X

How to set up and use Facebook Home (pictures)

From installation to juggling Chat Heads, take our photo tour before settling into Facebook Home.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
facebook-home-1100.jpg
1 of 24 James Martin/CNET

Facebook Home gets cozy on your phone

Facebook Home is CEO Mark Zuckerberg & Friends' newest way to engage you on Android smartphones and tablets. A free, downloadable app, Facebook Home replaces your home screens with a rotating feed of friends' photos and status updates, and making your friends the center of your mobile world. Facebook calls this slideshow the Cover Feed.

Facebook Home also comes preinstalled on some devices, like on this HTC First.

35656064-6753.jpg
2 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Two ways to get it

Where Facebook Home is preloaded, like on this HTC First, logging in to Facebook is part of the setup process. Otherwise, you'll download Facebook Home from the Google Play store. You'll also need Facebook Chat and Facebook's mobile app installed for everything to work in concert.
35656064-6755.jpg
3 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Logging in

This is the second log-in screen you'll see before Facebook Home becomes a fixture on your device.
35656064-6793.jpg
4 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Lock screen optional

The software's default mode replaces your lock screen, so that Facebook Home -- and your Facebook-stylized notifications -- are the first thing you see when you wake up your phone. You can also adjust the settings to reinstate your lock screen.
35656064-6789.jpg
5 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Swipe away

Although Facebook Home displays your notifications in a new way, you can also opt to keep your Android notifications in the pull-down tray. Swipe notifications away to dismiss them and double-tap to open.
facebook-home-1137.jpg
6 of 24 James Martin/CNET

Comments made easy

Upping your engagement with Facebook is what Home is all about. Do that easily by "liking" an update or leaving a comment right from Home's Cover Feed.
facebook-home-1141.jpg
7 of 24 James Martin/CNET

Say your piece

In addition to adding a comment, you can also review what others said.
35656064-6790.jpg
8 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Finger on the pulse

The large, animated thumbs-up and its accompanying popping sound make doling out Facebook compliments pretty darn satisfying.
35575658-6781.jpg
9 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Navigating around

To do more, tap the home button, then slide your profile icon left, up, or right to open your apps, open Facebook Messenger, or return to your previously opened app.
35575658-6769.jpg
10 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Meet the launcher

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to call up Facebook Home's app launcher. In addition to housing your app shortcuts, the launcher also hosts buttons to check into a location, update your status, and open the photo-uploader app.
FBHome_PostStatus.jpg
11 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Wait, where am I?

Unfortunately, tapping your status message loops you into this update composition window, which feels graphically outdated by comparison. The same disappointment applies to using Facebook Messenger and opening the Facebook mobile app.
FBHome_FBPhoto.jpg
12 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Upload photos to Facebook

Facebook's photo uploader tool finds its way onto Facebook Home as a shortcut in the app launcher. You'll be able to shoot photo and video from here, and select pictures from the camera gallery to upload to Facebook. Anything you shoot directly from this app saves into a Facebook sub folder in your Gallery.
35656064-6772.jpg
13 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Apps launcher, part two

The launcher screen holds shortcuts only; for a full list of your installed apps, swipe over to the left, then scroll up and down.
FBHome_ChatBadge.jpg
14 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Get your chat on

I'm not sure what possessed Facebook to name its new chat experience Chat Heads, but the feature has a lot to like. Chat Heads float above the surface, so you can chat while you look at any screen -- a game, your e-mail, photos of babies and French bulldog puppies, you get it. Chat Heads appear when friends reach out through Facebook Chat or SMS; a badge appears when new messages await.
facebook-home-1134.jpg
15 of 24 James Martin/CNET

Stacking Chat Heads

If you've got more than one Chat Head rolling around, you can expand them to toggle back and forth, or collapse them on on top of the other to save on space.
35656064-6870.jpg
16 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Chatting interface

The chat interface is pretty nice to look at, supports plenty of multimedia options, and gives you loads of emoticons to impress and entertain (keep scrolling right for more and more).
35656064-6895.jpg
17 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Move it, buddy

You can hold and drag a Chat Head anywhere on the screen to get it out of your way.
35656064-6888.jpg
18 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Snap to attention

It'll adhere to the sides of your screen, not the middle, so you can actually flick it around with some force.
35656064-6907.jpg
19 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Chat over!

Closing a Chat Head is a swipe away.
FacebookHome_OpenChatHead.jpg
20 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Force a conversation

It isn't immediately obvious you can do this, but to open a Chat Head bubble in Facebook Home, hold and press the contact name in Facebook Messenger. It won't populate much until someone responds, but at least you'll be ready when that person does.
FBHome_NotificationSettings.jpg
21 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

More settings

You'll have some say over Chat Heads in the notifications settings, like if you want to be able to access it from other apps (you do).
35656064-6785.jpg
22 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

How to tweak Home

It's easy to change settings in Facebook Home. Press the Menu button, then Home Settings.
35656064-6787.jpg
23 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

What you can do

The settings menu includes toggles to show or hide your Android status bar, put Home in front of or behind the lock screen, and even turn Home off.
FBHome_DataSettings.jpg
24 of 24 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Dial data up or down

A submenu gives you control over image quality, which also ties into refresh rate and the overall data you use. Facebook will cap your usage for you at each level. Those with unlimited data plans should pick the highest option to make the most of Home.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos