Facebook rolls out “Discover People” feature to help you make friends

PanARMENIAN.Net - Facebook is rolling out a new section on mobile called “Discover People”, which encourages users to introduce themselves by updating their profile, then scroll through a list of upcoming events to see who else may also be going, as well as browse through lists of people in their city or who share the same employer. The feature, designed to facilitate connections between people who aren’t already Facebook friends, could be used for business networking or even dating purposes, given its design, TechCrunch says.

The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is just starting to roll out to users on iOS and Android, but has not reached 100% of the user base at this time.

“Discover People,” if available to you, is found in the navigation section below Friends, Events, Groups, Nearby Places, and other options. Facebook commonly adds and removes new features here as means of testing user engagement and interest. For example, this is where you’ll find more recent additions, like Offers, Find Wi-Fi, and Send or Receive Money, to name a few.

When you tap into the new section, the header at the top asks you to introduce yourself. This involves Facebook guiding your through your current profile to update its various sections. Here, you’re prompted to update your bio and add featured photos to your profile. However, you’re not able to customize an introduction that’s meant to be seen only by those in the “Discover People” section.

Below this, is a list of upcoming events where you’ve registered your interest, have been invited, or plan to attend. These are designated as “People going to…” followed by the name of the event. When you tap into one of these events, instead of being shown the event details, you’re presented with the profiles of the people going, which you swipe through one-by-one. You can also scroll through your past events further down.

And, at the very bottom of the screen, there are ways to browse through people living in your town or through a list of people who work at your company.

None of the sections will show you the profiles of those you’ve already friended on Facebook, as the feature is designed to facilitate making new connections. Facebook says only public information is shown on the profiles that display here.