July 8, 2013
Facebook Graph Search Function Begins Rolling Out Today to All U.S. Users
Facebook announced in January that the search functionality on the popular social media platform would be getting a tuneup.
Starting Monday, the Menlo Park, California-based company will be rolling out the social search tool known as Graph Search, Facebook reported in a blog post. The advanced search feature was only made available to a few of its 1.1 billion users, but will reach all U.S. users in the coming weeks.
The tool will allow users to conduct more advanced searches–such as “Photos of Miami,†which will turn up photos your friends took there and shared with you, as well as Public photos, and “Restaurants in Los Angeles my friends like‖ and get very detailed results. The tool searches for people, photos, places and things your friends “like,” and Facebook is working on making posts like status updates and comments searchable. The company says that the mobile version is also still in the works.
Although some worry that the more searchable the content, the less privacy they might have, the company plans to remind individuals of the search change. Facebook will notify users that “it’s getting easier for people to find photos and other things you’ve shared with them†and provide a friendly reminder that they can check “who can see my stuff†under their privacy settings.
After over six months of user testing and feedback, Facebook confirms that the product is ready for use.