'Classic Facebook' to go by September; dark mode pilot among host of changes announced

Facebook’s “classic” UI design with the blue navigator bar and its soft light theme will be 'permanently' replaced in September with a brand new interface. The networking giant will introduce a new user-friendly design, initially rolled out for the iOS and Android apps. Facebook had made an announcement earlier about the website's design modification at its developer conference, last year. In an update on the Laptops, PCs, and the mobiles, Facebook now pops up a message, saying, “the classic Facebook will no longer be available starting in September.” At present,  a user can temporarily switch back their profiles to the old interface on Facebook by following the simple steps explained when they click the ‘yes’ option in the dialogue box.

[A user can find 'Switch to new Facebook option in the settings dropdown.]

[A user can choose to go back to the 'old' classic Facebook]

[Facebook dialogue box that prompts to select the reason for switching to the old classic UI theme currently]

[Facebook's instructions on how to switch back to the classic theme for the users.]

While Facebook’s new dark interface was made optional on the desktops as an opt-in feature in March, that allowed users to be in control of the theme they wanted to continue to use, in September, however, the design is expected to permanently disappear. As per reports, facebook’s new theme is expected to be a lot cleaner, with more white space, larger text, and faster loading of images, plus a dark mode option to minimize stress to the eyes. It focuses on Groups features, and easier-to-spot links to the Facebook Watch, Marketplace, and Gaming sections.

"We've made improvements to the new Facebook.com and we're excited for everyone to experience the new look. Before we make the classic Facebook unavailable in September, we hope that you'll let us know how we can continue to make Facebook better for everyone," Facebook said. 

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Oculus accounts can 'link' with Facebook

Facebook also announced a feature for the Oculus device users that they will now be able to merge their accounts with Facebook. At present, the company’s support page listed about the irreversible upcoming design change, as has Mark Zuckerberg earlier at a conference, saying, “the future is private.” The company mentions that it aims to make the Events and groups center stage as it wants to shift away from the news feed “There are tens of millions of active groups on Facebook. When people find the right one, it often becomes the most meaningful part of how they use Facebook. And today, more than 400 million people on Facebook belong to a group that they find meaningful,” the company said in a blog post. “With this in mind, we’re rolling out a fresh new design for Facebook that’s simpler and puts your communities at the center. We’re also introducing new tools that will help make it easier for you to discover and engage with groups of people who share your interests.” 

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