Facebook iOS integration to be announced at WWDC, report says
Apple will reportedly include system-wide Facebook integration in the newest version of its iOS mobile operating system, adding to the current authentication and sharing capabilities offered by Twitter in iOS 5.
A report from TechCrunch claims that Apple and Facebook are on the brink of striking a deal to bring the social media giant's substantial assets to future iDevices with built-in iOS 6 integration, and the Cupertino-based company will supposedly announce the new feature at WWDC this month.
During his interview at the D10 conference on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke of Facebook and when asked about deeper integration of the social network in iOS he teased the possibility, saying "stay tuned." The move would bring a greater level of flexibility to Apple's mobile platform, offering access to the nearly ubiquitous "Log in with Facebook" authentication method as well as system-wide sharing abilities.
Apple has previously shown interest in bringing Facebook into the iOS fold and an iOS 5.1 beta revealed that the two companies were at least working on some sort of solution.
It is thought that Facebook integration will be fashioned in much the same way as Twitter is set up in iOS 5, giving users the ability to share photos, websites and other content with friends and followers.
One major improvement to the existing Facebook iOS interface would be a more streamlined one-click sign-on to the multitude of websites and apps that offer Facebook authentication, especially beneficial especially for those programs that use the service as an exclusive means of entry. In order to sign in with Facebook in iOS 5, a user clicks on a Facebook connect button which opens the Facebook app. After agreeing to allow access to various metrics in a user's account, iOS automatically switches back to the original app. The solution is hardly ideal and is seen as more of a workaround to not having true built-in integration.
Twitter is said to remain in iOS with its capabilities fully intact and the addition of Facebook will represent another value-added feature for iDevice users.
Current implementation of Facebook Connect in iOS 5.1.1 as seen in the Readability app for iPad.
It should be noted that until Apple or Facebook makes an official announcement, the rumor remains just that and either company can back out at the last minute. A prime example of how tenuous a relationship the two companies share is Apple's Ping social music network, which was widely rumored to have Facebook support. The deal ultimately fell through due to what Apple co-founder Steve Jobs referred to as "onerous terms."
Apple's WWDC will kick off on June 11 and run through June 15.
A report from TechCrunch claims that Apple and Facebook are on the brink of striking a deal to bring the social media giant's substantial assets to future iDevices with built-in iOS 6 integration, and the Cupertino-based company will supposedly announce the new feature at WWDC this month.
During his interview at the D10 conference on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke of Facebook and when asked about deeper integration of the social network in iOS he teased the possibility, saying "stay tuned." The move would bring a greater level of flexibility to Apple's mobile platform, offering access to the nearly ubiquitous "Log in with Facebook" authentication method as well as system-wide sharing abilities.
Apple has previously shown interest in bringing Facebook into the iOS fold and an iOS 5.1 beta revealed that the two companies were at least working on some sort of solution.
It is thought that Facebook integration will be fashioned in much the same way as Twitter is set up in iOS 5, giving users the ability to share photos, websites and other content with friends and followers.
One major improvement to the existing Facebook iOS interface would be a more streamlined one-click sign-on to the multitude of websites and apps that offer Facebook authentication, especially beneficial especially for those programs that use the service as an exclusive means of entry. In order to sign in with Facebook in iOS 5, a user clicks on a Facebook connect button which opens the Facebook app. After agreeing to allow access to various metrics in a user's account, iOS automatically switches back to the original app. The solution is hardly ideal and is seen as more of a workaround to not having true built-in integration.
Twitter is said to remain in iOS with its capabilities fully intact and the addition of Facebook will represent another value-added feature for iDevice users.
Current implementation of Facebook Connect in iOS 5.1.1 as seen in the Readability app for iPad.
It should be noted that until Apple or Facebook makes an official announcement, the rumor remains just that and either company can back out at the last minute. A prime example of how tenuous a relationship the two companies share is Apple's Ping social music network, which was widely rumored to have Facebook support. The deal ultimately fell through due to what Apple co-founder Steve Jobs referred to as "onerous terms."
Apple's WWDC will kick off on June 11 and run through June 15.
Comments
Boo~.
Though it's virtually a given.
Yea~
Finally.
Facebook is just massive. This is an important feature in terms of social network integration, which is becoming a very big deal in the bulk of the market.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Boo~.
