14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook for Android is about to get better, not only courtesy of the constant flow of updates that the company behind the application is pushing out, but also thanks to a newly announced Beta Test program that should make it easier for yet undiscovered bugs to be found.
Starting June 27, all users interested in taking pre-release flavors of the Facebook for Android application for a spin can join the aforementioned program for that.
Basically, everyone interested in the matter can become a beta tester and experience new flavors of the software before they are made generally available, Facebook says.
The main purpose of the program is to increase the pool of testers and to receive valuable feedback on the mobile client, so that issues could be resolved in due time.
“Just by using the app and reporting issues, beta testers will be able to help us improve performance on a wide variety of Android devices we may have otherwise been unable to test at scale,” Facebook notes in a recent post.
“This will give us the opportunity to eliminate our blindspots and identify a snapshot of the diversity of use cases to test our apps so when we push to our whole user base, everyone has a better experience.”
Regardless of the Android OS flavor users have on their handsets, the application will enjoy expanded testing coverage, which should result in a more stable, faster Facebook for Android experience.
“Anyone can join the beta program. When you join, you will get a small batch of fixes and new features every month. We ask that you use your app as you normally would, but submit a report when you encounter a bug or other issue,” Facebook explains.
“Because the beta build will have features that are still in progress, the app may be less stable than you're accustomed to. Feedback on stability, as well as any other performance issues you experience, is crucial and deeply appreciated.”
In order to receive access to the pre-release software, users interested in the matter should first join the Facebook for Android Beta Testers Google group, and then click on Become a Tester in the Play store to be able to download the app.
Uses will have to be logged in with the same account on both the group and the app portal to receive access to the builds. They are also encouraged to provide feedback on found issues.