It's all about Facebook Home

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday their own twist on Android, and it's called Facebook Home. It takes on Android in a key battle for consumers' mobile usage with rival Google. It will be available on a few Android smartphones initially with HTC First mobile device.

It's quiet confusing for ordinary consumers what Facebook Home really is all about. But no worries, we got you covered. It is not exactly an app nor a new mobile operating system. It's just a little of both.

Facebook Home introduces a whole new set of features that will make Android more Facebook-ish. It is a new home screen and app launcher that gives you all Facebook related notifications, news feeds and messages, creating a more integrated feel of Facebook on your device.

As Mark Zuckerberg puts it, Facebook Home is all about "putting people first instead of apps." The following video shows how this new product aligns with this vision and how it fits in everyone's mobile and digital life.



So how does Facebook Home's core features work? It is similar to a third-party OS launcher. That is, when you turn on your phone, the lock screen and home screen default to what is called the Cover Feed. It is a stream of Facebook news feed about all the things your friends are sharing, like status updates, photos, links, etc. Aside from Facebook related notifications, it will also serve notifications from other apps on your home screen too.

Another cool component Facebook Home carries is the new messaging feature called Chat heads. Chat heads opens up a whole new way of communicating with your friends. It automatically floats out a friend's profile pic notifying you their messages, on whatever app you're into. "It makes you feel like your friends are always there," said Joey Flynn of Facebook.

For other Android apps, Facebook Home also offers its own app launcher. Swipe up your Facebook profile photo and it will open up its app launcher which you can also customize and arrange your favorite apps into areas and pages. Check out the following video from AT&T and HTC to learn more about its features.



So how can we get it? Facebook Home will be available pre-installed on the new HTC First Android smartphone and can also be downloaded on other Android devices but won't have all the features a pre-installed phone like HTC First does.

Facebook announced that it will be available on April 12 for download via Google Play. And will work straight out for Android phones like HTC One, the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy S III, and the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.