Facebook for iOS supports drafting posts offline, preview before sending

Facebook has unveiled a landmark release of its iPad and iPhone app with the release of Facebook for iOS 10.0. Despite the major version number change, however, new features are thin on the ground.

There are basically two major changes to speak off: support for drafting posts while offline, and the ability to now review posts before they’re sent. The update arrives as Facebook starts testing a new card-based feature similar to Google Now.

Support for drafting posts while offline is simple to use and allows users to post when in Airplane mode or even when the signal is too weak the make a connection. Users simply draft the post as normal, tap Post and it’ll appear in their news feed, ready to be put live the moment a connection is re-established.

Allied to this change is the addition of a preview function, which lets users check posts prior to publishing. This development comes as Facebook starts trialling a new feature that displays cards of related information after a user posts something.

The final change is a performance tweak that Facebook promises will make the News Feed load faster. The effect will be most keenly felt on older iPads and iPhones where users can find themselves staring at the News Feed for seconds before it displays anything.

One undocumented change is that users of the iPhone version must now dig even deeper to switch the News Feed from Top Stories to Most Recent. Switching view now entails tapping the More section, scrolling down, expanding Feeds and finally tapping Most Recent. iPad users can switch views more easily by revealing the menu and tapping the Settings button next to News Feed.

Facebook for iOS 10.0 is available now for iPads and iPhones running iOS 6.0 or later.