Though it's virtually a given.
Agreed. I couldn't care less about Facebook.
The thing that's worrying me is that there are so many options on the list that pops up when you want to share an item that it's getting a bit ridiculous already. I hope iOS 6 gives us the option to manage which services show up and which do not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
The thing that's worrying me is that there are so many options on the list that pops up when you want to share an item that it's getting a bit ridiculous already. I hope iOS 6 gives us the option to manage which services show up and which do not.
Apparently you don't see those at all if you don't use the services.
Ditto here...how is this good again? So every "friend" will now know which game or app I am using with those stupid FB-forced logins?
^^^
I've never encountered any FB-forced logins, nor Twitter-forced logins, nor any other forced logins, apart from the usual Apple/iOS specific ones.
This is a very poor decision by Apple and to me, simply scary.
And for everyone else, what happens when Facebook is just another deadspace?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadra 610
^^^
I've never encountered any FB-forced logins, nor Twitter-forced logins, nor any other forced logins, apart from the usual Apple/iOS specific ones.
You must be joking - have you seen how many apps now practically force you to have a FB login in order to use them?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Fix
This is a very poor decision by Apple and to me, simply scary.
And for everyone else, what happens when Facebook is just another deadspace?
They remove it from the OS. Simple. We don't have HyperCard support anymore, you know.
That day can't come soon enough.
Will we still have to use the POS Facebook app that doesn't work half the time?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Apparently you don't see those at all if you don't use the services.
I don't have Twitter configured in iOS5, however I still get a button to "tweet" photos. Can that be disabled?
I don't care how many "social networking" hooks they put in iOS, just let us turn them ALL off and don't annoy us with them unless we want it...
Remember "the computer for the rest of us"
Quote:
Originally Posted by msimpson
I don't have Twitter configured in iOS5, however I still get a button to "tweet" photos.
Hmm. Okay, never mind. I could have sworn that sounded wrong, too.
If you're not on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, it shouldn't matter to you.. but there are millions of iOS users on Facebook and Twitter, and this kind of deep integration matters to a lot of these people.
Yet they may still place a cookie and track your browsing even if you're not a Facebook member. But I've no doubt that members here who were uncomfortable with Google knowing too much about them will be much happier and more at ease with Facebook integration in iOS.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303302504577327744009046230.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEADTop
The Share Sheets in iOS are very convenient. Don't underestimate how important it is for Facebook to be on that list. It's not necessarily Apple that is the underdog in this deal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brlawyer
Ditto here...how is this good again? So every "friend" will now know which game or app I am using with those stupid FB-forced logins?
Agreed. I almost did that for Draw Something until I saw all the stuff they were asking for permission to access. Most of which I felt they didn't need. So I cancelled.
That info access is part of why I suspect that Jobs turned down Facebook for Ping. Exclusivity might have been another item Facebook wanted that he didn't want to agree to. It might have been seen as better for the service if folks had a choice of several services they could use to find folks or share things they wanted to cross post.
in terms of games I sometimes wish that Apple required all games that wanted to use a connection network to also support Game Center and for identical uses (so long as the APIs exist for said function). GC only has what info I give it and that's basically nada. I don't even have to use the same ID I use for the store or iCloud. I can use any email I want and even put in a fake public name if I choose. I like that kind of choice
Quote:
Originally Posted by msimpson
I don't have Twitter configured in iOS5, however I still get a button to "tweet" photos. Can that be disabled?
I don't care how many "social networking" hooks they put in iOS, just let us turn them ALL off and don't annoy us with them unless we want it...
Remember "the computer for the rest of us"
Yep, same here. A tweet option appears when I export photos.
Apple needs to add an option to disable twitter, failbook and other social network options for those people who do not want them.
And I also notice how certain companies are advertising offers or special deals if you go and give them a facebook "like". What a retarded marketing campaign, and they will get no money or sales from me, as I'm not on facebook.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wurm5150
If you're not on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, it shouldn't matter to you.. but there are millions of iOS users on Facebook and Twitter, and this kind of deep integration matters to a lot of these people.
It matters, as long as it shows up. As long as there is an option to disable, then it's fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdkennedy
Will we still have to use the POS Facebook app that doesn't work half the time?
or one of the third party ones. just like you do with Twitter. cause you know you can post but you can't actually see your feed without another app