The contrast between the newly revamped Facebook app for iOS and that of the one available for Android could not be sharper.

 

While the former shines, providing a speedier, cleaner and generally considerably better experience on one’s iPad, the Android version is so woefully inadequate that according to the latest report on Business Insider, Facebook has taken to forcing its employees to use Android devices themselves to experience the issues first hand.

 

The report cites ex Facebook employees and others apparently “familiar with Facebook’s plans” as explaining that Facebook employees are currently being cajoled and even ordered to abandon their iOS devices in favour of Android-based ones.  

 

The practise of compelling employees of a company to contend with their own subpar products apparently is not that uncommon in the tech industry, to the extent that it is known as ‘dogfooding’. While the Facebook app for Android has been unpleasant to use for quite some time, the increase in speed and the general improvements made  in the latest iOS update only heightens the vast difference between the two.

 

 

Indeed, in our tests the update on iOS provided a breath of fresh air for accessing Facebook on our iPad. The interface is generally cleaner, posts are more clearly separated from one another, and the app updates considerably faster than its previous version.

 

Additionally, links to external sites posted by our friends and sites we like also appeared to have received a dramatic improvement, opening considerably more quickly than before, while photo download speeds have similarly received some much welcome attention.

 

According to AndroidPolice, the Android app’s woes are sourced in the fact that it is rendered in HTML5, which enables updates to be rolled out on a broad range of devices. The problem is that it also has the consequence of making the app slow and buggy.

 

 

An apt comparison between the two may well be likening the current iOS Facebook app to Usain Bolt, whereas the Android version is more like the athlete who trips on his shoelaces in the first ten metres.

 

The move by Facebook is therefore a positive step in the right direction for Android users, as perhaps finally, we will see substantial improvements being made by those with the wherewithal to fix the Android app’s issues. Additionally, a near future, where accessing the Facebook app on Android phones and tables is a pleasure rather than a pain, may seem like less of a wish and more of a distinct possibility.