If it's the only version they can use, they'll have to make it better, right?
Today saw the release of Facebook version 5.0 for the iPhone and iPad, but the company also rolled out a new iteration of its app for Android devices (download Facebook for Android). There was a lot of fanfare about the iOS app's snappier speed but little's been made of the version for Google-powered hardware — probably because it apparently still lags behind what Apple users have access to. Facebook is evidently hoping to change that in part by forcing its engineers to use the Android version exclusively until it improves.
Unnamed sources at the company, along with former employees, have been cited as saying that Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has decided to "dogfood" the app to employees — in other words, force them to use it so they'll be motivated to fix its problems more promptly. What's more, those involved in its development are supposedly being asked to stop using their iOS devices entirely until improvements are made.
Facebook for Android is currently at version 1.9.8 and already has dozens of reviews on Google Play from users reporting problems, including poor compatibility to various devices, crashing, missing features compared to the iOS version, and general slowness — the main issue fixed in today's 5.0 release for Apple hardware. Hopefully being forced to put up with these annoyances will result in Android users seeing a more consistent Facebook experience sooner rather than later.
This article was written by Randy Nelson and originally appeared on Tecca
More from Tecca: