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60 Million Facebook Mobile Users Are Sent to Third Party Apps Every Month

Facebook is bringing together the worlds of social and mobile. Since introducing the Facebook platform for mobile users in late 2011, there are now 425 million monthly users, making it the most popular application across all mobile operating systems, according to Nielsen. Facebook continues its efforts to enhance and extend its most popular status by establishing standards to simplify web app development and introducing APIs that improve the user experience and add features that are important to developers.

Emphasis On Cross Platform Compatibility

While Facebook provides support for native mobile app developments, its emphasis is on cross-platform compatibility. This offers mobile users convenient, seamless connection with their friends across platforms and devices, as well as the ability to immediately access third-party apps whenever they see a notification, or a story, or other activity in their News Feed or Ticker.

For developers, cross-platform compatibility provides the most effective way to distribute their apps across the vast Facebook mobile network. It is not only the number of Facebook mobile users that is appealing, but also that the apps are socially shared between users who are in their target market.

Frictionless Sharing & Location Tagging for Mobile Users

The ability to seamlessly share and get instant updates is further enhanced through “frictionless sharing” which allows Facebook mobile users to update their online activity, without the need to click on a “like” or “share” button. Users simply give the app permission – one time – to share information. Updates are then automatically posted on their profile and friends are immediately notified.

Facebook recently rolled-out APIs that allow users to tag locations and friends on updates, photos, or links from third-party apps, and is currently testing RingMark, a mobile payment service, that enables users to charge web app transactions to their monthly wireless bill. These features provide an enriched user experience and make it more attractive for developers to write apps for the Facebook mobile platform.

This social mobile trend shows no signs of slowing down. Industry analysts expect mobile Internet usage to surpass desktop usage as soon as 2014, propelled by the apps that users love. Facebook sends 60 million mobile users to third-party apps and games every month, for a total of 320 million visits. Those 60 million users represent only 14 percent of Facebook’s current total mobile audience, offering an enticing glimpse into the future growth opportunities the social mobile market offers.