Mockup of Facebook sharing in iPhone Photos app (thanks, Spencer Caldwell)
A few days ago, TechCrunch reported that Facebook will be integrated into iOS 6 in some fashion. This is not a major surprise given Apple CEO Tim Cook’s hint at the AllThingsD D10 Conference of iOS Facebook integration. We heard many weeks ago that Apple and Facebook engineers were working in collaboration on implementing some sort of integration of Facebook into iOS 6. Simultaneously, Apple and Facebook executives were discussing the terms of the deal and exactly how Facebook would be integrated into iOS 6. While we knew that some sort of integration was incoming, we have been waiting to learn the exact spots in which integration is present, something that has up in the air due to the agreement talks just recently coming to a close. The thought of Facebook integration into iOS is a dubious one itself, given that the two tech leaders talks of integration into iOS 4 and Ping both abruptly fell apart.
According to sources familiar with the Facebook integration into iOS 6, the integration will be very similar to Twitter’s integration that launched with iOS 5. The integration’s biggest presence will be in the iOS Photos application. Like you are able to send photos to Twitter from the Photos application, you will be able to post photos to Facebook. A single sign-on section for all Facebook connected applications is present in the iOS 6 system settings application. Like with Twitter, a new “social sheet,” as some people familiar with the matter call it, will appear for an accompanying status message.
More details after the break…
Facebook sharing is already present on the desktop iTunes Store
Besides content sharing, Apple is also relying on Facebook for a big new social change for the built-in App Store: a feature called “App Liking.” Discoverability has always been a major downside of the Apple mobile apps market with hundreds-of-thousands of software apps, but Apple will by relying on the world’s largest social network to help fix that problem. Inside individual application pages on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch App Store will be a standard Facebook “Like” button. If a user is logged into Facebook via iOS Settings, these app “Likes” will be sent to their Facebook Timelines. Accompanying status messages will also be an option.
As we previously reported, the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore for both iOS devices and Macs will be overhauled this year. Apple’s upcoming release of iOS 6 will also include an all-new Maps application. The new software will launch in beta at WWDC later this month, followed by a public release – alongside the next-generation iPhone, during fall of this year.
