Decade Samosa: You have memories with Facebook

In today’s edition of Decade Samosa, we scroll back through the last ten years on the Timeline of Facebook. A look at the Facebook history from the last decade.

Facebook history shows that the app has come a long way, starting with Facemash - a kind of 'hot or not' game to now being a social media giant.

The nature of the site didn’t bother its attraction; Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours online.*

What Zuckerberg probably didn't know was that this was the beginning of the creation of a social media norm, a language, a whole new human behavior. Yes, Facebook history is indeed dramatic.

Business on Facebook came a long way from ads being introduced in 2012 to users being able to make appointments booking within the app's UI. It was made sure that Orkut's mistakes wouldn't be repeated.

Users changed too. From paying twenty rupees an hour in Cyber Cafe for Facebooking to using 4G on phone and adding the prefix 'cyber' to their life.

From introduction of videos to Thumbstoppers, from initiating payment services to building digital currency, from expressing moods to detailing reactions - Facebook literally changed how humans think. Let's gape through Facebook History to find out how they achieved it.

Facebook history

2010

Community Pages

Community Pages were first introduced on the platform in April 2010.

Like for individual comments

The option to like individual comments introduced in June 2010.

Profile Redesign

Mark Zuckerberg announced a complete redesign of the Facebook Profiles.

2011

Video Chat

Facebook partnered with Skype to introduce video chat on Skype in 2011, July.

Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger launched in August 2011 and then later made available to then-popular phone - Blackberry.

Subscribe

Facebook launched September 2011 to subscribe to people who are not your friends similar to the 'follow' feature available today.

Revamped UI

The revolutionary Timeline was launched at the F8 Conference in September 2011.

2012

Advertisements

January 2012 - Facebook introduced its biggest revenue generator - ads on the platform.

Instagram

Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 Billion in April 2012.

IPO

Facebook went public on May 12, at a valuation of $104 billion, the largest valuation to date for an initially listed company.

1 billion

Facebook reached 1 billion active users in October 2012.

2013

Facebook Graph

Facebook Graph Search designed to give answers to users' natural queries.

Emoticons

Detailed Emoticons were rolled out the beta phase in January, and on the full scale in April 2013.

Facebook News Feed Updates

A 'mobile-inspired' design with specific-content type feeds, larger images, check-ins, larger videos and more, launched in March 2013.

Facebook Home

Facebook Home launched to amplify the Android experience.

Notifications on home or lock screen; round messenger icon of active chats (chat head) and more features were introduced.

Video Autoplay

Video Autoplay rolled out in April 2013

Facebook Stickers

Facebook launched Stickers for iOS in April 2013 and later expanded to the web version.

Hashtags

Facebook introduced hashtags in June 2013.

Edit Posts

Option to edit posts or comments after publishing introduced in September 2013.

Acquisition Discussions - Snapchat

Several reports surfaced about Facebook offering to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion USD but being turned down in November 2013.

2014

Trending

Facebook announced Trending - a list of topics that are currently popular on Facebook in January 2014.

Facebook Paper

Facebook Paper - standalone app that delivered a magazine or newspaper -like reading experience launched.

Anniversary

Facebook marks the Ten-Year Anniversary of its launch on February 4, 2014.

Look Back

Look Back was a montage of the user's life, as recorded on Facebook was launched in February 2014 and got an edit option.

LGBTQ+-Friendly gender Options

Facebook initiated more gender options, along with the ability to control the viewability of the custom gender in February 2013.

WhatsApp Acquisition

In February 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $16 billion.

News Feed Updates

The News Feed updates announced in March 2014 - changes in feed's visual representation.

DeepFace Project

Facebook's DeepFace Project reached an algorithm capable of identifying a face in a crowd with 97.25% accuracy in March 2014.

Acquisition - Oculus

Facebook announced that it agreed to acquire Oculus VR in March 2014.

Facebook Newswire

Facebook Newswire - a resource for journalists and newsrooms launched in April 2014.

Facebook Slingshot

Facebook launched Slingshot - an app where friends can send each other photos and videos.

Save

Facebook launched 'Save' for links, Places and Media Pages on July 21, 2014.

Unfollow & Feedback

In November 2014, Facebook introduced News Feed Settings allowing the unfollow option

Facebook Search Updates

Facebook updates Search with keywords in December 2014.

2015

False And Misleading News

In January 2015, Facebook announced reducing distribution of posts that are reported as hoaxes, false or misleading.

Payment Service

Facebook introduced a free payment service in Messenger in March 2015.

Embeddable Videos and other updates

Facebook announced product changes and updates - spherical & embeddable videos, upgrades to the comment system in March 2015.

Scrapbook

Scrapbooks launched in March 2015, to let parents make a collection of photos of their child.

