More Details About Facebook Integration in iOS 6

Few days back, TechCrunch reported that Facebook will be finally deeply integrated into iOS 6. Apple's CEO Tim Cook had hinted at the possibility of integrating with Facebook during AllThingsD's D10 Conference.

9to5Mac has got access to some more information about how the Facebook integration will work in iOS 6.

Mark Guman of 9to5Mac writes:

According to sources familiar with the Facebook integration into iOS 6, the integration will be very similar to Twitter’s integration that launched with iOS 5. The integration’s biggest presence will be in the iOS Photos application. Like you are able to send photos to Twitter from the Photos application, you will be able to post photos to Facebook. A single sign-on section for all Facebook connected applications is present in the iOS 6 system settings application. Like with Twitter, a new “social sheet,” as some people familiar with the matter call it, will appear for an accompanying status message.

Mockup of Facebook sharing in iPhone Photos app (Image Credit - 9to5Mac)

According to 9to5Mac, not surprisingly, users will also be able to like apps either by using a "Like" button in the built-in App Store on their iOS devices.

Besides content sharing, Apple is also relying on Facebook for a big new social change for the built-in App Store: a feature called “App Liking.” Discoverability has always been a major downside of the Apple mobile apps market with hundreds-of-thousands of software apps, but Apple will by relying on the world’s largest social network to help fix that problem. Inside individual application pages on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch App Store will be a standard Facebook “Like” button. If a user is logged into Facebook via iOS Settings, these app “Likes” will be sent to their Facebook Timelines. Accompanying status messages will also be an option.

We're not sure how Apple will fix the discoverability issues in the App Store with the "App Liking" feature. While Apple could give a higher rank to apps that are shared are Facebook, it is something that can be easily manipulated by developers.

Things should be more clear next week, as Apple is widely expected to give us a preview of iOS 6 at next week's WWDC Keynote, followed by the launch of the beta version. Apple is expected to release iOS 6 to the public only in October along with the next generation iPhone.

According to recent rumors, iOS 6 will include an all-new Maps app with 3D mode, which is supposed to be quite incredible and redesigned version of App Store, iTunes and iBookstore apps.

Via: iphonehacks