Facebook

Besides helping you to stay up-to-date with family and friends, Facebook also offers many other functions that can make life both easier and more fun. In this lesson you will learn how you can share interesting articles, attend events and send messages to friends using Facebook on your smartphone. These are just a few of the fun possibilities, so once you feel more comfortable with the app, there’s plenty more for you to explore.

Write a post or upload a photo

Want to let people know what you’re doing right now? Or perhaps share something that’s on your mind? Then just write a “post” (also called “updating your status”) and all your Facebook friends will be able to read it. Keep in mind that anything you share may spread beyond your circle of Facebook friends.

When you open the Facebook app on your Doro smartphone you will arrive at the Facebook “News feed”. To write a post:

1. Tap the field near the top of the screen where it says, “What’s on your mind?”
2. Tap it once more to make the keyboard appear, then write your message.
3. When you’re ready to post it on Facebook, tap “Post” at the top right of the screen.

If you want, you can even upload photos as a post – a fun and an easy way to share memorable moments with friends.

1. To upload a photo that you’ve previously taken with your smartphone, tap the green photo icon to access the phone’s photo gallery. If this is the first time you try to share a photo, Facebook will ask you for permission to access your photos, which you will need to allow.

Tap the photo or photos you would like to share and then tap “Done”. If you want you can add a description where it says, “Say something about this photo…” When you’re ready to post the photo(s), tap “Post” at the top right of the screen and you’re done!

Comment and share posts

You can also let people know what you think about other people’s posts and photos. This is a nice way to interact with your friends on Facebook. It is also an easy way to let others know what you think about news articles and ongoing debates.

Under every Facebook post you will find icons that allow you to “Like”, “Comment” or “Share” that post. When you choose the comment icon the keyboard appears so that you can begin to write. When you’re done writing, simply tap “Post” to attach your comment to the post. That’s it! (Keep in mind that anything you write here can be read by everyone, not just by the person you wrote the comment to).

If you should come across some photo, article or other post that you would like to share with others, Facebook makes it easy.

1. Tap the share icon under the post and choose “Write Post”.
2. Add a description if you like, and then tap “Post” at the top right of your screen and. Now all your Facebook friends will be able to see what you shared. Remember to use discretion when sharing anything, as many false news stories are spread using Facebook. Everything you read is not necessarily true or originates from a reliable source.

Follow a page

You may have heard the expression, “Follow us on Facebook.” Many organisations and businesses create Facebook “groups” or “pages” that make it easy for others to stay informed and to take part in discussions initiated by those organisations. It could be a group that shares a common interest, a page about a particular TV programme, or perhaps a page where you can find out what’s happening in your local community.

Everything on Facebook can be found using the app’s search function. Suppose you’re interested in baking, for example. Enter the word “baking” in the search field at the top of the screen and then tap “Search”. This gives you a list of results divided into People, Pages, Groups, Events and more. Tap any result to go directly to that page or group for more information. If you like what you find and want to stay continuously updated, you can choose to Follow that particular person or page (or “Join” if it’s a group) in the menu just below the profile photo.

Events

Don’t be surprised if you receive an invitation to attend an event somewhere, i.e. a real happening taking place IRL (“in real life”). Facebook is a very convenient way for people to organise and post all information about an event in one single place, including a map and directions on how to get there. It also allows everyone to see which other Facebook users are invited and who among those are planning to go. With Facebook on your smartphone you can easily stay updated about last minute changes and even consult the map on your way to the event.

You may sometimes also receive an invitation to attend larger events such as a festival in the local community, exhibitions, etc. By tapping “Going” or “Interested” directly under the date and description of such an event you enable your friends to see whether or not you intend to go, which may entice them to go along as well. Likewise, you can see who is interested or planning to go by scrolling down and tapping on the subtotals listed under each category.

Direct messaging via Messenger

Just about everything you write on Facebook is public and can be read anyone. By using Facebook Messenger, however, you can send messages directly to one or more friends that can only be read by the intended recipient(s). It’s like sending an SMS, except that you need to be connected to the Internet via WiFi or a 3G/4G network. Keep in mind that if you are traveling abroad and don’t have an internet connection, you will not be able to send messages via Messenger. On the other hand, if you have access to a free WiFi network, e.g. at a café or hotel, you can send these messages free of charge, unlike SMS messages which can be quite costly to send and receive when abroad. You can read more about using your smartphone abroad in Part 1, “Wifi – The smart way to surf online.”

To use Messenger directly from Facebook tap the icon that looks like a speech bubble with a lightning bolt in it. You’ll find it at the top right of the screen, just to the right of the search field. If the Messenger app has not yet been installed on your phone, you will have to do this first by following the instructions. Your account and login is the same as for Facebook, and all you will be able to see all your Facebook friends in Messenger as well!

That’s it! Now you’re ready to connect with friends and other Facebook users who share your interests.

Good luck with Facebook on your Doro smartphone!