Hello

Facebook launched Hello showing information about who's calling you with the information shared on Facebook and search for people and businesses.

Instant Articles

The articles that you are able to read from within the Facebook app were launched in May 2015.

Support for GIFs

Facebook announced that they would be officially supporting GIFs in May 2015.

Changes to Business Pages

In June 2015, Facebook announced changes to Business Pages - showing how response time, allowing pages to send saved replies, and more.

See First

'See First' for friends launched in June 2015.

Live-Streaming

Facebook launched live-streaming by initially introducing it to celebrities, then to journalists and verified profiles in August 2015.

M - Personal Assistant

Facebook launched an AI-based Personal Assistant M within Messenger in August 2015.

1 Billion Users

Facebook hits the milestone of 1 billion users in August 2015.

Book An Uber

Facebook Messenger added an option to book an Uber in December 2015.

2016

Facebook Live

Facebook begins the global rollout of Live starting from January 2016 to all users staring with iPhone, then Android.

Facebook Reactions

Facebook introduced Reactions in February 2016.

Updates announced in the F8 Conference

Updates announced at Facebook's F8 Developer Conference in April 2016 include chatbots, VR Camera and more.

News Feed Ranking Algorithm

Facebook changes algorithm ranking articles in April 2016.

News Feed Values

Adam Mosseri highlights values based on which News Feed posts are ranked in June 2016.

Tackling Clickbait

Facebook announced reducing clickbait by identifying misleading phrases in the title.

Marketplace

Facebook introduced Marketplace - a place to buy and sell within local communities in October 2016.

Instant Games

Facebook launches Instant Games within News Feed and Messenger in November 2016 for both Mobile and Web.

News Feed Updates - Fake News

News Feed updates to tackle fake news in December 2016. Fake news was one of the biggest issues in Facebook history.

2017

Integrating Messenger

Facebook integrated Messenger to desktop, replacing the inbox in January 2017.

Jobs

Facebook rolled out job posting and application feature on Facebook on 16 February 2017.

Facebook Stories

Instagram like Stories launched on Facebook on March 28, 2017.

Reaction in Comments

Facebook introduced reactions in comments in May 2017.

Facebook Fundraisers

Facebook introduced Fundraisers allowing people to raise money for a friend, themselves or others.

Two Billion Mark

Facebook hit a new milestone by reaching the two billion mark.

Trust Indicators

Facebook launched Trust Indicators that gives contextual information about a story and it's a publisher in December 2017.

Facebook for Creators

Facebook launched a Facebook Creator app and Website for Creators in November 2017.

Messenger For Kids

The platform launched a messaging app for kids aged between 6 to 12 to in December 2017.

Facial Recognition

Facebook launched a tool that detects faces to identify users even when they're not tagged in December 2017.

2018

Userbase

Facebook for the first time reported a decline in userbase in US & Canada.

Today In

Facebook announced the launch of 'Today In' to feed local news and information to users, in January 2018.

Downvote

Facebook introduces an option to downvote similar to Reddit, in February 2018.

Algorithm Changes

Facebook updated News Feed algorithm to prioritize posts from friends & family over publishers, in April 2018.

Polls for Stories

Facebook Messenger rolls out Polls for Stories, in May 2018.

Stories Ads

Facebook announced the introduction of Ads in Stories, in June 2018.

News Shows

Facebook announces the introduction of Funded News Shows on Facebook Watch, in June 2018.

Facebook Memories

The platform introduces a dedicated section for Facebook past, in June 2018.

Ad Activity

The feature enables users to give feedback and lodge complaints about the advertisers in Jue 2018.

Eye-Tracking Tool

Reports surface about Facebook developing an eye-tracking tool, in June 2018.

Brand Collab Manager

To support brands to build connections with the influencers, the platform launched this tool, in June 2018.

Time Spent

Facebook begins working on a feature that shows time spent on the platform, in June 2018.

Keyword Snooze

Facebook tests a mute keyword option to hide any posts from timeline that contain keywords they’ve marked, in June 2018.

Multiplayer Video Chat AR Games

Facebook announced the launch of multiplayer video chat AR games, in August 2018.

Facebook Friends List Removed

Facebook shuts down the Facebook Friends List Feed option, in August 2018.

Facebook Watch

Facebook rolled out Facebook Watch globally in August 2018.

Respond to Notifications

Facebook launches an option to respond to notifications in the tab itself, in September 2018.

Transparency for Advertisers

Facebook announces giving a complete view to the advertisers, on how and where their ads will be placed, in September 2018.

Rosetta

Facebook begins creating an AI system - Rosetta to identify text and content on pictures, in September 2018.

