After several days full of guesswork, Facebook has finally announced its biggest change in a while: a brand new News Feed. The emphasis of the change is on reducing clutter — something Facebook users are always looking for — and also style, as Facebook has changed the way stories look to make them look the same on both the Web and on mobile.

The new News Feed will let users see certain kinds of post, depending on their mood. You can filter your posts so you get to see updates from all friends, only music updates, only photos updates, or all the Pages you’re following. The updates themselves have been redesigned, with larger images and inline text, and are aimed to highlight the stories users are sharing. which is, of course, the ultimate goal of all Facebook users. The update also introduces a new sidebar, which exchanges the cluttered text with slicker icons.

“What we’re trying to do is give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper we can,” Mark Zuckerberg said. “The best personalized newspaper should be intricate, rich, and engaging.” Chris Cox, vice president of product at Facebook, said the company wanted the interface to be more “modern and clean.”

Facebook’s main goal here is to keep users on the social network longer. The ability to filter posts easily and switch between different feeds could certainly help users reach content they’re interested in, which might keep them browsing their News Feeds longer.

The updated News Feed is rolling out gradually over the next few weeks. This means you may not see the changes for a while, but Facebook has provided a link for users who just cannot wait. By going here, you can be placed on a list, and would presumably get access to the new News Feed sooner.

Source: Facebook