connect with current family members and reconnect with friends from the past. If you want to know what your friends from high school or the old neighborhood have been up to over the past several decades, chances are you can find them on Facebook.
In addition, Facebook helps you keep your friends informed about what you’re doing. Write one post and it’s seen by hundreds of your online “friends.” It’s the easiest way I know to connect with almost everyone you know.
Like all the social networks discussed in this chapter, Facebook is completely free to use. You access Facebook from its iPad app, which you can download from Apple’s App Store.
Navigate Facebook’s iPad App
The first time you launch the Facebook app, you’re prompted to either sign into an existing account (if you have one) or create a new account. Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed from there.
Whenever you open the Facebook app, you see the News Feed screen. The News Feed is where you view status updates from all your Facebook friends, and it looks different depending on how you’re holding your iPad.
Tap the Facebook icon to launch the Facebook app.
In landscape mode (held horizontally), you see the News Feed on the left with a sidebar on the right side of the screen that displays upcoming events, the Chat panel (with favorite friends listed), trending topics, and more. Scroll down the screen to view more updates in the News Feed; refresh the News Feed by pulling down from the top of the screen and then releasing.
)
In portrait mode (held vertically), you see the normal screen with no additional sidebars. All the navigation icons are at the bottom of the screen; tap News Feed to display the News Feed.
Tap the down arrow in the top-right corner to access app settings.
When a person you know sees you on Facebook, she might send you a friend request. You have to be friends with someone on Facebook to see their posts in the News Feed. To view your friend requests, tap the Requests icon.
Tap the Marketplace icon to see items for sale from Facebook members in your area.
Tap the Notifications icon to view notifications from Facebook.
Tap the More icon to view your favorite pages and groups, and to configure Facebook settings.
)
Read and Respond to Posts
The messages people post to Facebook are called status updates or posts. You read and respond to posts from your friends on the News Feed screen.
For any given post, tap the Like icon to like that post. Tap and hold the Like icon to choose from a range of responses, from Love to Sad to Angry.
Tap the Comment icon to comment on a post.
Tap the Share icon to share this post.
Tap the poster’s name to view that person’s Timeline page. (The Timeline page serves as a person’s home base, displaying her personal profile, posts she’s made, and photos she’s uploaded.)
)
If the post includes a photo, tap the photo to view it full screen.
)
If the post includes a video, tap the video thumbnail to begin playback. (Some videos may play back automatically when you scroll to them.)
)
If the post includes a link to another web page, tap the link or thumbnail to view that page on a new screen.
)
Post a Status Update
You create new status updates from the Facebook app’s News Feed screen. The status updates you post are displayed on your friends’ News Feeds.
Tap within the status update box at the top of the page to display the Update Status panel.
)
Type the text of your message into the big text box.
Tap Photo/Video to include a photo or video with your post.
Tap Live Video to shoot live (real-time) video and share with your friends.
Tap Check In to include your location in your post.
Tap Feeling/Activity/Sticker to share how you feel, tell others what you’re doing, or add a small graphic sticker image to your message.
Tap Tag People to tag another person in your post.
Change who can see the post by tapping the Privacy button beneath your name.
Tap Post to post the status update.
)