Instagram co-founders exit Facebook

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger resign from the parent company, in September 2018.

Expansion of Ad Breaks

Facebook rolled out Ad Breaks in 21 more countries, in September 2018.

Facebook Stories

Facebook Stories hits the 300 million DAU mark and opens for ads, in September 2018.

3D Photos

Facebook starts 3D Photos, in October 2018.

Messenger Updates

Facebook Messenger redesigned with going from nine tabs to three; Chats, People & Discover, in October 2018.

Music Stickers

Facebook rolled out music stickers for Stories, in October 2018.

Lasso

Facebook launched a short-format video standalone app called Lasso - a mock-up of TikTok, in November 2018.

Unsend Messages

Facebook Messenger introduces the option to unsend messages, in November 2018.

Ad Breaks & Video Monetization

Facebook announces Ad breaks for eligible partners and video monetization solutions, in November 2018.

Camera Updates in Messenger

Facebook adds Boomerang, new fonts, color backgrounds, camera modes like Normal, Selfie, AR filters and more, in December 2018.

2019

Petitions

Facebook launches Facebook Community Actions, allowing users to initiate petitions and notify local officials, in January 2019.

Dentsu Aegis Network India - Marketing Partner

Dentsu Aegis Network India announced as an official Facebook Marketing Partner (Ad-Tech), in January 2019.

15th Birthday

Facebook completes 15 years of its existence and 2.7 billion users, in February 2019.

Clear History

Facebook, CFO, David Wehner announced the launch of the clear history feature, in February 2019.

Pages Redesign

Facebook redesigns Pages with a neater look, in March 2019.

News Tab

Mark Zuckerberg announces the news tab including the business model and ecosystem, in April 2019.

Swipeable Feed

Facebook tests integrating Stories and News Feed into one swipeable feed, in April 2019.

3D Photos

Facebook launches three new features: 3D Photos in Stories, 3D Photos Creation on the Web & 3D Photos Creation on Android, in April 2019.

Video Ranking Updates

Facebook introduced ranking updates to prioritize original Facebook videos in May 2019.

Thumbstoppers

Facebook India partners with creative agencies to boost short-form video creativity, in May 2019.

Algorithm Changes

Facebook algorithm updates prioritized which friends you want to hear from and links you might consider worthwhile, in May 2019.

Why Am I Seeing This Post?

Facebook adds a saying, “Why am I seeing this post?” in the three-dot menu, in mid-year 2019.

Algorithm Changes For Groups & Pages

Facebook extended algorithm changes to predict and prioritize Facebook Pages and Groups users care about in June 2019.

Oversight Board

Facebook announces building an independent Oversight Board to handle content censorship, in June 2019.

Monetization for Creators

Facebook introduced monetization tools and updates for creators sharing original content in July 2019.

Libra

Facebook announced digital currency Libra in July 2019, expected to launch in 2020.

Visual Changes to ads & posts

The company announces Facebook Mobile ads and Page posts would appear differently with major changes to text and media ratio in July 2019.

AR Filter Tools

Facebook opens Instagram AR Filter tool for users in August 2019.

New Movie Marketing Features

Facebook launched ad solutions – Movie Reminder Ads and Movie Showtime Ads in August 2019.

Restriction on Ads

Facebook announces restrictions to Housing, Employment, and Credit-Ads following civil rights audit in August 2019.

Threads

Facebook started developing a messaging app for Instagram - Threads in August 2019.

Tools for brands in Messenger

Facebook introduced new tools - Lead Generation, Appointment Booking in September 2019.

Facebook Dating

The company launches the app Facebook Dating in September 2019.

News Tab Expansion & Marketplace Updates

Facebook expands 'Today In' and updates Marketplace in September 2019.

Facebook & Instagram Music In India

Facebook and Instagram launch music integrated features in India in September 2019.

Tools For Public Figures

Facebook Public Figures now have access to more tools and features in September 2019.

Interactive Ads

Facebook interactive ads introduced to encourage engaging experience between people and brands in September 2019.

Hide Like Counts

Facebook confirms to start hiding like counts starting with Australia in September 2019.

Facebook Messenger Updates

Facebook Messenger gets new features - Private Replies, app link Support and more.

Tools For Small Businesses

Facebook introduces tools such as customizable templates in October 2019.

Ads in Groups Tab & Search Results

Facebook tests ads in the Groups tab & Search Results in October 2019.

Facebook Logo

Facebook changes logo design in November 2019.

Whale

Facebook launches Whale a meme-making app in November 2019.

Brand Safety Controls

Facebook introduced new brand safety tools in November 2019.

We stop here, but the Facebook history continues to write itself.

Take a look at the Editor' Note: The notion behind capturing the essence of the last decade and the Facebook history.