A year after its announcement, Facebook is finally rolling out a redesign of the desktop version of their site - complete with dark mode. The new design, while significantly different from the current one, closely mimics the look of Facebook's mobile app so users shouldn't have trouble navigating the platform.
Users will notice more blank space in the makeover, although it isn't clear yet if changes to cover image sizes will occur to fill some of that space or not. Here are the biggest differences that page admins should expect:
Facebook Live Producer
Stream settings for launching a Facebook Live broadcast have moved from the Publishing Tools tab to the main page feed. Once users click on "Create Live" above the "Create Post" box, the new Facebook Live Producer platform will open.
According to Facebook, “users can manage live broadcasts, scheduling and other settings in the left-hand column. Critical functions such as Source Details and Stream Health, plus interactive features like Polls, are located in the top navigation bar. A small stream preview is available in the bottom right-hand corner; while users can simply scroll up to access a larger stream preview.”
Live Producer can also be accessed from: facebook.com/live/producer.
New Group Features
With the updated look, Facebook Groups are getting a handful of new features that are specific to the individual group type. Bloomberg News noted that members in health-related groups can ask group admins to post on their behalf to better protect their privacy. Groups with a focus on gaming are getting a group chat feature.
Creator Studio App
As a companion to the new Facebook desktop site, mobile users can now also download the Creator Studio app. With this app, users can:
Access insights
Manage post content
View notifications
Communicate with their audience
Switch between Pages
Users will still need to use Creator Studio on their computer to create a posts or initiate messages, although Facebook has indicated that this essential feature is in the works. For now, we recommend sticking with the official Pages app.