Facebook releases 'home' software for Android phones

Facebook is releasing software that puts feeds from the social network on the home page of Android phones.

The software will act like a "wrapper" for the Android operating system and become the main way to use a phone.

Notifications, images and messages will appear on the main screen of the phone instead of being accessible via a downloadable app.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the change would put people, not apps, at the heart of the mobile experience.

In a presentation given at Facebook's campus, Mr Zuckerberg said phone apps were a legacy of the computer world in which people clicked on an icon to start a program.

While this worked well with desktops and laptops, it made less sense with phones, he said.

"Now there's a new use case that's more and more important," he said. "We have our phones with us all the time and we want to know more what's happening to our friends."

:story: BBC News