Facebook will launch a new, multi-faceted newsfeed Thursday, according to TechCrunch.
The new platform will likely offer users several different types of feeds, including a photo feed and music feed, in addition to the original newsfeed. The photo feed is expected to include pictures from Facebook as well as Instagram, which would mark the closest collaboration between the two social media sites to date. The photo feed is also expected to enlarge the size of the photographs and offer the option of viewing them in full screen, as if they were an album.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the decision to enlarge the photographs’ display size is partly an effort to liven or “enrich” the appearance of the feed. The enlarged photographs would also appease advertisers and investors, Zuckerberg said.
“So, historically, advertisers want really rich things like big pictures or videos and we haven’t provided those things historically,” Zuckerberg said in Facebook’s fourth quarter earnings report. “But, one of the things that we’ve done in the last year is you’ve seen the organic news feed product that consumers use moving towards bigger pictures, richer media and I think you’ll continue to see it go in that direction.”
Another filter option will likely be a music feed, which could suggest artists users may like while listing nearby concerts and recent album releases. The music feed is also expected to remain linked to apps like Spotify and Rdio.
A similarly revamped Facebook mobile platform is not expected to be launched Thursday, according to TechCrunch, which cited the platform’s need for further development.
The release event is scheduled to take place at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California.