Facebook revamps feature to highlight life milestones
Expecting a baby or buying a new car? The tech firm wants you to highlight these big moments.
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Facebook life events will have their own section on the social network.
When Facebook product manager David Harris proposed last year to his then-girlfriend, he shared the milestone on the social network.
But he didn't feel like the post matched the magnitude of the moment.
That's when he started having discussions about redesigning a Facebook feature that allows users to highlight major life events such as getting married, buying a new car or expecting a baby.
Facebook revamped its life events feature.
On Wednesday, Facebook unveiled changes to its life events feature. Users will be able to include videos and illustrations when they share a milestone with their friends. Life events will now have their own section, making it easier for friends to find a list of these big moments. Previously, these events were included in the "About" section of your Facebook profile.
"The big moments in your life are a really powerful way to express who you are and learn about others," Harris said.
To make the moments seem more "cinematic," Harris said Facebook is also incorporating animation into the feature such as slowly zooming into a photo or video. When a user posts about a new relationship, for example, an icon showing two hearts will come together and beat as one. Emojis used to react to a post will pop up to create a sense of celebration.
It's the first time Facebook has redesigned the "life event" feature since its release in 2011. The feature is located in the upper right corner of the box users fill out to share their status on their profiles. When users post a life event, icons such as a graduation cap or house help the post stand out on the News Feed.
Facebook also said it might notify users when their friends post certain life events such as when they move to a new city or change their relationship status. Users will be able to include profile photos from the people or pages tagged in their life event post.
The revamped life events feature is now available globally in the Facebook mobile app and on desktop. It includes 10 categories such as travel, family, remembrance and education. Harris said there used to be more than 50 categories.
The company did get rid of certain life events such as removing your braces, but still lets users create their own.
"We really wanted to get out of the way to provide tools so you can be expressive as you wanted," Harris said.
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