Facebook Offline Mode Will Download Data For You
The social network makes Offline Mode a reality with apps' ability to make Facebook comments and see cached content at all times. This is part of the plan. Part of the plan Facebook has to get as much Facebook delivered to you as it can, all the time. They suggest that these updates are to tend to people around the world connecting with 2G mobile data in developing countries – we know it's for the cat pics.
Without this Offline Mode, you might be in an area – say the woods, at your grandparents' house, where there's no mobile data or internet – and you'd be unable to browse Facebook. The harsh realities of wilderness living set in, and you have no choice but to relax in grandpa's chair, drinking nog.
Facebook News Feed to cater to slow, flaky connections
But with Offline Mode, there'll be no dice for you.
With Offline Mode, you'll be able to access all of the data you'd seen in the recent past – like the whole news feed your device had loaded last time you were there. You'll also be able to send comments and "Like" things on Facebook.
The only difference there is that the comments and the Likes wont be sent to the web until you have a connection once more. So it's like you've frozen time for yourself and it'll only restart once you've re-connected.
So don't go making a thousand comments for Becky's photo of her new marmot all at once, for the fury of a thousand comments being sent at one time will hath fury returned, with great vengeance.
SEE: Google Maps, YouTube offline updates
Facebook will be sending you this content – the cached content you've already had downloaded to your device temporarily – and ranking it.
According to Facebook's Alex Sourov, "we look at all the previously downloaded stories present on your phone that you have not yet viewed, and rank them based on their relevance. We also factor in whether the images for the story are available."
"This way we can immediately display relevant stories you haven't seen yet, instead of showing a spinner while you wait for new stories."
What worries us just a little is the following bit – in which Facebook will be "retrieving" data for you whenever you have a good connection. This might just mean downloading data to your device without you even opening the Facebook app.
"We're also testing improvements to keep these stories up to date throughout the day by periodically retrieving new stories when you have a good connection," said Facebook's Chris Marra in a Facebook Code release, "This helps us make sure the stories we have available are the most relevant and current."
Sound like a good idea to you?