Facebook redesign transforms News Feed with circular profile pictures and new Like button

'With so many types of stories available, each feed is more complex than ever'

Aatif Sulleyman
Wednesday 16 August 2017 08:16 EDT
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Your Facebook News Feed is in line for a new look.

The site has chosen to update a number of core features, with the design tweaks set to roll out to both the website and the app over the next few weeks.

The most noticeable change concerns profile pictures.

Facebook has decided to make them appear circular rather than square in the News Feed.

Twitter made the same move back in June, with users predictably reacting to the change with anger.

Facebook has also tweaked the look of the Like button.

As well as subtly changing the icon, the social network has also made it larger and easier to tap, and it’s no longer filled-in black.

Both the Comment and Share icons that sit underneath posts have got the same treatment.

Comment threads are slightly different too, with posts now appearing inside grey bubbles so it’s “easier to see which comments are direct replies to another person”.

Facebook says it has also made link previews larger, “increased color contrast so that typography is more legible” and made it easier to return to the News Feed after you’ve clicked on a post.

There appears to be slightly less blue on show too.

“Every person’s News Feed is different and populated with a unique set of stories — from photos and videos to GIFs and links,” said Shali Nguyen, Facebook’s product design manager and Ryan Freitas, the site’s design director.

“And with so many types of stories available, each feed is more complex than ever. In order to make News Feed more conversational and easier to read and navigate, we’ll be making a few updates to its design over the coming weeks.”

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