Facebook launches Paper, a news and storytelling app, which will go up agains incumbents like Flipboard and Google’s Newsstand service. Paper app by Facebook promises a “full-screen” distraction-free layout. The first section in Paper is your Facebook News Feed, where you’ll enjoy inspiring new designs for photos, videos, and longer written posts. You can customize your Paper stream with a choice of more than a dozen other sections about various themes and topics – from photography and sports to food, science and design. Facebook is promising that articles will come from well-known sites as well as “emerging voices,” although it says it’ll also ensure that trusted publications will be easy to spot within the mix.
Navigation from article to article is done through swipes. You’ll be able to tilt the phone and arc across bigger panoramic pictures. Paper is created based on the visual appeal: Pictures dominate the navigation, with soft white icons laid on top of pictures for navigation. Videos, full-screen, will also auto-play (we’re hoping there will be a toggle for that). Crafting and sharing personal stories will be easier as well.
Storytelling and sharing have been reimagined in Paper to show stories at their best.
- Everything responds to your touch so you can pick up or thumb through stories with simple, natural movements
- You can tilt your phone to explore high-resolution panoramic photos from corner to corner, and see faces and other important details up close
- Fullscreen autoplay videos come to life and bring you deep into the action
- Beautifully detailed covers make it easy to spot articles from trusted publishers and decide what to read or watch. Articles unfold in the app and appear fullscreen for a focused reading experience
- When you’re ready to tell your own story, you know exactly what your post or photo will look like because you see a live preview before you share it
The Paper app, Stories From Facebook, launched on February 3rd and is currently available in the US for iOS devices. Download Paper here.
Introducing Paper from Facebook on Vimeo.
