Top 10 Facebook updates from 2015

It’s been over a decade; Facebook has managed to carve its way to the top of the charts and changed the face of social media consumption. To enhance the consumer experience, the social media giant continues to evolve through various updates.

Here are top Facebook updates that dominated 2015.

Facebook legacy 

Early this year, Facebook introduced a feature allowing users to choose a legacy contact who can manage their memories, through their account post their demise. Once someone notifies Facebook that the person has passed away, it will memorialize the account and the legacy contact will be allowed to write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline.

Otherwise, people can also let Facebook know if they’d prefer to have their account permanently deleted after death.

Throwback to memories 

In May 2015, Facebook enabled a feature called ‘On This Day’ which resurfaces posts and photos shared by you on the same date in the past, since the time you joined Facebook.

Take a break

Facebook initiated a tool offering a quick option to hide posts and pictures from a former partner after a user changes their relationship status.

Facebook's tool hides posts and updates and make it simpler to untag posts with an ex, without the need for the savage steps of un-friending or blocking.

Slideshow ads

In October this year, Facebook kick started a new ad format named ‘Slideshow’ aimed towards promoting video ads in emerging markets where slower, 2G internet connections are common. The thought behind this was to cater to small businesses with no video expertise; enabling them to create engaging ad experiences that will work well even when users have poor internet connections.

Instant articles

Instant Articles is a Facebook feature for use with collaborating news and content publishers. When a publisher selects an article for Instant Articles, people browsing Facebook in their mobile applications can view the entire article within Facebook's app, with formatting very similar to that on the publisher's website.

Safety check-ins

From the horrendous Nepal earthquake to Paris attacks and the recent Chennai floods, 2015 witnessed global hardships. Facebook lend a hand and initiated a feature called the safety check-in which allows people to connect with their loved ones and mark their safety through this feature notifying everyone in their friendlist.

Filtered profile pictures

Facebook, with this idea, created temporary photo filters to mark support for special occasions.

The world witnessed Facebook profiles pictures turning into rainbow filters when the United States legalized gay marriages in all 50 states; profile pictures were also filtered to show solidarity to Paris attacks and recently a filter was introduced for fans one the recent released Star Wars movie.

Updated News Feed 

The social network giant released several new features to allow the app to work more efficiently on smartphones in areas where connection speeds are slow or nonexistent. With the update, users had the option to view older stories as new stories loaded with slower connections.

The update rolled out in September this year, extending their market in Africa and India where internet connections are poor.

Acts to prevent suicide

Earlier this year, Facebook took a step to prevent suicides. The social media network partnered with Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Save.org and Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention, a nonprofit operating out of the University of Washington's School of Social Work, to give users more options when they see a friend post something concerning. It works on both desktop and mobile.

Personalised News Feed

The social network giant announced a slew of tools that will allow people to, as the company says, “actively shape and improve the experience.” Among the few things, the feature lets you select which friends and pages you see at the top of your News Feed, and help you more easily discover pages you might enjoy.

If you know of any update that should be featured in this list, do let us know in the comments below.