Facebook Upgrades Photo Viewing, Sharing

Continuing the super-sizing of photos that began with the introduction of Timeline last year, Facebook on Monday enhanced image-viewing on the platform.

Now, when you click Photos at the top of your Timeline, you’ll be presented with larger pics that fill up the page. Presenting a page full of images will in theory make it easier to share photos. As Facebook’s blog stated on Monday, “With your Facebook photos all in one section, it’s simple to show friends your favorites. Click the star button to make important photos stand out.”

It’s no mystery why Facebook is putting so much emphasis on photos: Pinterest’s popularity has demonstrated a user preference for a more visual experience. Other sites like Quora and Chill.com have mimicked Pinterest’s design. Another major reason is the migration of users to mobile. Since photo-sharing is among the most popular activities on mobile, Facebook spent $1 billion to purchase Instagram and has rolled out its own Instagram competitor, Facebook Camera.

A Facebook rep, however, says the change only affects the Facebook desktop experience; mobile apps won’t be upgraded.