Facebook is expected to release its new Notify app next week. (Photo : Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Files)
All users of Facebook's iOS app can now access thousands of Instant Articles in News Feed on iPhones and iPads. A lightning bolt shown in the top right corner of certain stories reveals that it is an Instant Article, and loads ten times faster than regular mobile web articles on smartphones. The result is smoother and more interactive content including high-resolution photos and autoplay videos from sites such as The New York Times and National Geographic.
News Feed users can seamlessly read Instant Articles content. When a Facebook Friend or publisher shares a link with users, the new-and-improved content is displayed automatically if the latest version has been installed.
Facebook Media has been beta testing Facebook's Instant Articles with iPhone owners for a few months. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Instant Articles for Android devices will launch sometime this year. A public beta version will be available this week, according to Facebook Media.
Meanwhile, ads remain one of the few ways that Facebook users can click out of the social network. The social media giant has referred to "immersive ads" and "ads canvas," which are basically a promotional version of Instant Articles, according to Tech Crunch.
Instant Articles is now available from a cornucopia of United States publishers. They include: BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, MTV, NBC News, Slate, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.
In coming weeks, Facebook's Instant Articles will also be available from various other publishers, including: Billboard, Bleacher Report, CBS News, CNET, Entertainment Weekly, Fox Sports, Mashable, MLB, NBA, People, Rolling Stone, TIME, USA Today, and The Weather Channel.
