Facebook's Classic Design Is Officially Going Away

Facebook Has A New Look (Kinda)

The social media platform announced that it would be redesigning its classic blue and white interface back in 2019 to make groups easier to navigate, among other features. (That's the one you see here.) The new look — called FB5 — became widely available to opt into back in March, the Verge reports.

If you kept the classic Facebook because you hate change (same), you probably forgot all about the redesign — until this week, when users started getting pop-up messages that the old layout would be unavailable starting in September.

If you're just now making the switch, you'll notice that the platform's interface is a lot cleaner, with more white space. (It'll look familiar if you usually use Facebook on mobile — the app got the redesign back in 2019.)

Some groups — like gaming or health-focused ones — will get features like message threading or hiding names on a post, respectively, and you can pay for Facebook Marketplace items right through the platform. The new design also supports Facebook Dating and Meet New Friends, both of which require you to opt-in.

If you're sad that you're have to finally have to update your Facebook layout, there is a bright side (so to speak): Along with the redesign, Facebook launched dark mode for desktop. Switching to the new layout prompts you to choose between light or dark mode, which is a smidge easier than manually setting up dark mode if that's what you're into.

Dark mode can be also enabled by tapping the downward arrow at the upper right corner of your home screen. Scroll down to dark mode, tap the toggle it, and relax your eyes.

Once you toggle Dark Mode on, you can enjoy the desktop version of the app without any harsh contrast. If you decide you miss Facebook in blue and white, you can just turn the toggle off and restore bright mode.

Though dark mode has an aesthetic appeal, and is quite literally easier on the eyes, it also helps to conserve battery life, which is extra important on mobile devices.

If you haven't yet put Messenger in dark mode, there are two ways to do it. First, tap your avatar in the upper left corner of the screen to see screen options. The second way to enable dark mode is to send yourself, or a friend a message with a crescent moon emoji. Yes, really.