Facebook simplifies sharing for iOS apps
The company hopes app makers will pick its SDK over Apple's API to boost sharing to the social network.
Sharing is caring -- if your Facebook and your network depends on it.
Monday, the social network simplified the process for sharing activities from third-party iOS apps to Facebook. The company rolled out something called the "Share Dialog," previously in beta, for its iOS software development kit, which means developers can now update their applications to make sharing to the social network as fast and brainless as possible.
Specifically, the developer tool gets the iOS app user from app activity to Facebook share with a single click. With the addition of the special dialog box, app users can share their activity with Facebook without needing to log in first (so long as the person is logged into the Facebook app for iOS).
It's a simplified process that eliminates anywhere from one to three additional steps, Facebook Engineer Jason Clark explained in a blog post.
Facebook is already tightly integrated with Apple's iOS mobile platform and is a default sharing option for status updates, photos, videos, and links. With the SDK update, the social network is encouraging app developers to pick its kit over Apple's own API to eliminate Facebook-sharing friction inside their apps.
Should app makers pick Facebook, the social network can dive deeper into developers' applications and boost sharing to its network from Apple devices.