Facebook Launches Version 5.1 Of iOS App With Camera, Messenger And Gift Goodies

Facebook has just rolled out a big update to its iOS app that brings some slick new features. The first new feature comes in the form of Facebook Messenger, which essentially integrates features from the standalone app into the main app. Users can swipe left at any time to see a complete list of all their friends online. The update also lets users add certain friends to the favorite bar for quick chatting access.
The camera has also received a nice little overhaul that should make using it a little more enjoyable. Facebook borrows the upload flow from its own Camera app to make uploading multiple photos quicker and easier for users of the main app. A feature not mentioned on the apps iTunes page is filters for photos. For some reason, Facebook has left this off the new feature list, but never the less, it is there and available for you to use if you have the app.
The biggest new thing in this update is the inclusion of gifts. Facebook first rolled out this feature in September to the website, and now they are bringing the monetization effort to mobile users. Users can go into the app and purchase gifts quickly and easily, just as they would from the feature on Facebook’s website.

This seems like a smart move for Facebook. Borrowing popular features from its other mobile apps creates a more cohesive experience for its users. Of course, Facebook has not rolled these features to Android, so users of that mobile OS are still left in the dark.