Facebook Expands Search to Public Posts

Facebook search is about to get an upgrade.

The social network on Thursday announced it is updating its search feature with better suggestions, more relevant results, and easier-to-find public conversations. The changes are rolling out now for English readers in the U.S. on iPhone, Android, and the desktop.

Now, when you tap the search box and start typing, Facebook will offer up personalized suggestions you might be interested in. "As you type, we'll highlight things that are happening right now so you can follow popular stories as they unfold," Facebook's VP of Search Tom Stocky wrote in a blog post.

You'll also now see the most recent, relevant public search results alongside the posts from your friends. "Search results are organized to help you cut through the noise and quickly understand what the world is saying about a topic in the moment," Stocky added. You can also pull to refresh in the app to check out the latest public posts about a particular topic.

Finally, Facebook is also making it easier to see what people are saying about widely shared links. With one tap, you can see public posts about a link, popular quotes and phrases mentioned in the post, and an aggregate overview of sentiment about it. Stocky said this feature is "a first step" and Facebook hopes to improve it over time with user feedback.

;story: PC Magazine