14 DAY TRIAL // Michael Sharon, Facebook product manager for Places, has announced that the company’s Facebook iOS app now does geolocation, which allows users to "check-in" and tell others where they are.
“If you're like me, when you find a place you really like, you want to tell your friends you're there. Maybe it's a new restaurant, a beautiful hiking trail or an amazing live show,” Michael writes over at the Facebook Blog.
“Starting today, you can immediately tell people about that favorite spot with Facebook Places. You can share where you are and the friends you're with in real time from your mobile device,” the company’s product manager for Places notes.
Users of the app will undoubtedly discover moments when they are in the same place, at the same time, by using the option to share location.
Users simply "check in" to that place and let friends know where they are.
“You can easily see if any of your friends have also chosen to check in nearby,” Michael explains.
To use the feature, the latest version of the Facebook application for iPhone is needed.
Mobile web browsers that support HTML5 and geolocation also support the new feature.
For now, Places is only available in the United States, according to Michael. The service should be available to more countries, as well as on additional platforms soon, he claims.
Version 3.2.1 also delivers bug fixes, according to the changelog posted on iTunes.
Much of the “desktop” functionality of Facebook is also available with Facebook for iPhone.
Users of Facebook for iPhone can start a conversation with Facebook Chat, check your friends' latest photos and status updates, look up a phone number, and even upload photos on the go.
The iOS app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and requires firmware version 3.0 or later.